Sweepstakes & Social Casino Sites

Online casino gambling is booming in the US, with a handful of states legalizing this activity. However, there are still many parts of the country where real money mobile casinos are not legal, but there is a viable alternative – sweepstakes and social casinos.

These sites offer many of the same casino games, such as slots, roulette, blackjack, and video poker, but they operate as sweepstake contests rather than out-and-out gambling.

This guide explains the differences between the two. We also introduce the best US sweepstake and social casinos, along with the top games and an in-depth guide for you to get free sweeps coins so that you can start playing online slots today.

5 Best Sweepstakes and Online Social Casinos in the US

With the popularity of sweepstakes casinos on the rise in the US, we’ve picked out the 5 most popular sites that are worth checking out. Each one is a licensed operator, so these are all reliable and trustworthy brands.

The ones we recommend in terms of cash prizes and games variety are Pulsz, BetRivers.net, Fortune Coins, and High 5 Casino. However, the following tend to be the most popular with players.

Fortune Coins

This is a relatively new sweepstakes casino that’s steadily making a name for itself. Fortune Coins offers a variety of video slots and a highly-engaging fishing game where players must shoot the fish to win coins.

As with all online sweepstakes casinos, you get free coins every day to play with. Furthermore, register today and you can get 140,00 gold coins and 500 free fortune coins! As the name implies, fortune coin is the virtual currency on this platform and you use this money to play on your favorite slot game or other sweepstakes game.

Try today at fortunecoins.com

Pulsz

Powered by Pragmatic Play, Pulsz social casino is rapidly becoming one of the most popular sites around. It offers many player-favorite slots like Great Rhino Megaways, Buffalo King, and Wolf Golf. Also, you can play blackjack, roulette, and other table and card games.

Try today at pulsz.com

Chumba Casino

Chumba is one of the biggest names in the sweepstakes casino industry, with more than 1 million registered players. You can play a varied selection of slots, blackjack, roulette, and video poker.

It also offers two Fireshot Inferno progressive jackpot slots that can payout hundreds of thousands of sweeps coins. With no download required, players can jump into the action directly through their web browser on a PC, tablet, or mobile.

Chumba Casino is available to players in the US (excluding WA and ID) and Canada (excluding Quebec).

LuckyLand Slots

With more than 75 slots and instant win games, LuckyLand Slots is a fun and exciting sweepstakes casino. There are several jackpot games and slot tournaments offering mega SC payouts, along with daily events and goals (missions). LuckyLand slot games are some of the best around, with exciting themes and jackpots available.

LuckyLand also has an android cash app for mobile players. The first deposit bonus is 10,000 gold coins + 10 free sweeps coins (SC) for $4.99. You can also collect another 10 SC simply by confirming your address.

Simply for registering an account, you get 5,000 gold coins (GC) and 2 sweeps coins (SC) plus a daily login bonus of 2,500 GC and 0.30 SC. Following that, the welcome bonus is worth 16,125 GC and 15 SC for only $9.99.

Funzpoints

Funzpoints offer a range of slots and keno games that have been developed in-house. Instead of gold and sweeps coins, it uses standard funzpoints for free-play and premium funzpoints for its sweeps games.

There’s a Funzwheel that players can spin every three hours to win more funzpoints and sweeps tickets. All games are mobile-friendly and playable through a regular web browser. For creating an account, you get 1,000 standard funzpoints and $2.50 worth of premium funzpoints for free.

Are USA Sweepstakes Online and Social Casinos legal?

You can bet your bottom dollar they are. With the exception of Washington and Idaho, sweepstakes casino sites are legal in all US states, including Hawaii. The reason is they follow US sweepstakes laws and regulations, which determine that players do not need to make a purchase to enter the sweeps draws.

That said, players can buy extra credits – commonly known as sweep coins – that come bundled as a free bonus when a player purchases standard coins. In effect, a sweepstakes coin can be used to play sweepstakes casino games and they can be cashed out for real money.

Whether it’s viewed as a loophole in the gambling laws or not, the main point still stands – sweeps and social casinos are 100% legit – and we have the best sites for you to choose from. The geolocation software won’t stop you from playing there, nor will you be restricted to Tennessee brick-and-mortar casinos.

Sweepstakes Casino Sites vs Real Money Online Casinos

The concept of sweepstake casino sites is to provide an online gaming experience that’s akin to a real money casino but within the framework of the US sweepstakes laws. This means that they share obvious similarities and also some key differences.

Real Money Deposits

The main difference between these two platforms is that players don’t need to make a real money deposit to play at a social casino. Instead, you get gold coins or some other virtual currency that you use to play the games for free.

Types of Games

While there are usually fewer titles at social casinos, the types of games are virtually the same, meaning players can enjoy video slots, table games, and even jackpots.

You will find some variance between different social casinos, however. For instance, Funzpoints develops its own games, whereas Pulsz offers titles from leading i-gaming software providers like Habanero and Pragmatic Play.

The main differences between real money and social casinos are that there are no live dealer games at online sweepstake casinos. Additionally, you won’t find any million-dollar progressives either.

Winnings

At traditional online casinos, you pay real dollars to play and the payouts are real money. In contrast, sweepstakes casinos have two modes of play.

The first is free-play, from which you can usually win tickets to sweepstake draws that pay cash prizes. The second mode is promotional play. These use a different coin or currency that players can redeem for cash. You can dress it up how you like, but these are essentially the same as a real money site.

Accessibility

Currently, real money online casinos are only accessible to players in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Delaware, Connecticut, and West Virginia. Sweeps casinos are legal across the whole of the US, barring two states – Washington and Idaho. This gives them a massive advantage as they are easily accessible to millions more players.

How sweepstake casinos work

If you’re new to online sweepstakes casinos, you could be forgiven for wondering exactly how they work. To operate as a sweeps casino, the site must offer free games. The credits required to play these games are often called gold coins, which you can get by:

• logging in to the site each day
• winning games in the casino
• through promotions and other contests

Gold coins have no real-world value, but you can win tickets for daily sweepstakes by playing them on your favorite games.

Where the lines with real money casinos get blurred is from a second currency, usually called sweeps coins. With sweeps coins you can play and win more coins. These coins can be cashed out (redeemed) for real dollars. Here are some of the ways to pick up sweeps coins:

• as a bonus for purchasing gold coins
• by entering sweeps contests on social media
• by completing daily objectives in the sweepstakes casino
• requesting them via post from the operator’s HQ

To clarify, sweepstakes casino players can purchase gold coins, and they are given sweeps coins as a ‘bonus’. They then play sweepstakes games, such as slots, and the winnings can be exchanged for dollars when withdrawn.

Sweepstakes Online Casino Reviews: Our Criteria

Although these are sweepstakes casinos offering free games, our review criteria are no less intensive. Our goal is to present you with honest, impartial facts so that you can make an informed decision as to which site is best for you. Among the criteria that we assess are:

Licensing

US Sweepstakes casinos have to abide by certain rules and regulations, such as highlighting that no purchase is necessary to enjoy the sweepstakes games.

We thoroughly check each operator’s terms and conditions to ensure they are compliant with the laws, meaning you can trust all of the brands on our site.

Variety of Games

The type of sweepstakes games a site has will influence where many people decide to play. Moreover, there are differences between each social online casino, with some using their own software and others partnering with approved software providers.

Added to this, several sweepstakes casinos have progressive slots and table games, whereas others don’t. Our extensive reviews reveal all the gaming options, so you know exactly what you can find at each site.

Purchasing and Cashing Out

Of course, no purchase is necessary at any of our sweepstakes casino sites but it’s useful information to know about should you decide to make a deposit. We assess how many coins you get for your dollars and compare that with the games’ betting limits.

Also, our team reviews the redemption ratios for promotional/sweeps coins to real dollars. Knowing this helps to find the sites offering the best value when playing to win cash prizes.

Customer Support

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a sweepstakes casino or real money site; high-quality customer support is paramount. Many operators provide live chat, but a few only offer email support. By assessing response times and the overall service, players can judge how effective the site is if there’s an issue.

Welcome Bonuses

All sweepstakes casino sites allure players with a registration bonus, which usually consists of both sweeps and gold coins. Furthermore, there are free bonuses for verifying your postal address. By adding all of these together, you can find the social casinos with the top promos.

Sweepstakes Casinos that Payout Real Money

The vast majority of social casinos offer online sweepstakes games and other contests that pay out real money, but not all. For example, Caesars Slots offers more than 150 slot games that you can play for free. However, you can’t win real money. Instead, you accumulate Caesars Coins that can be used to play other casino games.

Listed below are the top sweepstakes casinos that pay out cash rewards directly to your bank account. Although, it’s important to note that some states, namely New York and Florida, have restrictions on how much a player can cash out each day.

• Chumba Casino
• Fortune Coins
• LuckyLand Slots
• Pulsz Casino
• Funzpoints
• Funrize
• SweepSlots

How to Play at Sweepstakes Online Casinos

Before you can play online sweepstakes games, you need to register an account with your favorite site. Utilize our expert sweepstakes casino reviews to find the one you like.

Registration Process

In comparison to real money online casinos, the registration process is more straightforward at a sweeps site. Typically, you only need to provide an email or telephone number to get started. While there are small differences between sweepstakes casinos, here’s a general guide to registering an account.

1. We’ve provided links to all approved sweepstakes casinos. Click on your preferred site.
2. Click the ‘Register/Sign Up’ button to open the registration page.
3. Create a password and enter your email address.
4. Some sites request that you verify the email first. If so, open the email and click the link.
5. Your account is now active and ready to use.

Play Sweepstakes Slots and Table Games

Your gold coins are credited instantly, and you may get some sweeps coins too. As mentioned, there are often extra bonuses for logging in for the first time and completing your profile with your address and phone number. It’s worth claiming all of these as they give you a greater chance to win cash prizes later.

Before you play online sweepstakes games, you need to choose the mode: free or promotional. After that, browse through the lobby to find the slot, progressive or table game that you want to play. Click the game, and it’ll load instantly in your browser.

Mobile Casino Apps

All sweepstakes casinos and social gaming platforms are mobile-optimized, meaning players can access them on any device. However, some brands have gone the extra mile and developed dedicated mobile apps.

The disadvantage of sweepstakes casino apps is that they take up storage space on your device, but it’s minimal compared with the capabilities of today’s phones and tablets. That said, the benefits listed below make them worthy of installing.

• Apps are faster and more responsive compared to web-based platforms.
• Push notifications mean that app users never miss out on the latest promotions and game releases.
• Some apps offer exclusive games and promotions that are not available on the website.

Some of the sweepstakes casinos on our list have mobile apps, while others don’t. Check out the table below to see the available applications for iOS and Android operating systems.

Sweepstake Casino	Android App	iOS App
Chumba Casino	Yes (Lite)	Yes (Lite)
LuckyLand Slots	Yes	No
Pulsz	Yes	No
Funzpoints	No	No
Funrize	Yes	No

Real money casino deposits and redemptions

While some players enjoy free sweeps cash casinos and only play with the regular gold coins, many others choose to make a deposit to get free sweeps coins.

It’s the sweeps coins you need if you want to play sweepstakes online with the chance of winning real money, which can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars on some progressive slots. Akin to real money online casinos, sweeps sites provide a selection of payment methods, such as:

• Online banking
• Visa
• Mastercard
• PayPal
• American Express
• Diners Club
• ACH
• Skrill

Each site has its own structure in regards to coin value, so we recommend checking out our reviews. However, as an example, here’s what you get from LuckyLand Slots:

Deposit amount	Gold Coins	Free Sweeps Coins
$4.99 (first deposit only)	50,000	10
$0.99	2,000	0
$1.98	4,000	2
$5.49	17,000	5
$9.99	37,000	10
$19.99	80,000	21
$49.99	230,000	52
$99.99	576,000	104

As you can see, at LuckyLand, players basically get 1 free sweep coin for every dollar deposited. This also happens to be the redemption ratio (1SC = $1) when your coins are redeemed for cash prizes. Chumba Casino also has a 1SC to $1 redemption ratio, but other sites have different values and ratios.

Free sweeps coins and bonus codes

Welcome bonuses are part and parcel of the real money online casino industry, and they are equally as important for social gaming platforms. All sites have a no-purchase bonus package to get you up and running – here’s what you can expect to find.

Sweepstakes Casino Site	No Purchase Bonus
Chumba Casino	2,000,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins
LuckyLand Slots	7,777 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins
Pulsz	7,500 Gold Coins + 2.30 Sweeps Coins
Funzpoints	2,250 Standard FP + 250 Premium FP

Bonus codes are rarely required for standard no-purchase bonuses. However, if the sweepstake casino has a special offer, it could well use a code in such instances. Furthermore, the operator may share sweeps bonus codes on Facebook or Twitter from time to time, so it’s always worth keeping an eye open.

How to Get Free Sweeps Coins and Other Virtual Currencies

The free gold coins and sweeps coins that players get upon registration won’t last forever (unless you hit a massive jackpot in your first session), so how do you get more coins without making a purchase?

• To keep players coming back for more, sweepstakes sites offer daily login bonuses. These are typically a stack of free gold coins and a small amount of free sweepstakes coins (depending on the site).
• Slot tournaments are currently all the rage, and for avid players, they are a great way to try and win free coins. For example, Pulsz offers a few tournaments each week with prize pools of 300,000 gold coins and 1,500 sweeps coins up for grabs.
• Refer-a-friend is a classic promo that many seasoned online casinos use, and sweepstakes sites have jumped on the bandwagon. If you know someone who would enjoy this experience, take advantage of the refer-a-friend promos to get some free coins.
• Social media contests and giveaways are another simple way for players to pick up free sweeps coins and GC.
• This may sound rather old-school, but all sweepstakes casinos give away free coins by post. You’ll need to send a stamped addressed envelope. However, it’s a surefire way to get sweeps coins that you can play to win cash prizes.
• A couple of sweepstakes and social casinos use promotional wheels where players get free spins with a guaranteed prize. This may not be much, but it all adds up.

Although most sweepstakes casinos run ads on their sites when playing in free mode, the goal of the operator is to nudge players over to the games that pay real money cash prizes.

This is why they give away small amounts of sweeps coins, basically as a teaser. Of course, not everyone will make a purchase, but many do, which is why this industry is thriving.

Best Free to Play Sweeps Slots and Online Casino Games

When you consider sweepstakes casinos like Pulsz boast 300+ games, players have no shortage of options. However, there are usually some restrictions on the free games using gold coins. Therefore, to enjoy all the sweepstakes casino games, you must use sweeps coins that payout cash prizes.

Free Sweepstakes Slots

Slots are one of the favorite online casino games at sweepstakes sites. They come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from games with 10 paylines up to Megaways with more than 117,000 ways to win. Furthermore, there are hold and win slots, games with feature buys, and progressive slots offering potentially life-changing jackpots.

Blackjack

Blackjack is an iconic casino game, so it’s only right that most sweepstakes sites offer it. While you won’t find an excessive array of different variants, you can experience smooth gameplay, high-quality graphics, and a low house edge playing regular games at your favorite social casino.

Roulette

Like blackjack, roulette is a casino staple. However, not every sweepstakes site has it in its library. For those that do, it gives players a chance to try their luck and hone their strategy with free games before using sweeps coins to play for cash prize winnings.

Instant Wins

Online scratch cards are a popular edition at multiple sweepstakes casino sites. LuckyLand Slots and Chumba Casino have a strong collection of these games, including Lucky Wheel, The Dragon Key, and Feast and Wins.

Keno

Unlike blackjack and roulette, keno is more high-risk and high-reward. The games tend to have a lower RTP, but the jackpot payouts are worth much more. Funzpoints is one of the leading sweepstakes keno casinos, but you can also find this game elsewhere.

Other Casino Games

Baccarat and Casino Hold’em Poker are a few more games that you’ll find at our top-rated sweepstakes casinos. Also, a new edition is Fishing Kingdom, which is proving to be a major hit. Unfortunately, live dealer casino games are not available except for BetRivers.net, but maybe in the future, these will be a viable option too.

Sweepstakes Online Poker Sites

Global Poker launched in 2016 and has grown to become a very popular online sweepstakes casino site. It attracts casual and experienced poker players with its range of games.

When you visit, you will find up to 10,000 players who are seated at Omaha or Texas Hold’em tables at any given time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sweeps Coin and Gold Coin packages also apply to Global Poker. New players are rewarded with $20 worth of Gold Coins, including 100,000 Gold Coins and a bonus of 20 free Sweeps Coins. When you first purchase some virtual currency on Global Poker, bettors will also receive a $40-value package for $20, that comes with 200,000 Gold Coins and 40 free Sweeps Coins as a bonus.

Why should you play Social Casino games?

So you have gone through our list of sweepstakes casinos above, have looked at new sweeps cash sites and are ready to play casino games online. However, why should you go down the social sweeps route rather than playing at a traditional real money online casino? You may think that the sole purpose of online gambling is to simply make some money above everything else. While that may be true for some players, others simply want to enjoy the experience of playing sweepstakes casino slots without the financial pressures of risking your own cash.

You might be surprised to learn that playing as a sweepstakes casino provides you with a thrilling experience even though you are not gambling with real money. The biggest factor that draws people in for lots of players is that you can mix gambling for fun and still have the opportunity to win some real money down the line. This is because, as we have mentioned, unlike traditional casinos sweeps casinos use virtual currencies which you are given for free.

If your coins are running low, you do have the option to purchase virtual currency and as part of the purchase the site will give you some sweeps coins as a bonus. You can wager with these coins and also withdrawn to your bank account. Simply put, these sweeps sites are becoming more and more attractive as you can gamble in a relaxed environment knowing that you are not risking your own money. However, there is also the possibility of getting some nice wins as well, what’s not to love?

In summary, the biggest perks of social casinos include:

• Not risking your own money
• You can learn the ropes and get comfortable before playing for real money
• You can join forces with friends and play together

Sweepstakes Casinos to Avoid

Our team thoroughly reviews all sweepstakes casino sites to find the best of the bunch. We look for the best sweepstake games, promotional sweepstakes, range of slot machine options etc. While the majority are decent, and they abide by the correct sweepstakes laws, there are some sites, such as RSweeps, that we’ve blacklisted due to their unethical practices.

Sadly, there will always be some rogue actors on the internet, and because the regulations aren’t as tight for sweepstakes casino sites compared to real money ones, there is an easy opportunity. That’s why we’re here, to weed out the bad so that you can experience fair, safe, and pleasurable sweeps games.

Sweepstakes Casino Sites FAQs

How do sweepstakes casinos work?

Sweepstakes casinos have two modes of play – free and promotional. There is no risk involved in playing free games. The second mode is promotional play, often using sweeps coins, where you can win cash prizes.

Are there legit sweeps cash casino sites?

Sweeps cash casino sites are legit in all US states, except for WA and ID. They operate in accordance with sweepstakes laws and regulations. Several sites are licensed by the respected Malta Gaming Authority, which highlights their legitimacy.

Which US states allow online sweepstakes websites?

You can play sweeps casino games in all but two US states. They are Washington and Idaho.

What games can I play at free sweepstakes casinos?

Sweepstakes casinos are expanding all the time, and now there are sites with 300 – 400 games. Like real money casinos, video slots dominate most sweeps sites. However, you can also play card and table games, such as roulette, blackjack, video poker, and baccarat, as well as instant win scratch games and Fishing Kingdom.

Can I win actual money prizes at a sweepstakes casino?

Absolutely, yes. When you play using sweeps coins or premium coins, your winnings can be cashed out directly to your bank account in real dollars. The only difference between a sweepstakes casino and a real-money site, in this respect, is that the sweeps casino uses virtual currency (rather than real dollars). However, when you withdraw, the payment is in dollars.

What prizes can you redeem at sweepstakes?

The most common redemption is cash. When players cash out, they redeem (exchange) their coins for dollars. Some social casinos are different, however. For instance, Caesars Slots lets players win Caesars Coins that you can redeem for spins on its real money slot machines.