Sweepstakes Casinos Online – Play Real Casino Games Legally in the US

If you want to participate in betting or gamble online in the US and don’t live in one of a few states that have actually regulated this sector, it may look like you have no legal options. But this would be the wrong assumption.

Sweepstakes casinos let you play your favorite games for real money in a completely legal environment!

If you’re wondering how this is possible and have never heard of online sweepstakes casinos, you’ve come to the right place.

This page will explain everything you need to know about these sites, how they operate, and why their business model isn’t against any of the US gambling laws. On top of that, we’ll recommend some of the best and hottest USA sweepstakes casino sites.

Unlike international online casinos, which are illegal in the US, these operators are within the constraints of the laws, making them a safe option that won’t get you in trouble.

Sweepstakes Casino in a Nutshell

Before getting into the thick of things, let’s first explain what the term “sweepstakes” means and everything it entails.

Sweepstakes are competitions where winners are determined by the luck of the draw and usually require no purchase or monetary commitment.

In the USA, this model has been popularized by large companies that have used it to reward loyal customers and incentivize them to buy their products.

Then, someone came up with the idea that this model could be used to run an online casino and bypass anti-gambling laws.

Gambling is largely defined as a person risking a certain amount of money in hopes of a larger return.

But this obstacle is removed if you’re not risking money directly and are only playing for fun.

You can do this in many social casinos, where you play for virtual currency without value outside the gaming platform.

Online sweepstakes casinos operate on this principle, but unlike their social counterparts, they also give players a chance to turn their sweeps winnings into real money.

How Do Sweepstakes Casinos Work?

What makes sweepstakes casinos possible in the US is that they never take your money as traditional sites do. You can’t make traditional deposits or withdrawals, as this goes against gambling laws, Wire Act, and other regulations.

Instead, first and foremost, they are social casinos.

You can play your favorite games for virtual money and win virtual money as a prize. It has no real value, and it is just the way to keep score, really.

You can always buy more of this virtual money if you want to.

Maybe you want to play on higher stakes or have run out of free funds and don’t want to wait for it to reload.

This is not different from many other online games where you can buy in-game currency or items to improve your gaming experience, advance your character, and have more fun. There is no gambling involved as what you buy has no real-money value.

You can purchase $1,000,000 in virtual casino money and spin it to billions, but that’s just numbers on the screen.

However, we mentioned how these sweeps online casinos make it possible to win real prizes, and you’re probably starting to wonder how, given everything I’ve said up to now.

Winning Real Money at Sweeps Casinos

Every time you purchase a package of virtual coins, nothing prevents a casino from giving you a reward of some sort. As a company, they’re entitled to it, it’s their right, and they can do so at will.

So, this is how it works:

• You buy a package of virtual money for $20
• You receive the virtual coins (whatever the value may be)
• But you also receive $20 or $19 worth of sweeps coins

This isn’t the money you deposited.

You made a purchase and received fun money, but the company has decided to reward you for your purchase with these sweeps coins, which you can redeem at their store for real money!

By this point, you’re probably getting the picture.

You could, of course, go to the store and redeem those coins and get your money back while keeping the virtual currency you got for free if you’re so inclined.

But, you can also use them to play sweeps games and try to win more of these coins.

The company will happily exchange all the coins you win by playing for you and give you the equivalent of their worth in real money.

So, you are never depositing or withdrawing. A sweeps coins casino gives you these coins as gifts, and they exchange them for real money. What they pay you are sweeps prizes, pure and simple.

Are Sweeps Online Casinos Legal in the US?

Considering how strict laws about gambling are in the US, it is natural to wonder if these social casinos where you can win real prizes are really legal.

The short and simple answer is, yes, they are completely legal, at least for as long as there are no changes to current laws.

The sweepstakes model has its roots in things that have nothing to do with casinos and gambling, so it is defined as perfectly legal and doesn’t break any laws.

While there are arguments to be made about these operators “abusing” the system, these are more on a level of debate.

As far as the law is concerned, they’re not doing anything illegal, which will remain so until the government challenges it somehow.

How Safe Are Sweeps Coins Casinos?

Since these online casinos don’t offer gambling in a traditional format, they don’t need licenses like their real-money counterparts. This begs the question, how safe and fair are these operators?

While it’s always a good idea to be cautious online, the fact of the matter is that some of these casinos have been around for a while, and players have largely had good experiences with them.

We recommend you stick to trusted sweepstakes casinos like the one we recommend on this page.

You can find plenty of information and user reviews for these sites, which adds a lot of credibility.

For these social casinos, user experiences and detailed guides such as this one are your best point of reference. The experience is the best way to determine what to expect and if one of these is worth your time and money.

Best Sweeps Games You Can Play

Regarding the game selection, sweeps online casinos aren’t much different from the real-money ones. You’ll find a similar selection of games, albeit not necessarily the same titles. These operators get their games from different studios.

Sweeps slots are, naturally, the most popular category by far.

If you play on one of the major sites, you can expect hundreds of different slots to choose from.

Like real money slots, these games come in all shapes and sizes, from classic three-reel, one payline games to slots featuring hundreds and thousands of ways to win.

They offer different bonus features and have all sorts of maximum win potentials.

If slots aren’t your cup of tea, many sweepstakes online casinos also offer video poker machines and electronic table games like roulette, blackjack, etc. The variety in this department isn’t as colorful, though.

One department that sweeps coins casinos are missing is live dealer games. Given the nature of their business model, this is hardly a surprise, and it’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Social Casinos vs. Real Money Casinos

The biggest and most important difference between playing on social casinos vs. playing on real-money offshore sites from the US is the legality.

Sweepstakes casinos aren’t banned in the United States, which means you’re much less likely to experience problems along the way.

With real money sites operating without a license, there is always a possibility of your money getting stuck or the entire operation getting shut down.

As already mentioned, there are no deposits and withdrawals in a traditional sense on social casino sites.

You’ll need to make purchases to get sweeps coins, and coins are added as a reward.

With real money casinos, things are much simpler in that regard. The money you deposit is the money you get to play with.

Likewise, when it is time to cash out, you simply withdraw your funds. With social casinos, there is an extra step where you have to exchange your sweeps coins for the real money reward. Once you redeem your reward, you can then cash it out.

Another thing worth mentioning is that social casinos are often not technically as advanced as their real money counterparts.

What I mean by this is that their sites and mobile android and iOS apps aren’t as smooth or as polished, making the gaming experience less enjoyable.

If you stick to the top picks, you won’t have to deal with any major bugs or technical glitches, but it’s still something to keep in mind. Those who have experience with real money sites might need some time to get used to the platform.

US Sweepstakes Casino Bonuses

It’s no secret that bonuses are one of the biggest draws of online gambling. Online casinos offer all sorts of bonuses for their players, especially new customers, which adds a lot of value.

Given sweepstakes online casinos use a different model entirely, can you expect any bonuses?

Like everything else, these operators come up with imaginative ways to reward their customers without going outside the law’s constraints.

This means they can’t offer traditional cash bonuses as you’re never making an actual cash deposit, but they can still come up with some incentives.

For example, for your first purchase, they could award you with more sweeps coins than you’d get otherwise. If you usually get $10 worth of coins when making a $10 purchase, they might double the amount and give you $20 worth of sweeps coins when you buy for the first time.

In the same vein, they might come up with special sales, during which you get more sweeps coins when buying a particular package – or any package during a certain period.

One thing these operators can’t really do is offer a VIP program for their players, as those are based on your play, deposits, and other similar factors. Since you don’t technically play for real money, they can’t track these things without crossing the line.

All in all, while sweepstakes casinos aren’t necessarily as rewarding as traditional offshore sites, you can still look forward to some nice deals to get more value for your money.

Top Sweepstakes Casinos in the US

Now that you know how these casinos operate, what sweeps coins are, and what to expect from these sites, it’s time to get more particular.

These are our top five picks for social casinos in the US operating on the sweepstakes model.

Chumba Casino

Chumba Casino is one of the best-known social sites operating in the US and Canada.

The casino bolsters over a million players and offers a very nice selection of video slots and table games for you to enjoy.

There are even progressive jackpot slots for those chasing big wins.

The site even has a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), which adds a lot to its trustworthiness.

You can create an account for free and play all the games on the site without any purchases. However, if you want to be in with a shot at real prizes, you’ll need to obtain some Sweeps Coins.

You can get some of these for free, too, by mailing in your details to the physical address. Otherwise, Chumba Casino will give you Sweeps Coins as a reward with every purchase of Gold Coins, which is virtual casino money used just for playing on the site.

Chumba Casino offers a rather generous bonus on your first purchase, so that’s another reason why this is probably the best pick to get started with social casinos and understand what they’re all about.

LuckyLand Slots Casino

Another popular USA sweepstakes casino, Luckyland Slots Casino is owned by VGW, the same company behind Chumba Casino. This certainly adds to the operator’s credibility and helps it enjoy a good reputation with the players.

The casino uses the same Sweeps Coins and Gold Coins model, making it completely legal in almost all of the US except for the state of Washington.

You can redeem your SC prizes at any time without any fuss, and the money is sent directly to your bank account.

LuckyLand Slots Casino features a decent gaming portfolio containing a few dozen titles. As you can guess from the name, the operator mainly focuses on video slots, so you won’t find many options beyond slots on this particular site.

If you prefer to play on your mobile, Luckyland Slots mobile apps are readily available for download, making it very easy to take your favorite games with you at all times.

B Spot Casino

If you’re looking for something slightly different, look no further than b spot casino. Another social operator completely legal in the US, b spot, has managed to set up a somewhat different model that relies on horse racing results.

The results of horse races determine the results of all games you play on b spot casino.

This is a bit complicated to understand, but what you need to know is that this model has been checked and verified and is completely fair.

Because the operator doesn’t use the usual sweepstakes setup, though, it’s not as available. At the moment, you can access and play on B Spot Casino from more than 20 US states, as the site’s legality is closely tied to states’ laws regulating horse race betting.

As for the games on offer, you’ll find a decent selection of video slots and arcade titles to keep you busy and entertained.

Funzpoints Casino

Funzpoints Casino is another sweepstakes casino operating legally across the US. You can access the site and play here without any problems except if you live in Washington or Idaho.

The casino is very similar to Chumba and Luckyland as far as the business model is concerned, but they use somewhat different terminology on their site.

Instead of sweeps coins, players use Funzpoints, which come in two varieties:

• Standard Funzpoints (the equivalent of Gold Coins on other sites)
• Premium Funzpoints (the equivalent of Sweeps Coins on other sites)

This site stands out a bit from the rest because they have a variety of regular draws, giving you a chance to win many prizes for just being around and playing in the casino.

You can also get a nice boost worth $20 extra on your first purchase, and all new players can get $2.50 worth of Premium Funzpoints when they sign up without any purchase required.

Betrivers.NET

Betrivers.NET is an excellent social casino owned by a company with a presence in several regulated US states. Their gaming portfolio is very impressive and features games from top-tier providers like NetEnt, IGT, and much more.

However, this is a purely social casino, and they don’t offer the sweepstakes model like the rest of the sites mentioned on this page.

You can register for an account with Betrivers.NET and enjoy all the games for free for as much as you want. However, there is no option to exchange your winnings for real money prizes.

That said, if you want to play some of the best casino games on a safe platform and see what they have to offer without risking any cash, this is the place to be!

Sweepstakes Casino FAQ