Sweepstakes casinos and social casinos are big news in the US. So, we’re here to tell you exactly how these online gaming sites work, and what sets them apart from traditional real-money casinos.
First of all, sweepstakes casinos don’t actually involve any kind of gambling. This means that you can play for free across much of the country. However, the best part is that you can sometimes win some cool prizes at sweepstakes casinos, which we’ll discuss below.
What are sweepstakes casinos and social casinos?
Both sweepstakes casinos and social casinos are online gaming platforms that feature traditional casino games such as slots, roulette and blackjack. However, you don’t gamble at these sites because they don’t let you wager real money.
Instead of this, you will play with a kind of virtual credit at sweepstakes casinos and social casinos. This essentially means playing for fun, but there is a big distinction between these two types of online gaming site.
- Sweepstakes casinos:
You can enter promotional sweepstakes contests where you might win prizes for taking part.
- Social casinos:
These are strictly play-for-fun gaming sites where you won’t win any prizes.
Our top picks for social and sweepstakes casinos – June 2026
How do you play at sweepstakes casinos and social casinos?
Playing at a sweepstakes casino or a social casino is pretty much the same as playing at a regular online casino. Here’s what you need to do:
- Pick a sweepstakes casino or social casino from one of our approved operators
- Sign up to the site by submitting the requested personal information
- Verify your account by uploading a scan of a driver’s license or passport
- Get your virtual credit
- Use the virtual credit as stakes for your gaming
Understanding how virtual credit works at sweepstakes casinos
You’ll notice that we mentioned virtual credit here. This is what you use instead of real money as your stakes and it has no actual cash value.
Some social casinos just feature one type of virtual credit that cannot be withdrawn or exchanged for anything else. However, some sweepstakes gaming sites include two types of virtual credit that work in different ways as described below:
- Gold Coins:
These are a kind of credit that you can either purchase or pick up as part of a promo. Gold Coins can only be used to play at a sweepstakes casino in standard mode which is where you don’t actually win any prizes.
- Sweepstakes Coins:
You can’t purchase Sweepstakes Coins, but you can either get them as a bonus for buying Gold Coins or merely just by taking part in a promotion. Sweepstakes Coins allow you to enter the promotional sweepstakes games where you have a chance of winning prizes like merchandise, gift cards and even cash. Just remember that your gameplay doesn’t directly affect your chances of winning, as it’s just the taking part in the sweepstakes games that gives you a chance of winning.
Are sweepstakes casinos and social casinos legal in the US?
Yes, it’s fine for you to play at sweepstakes casinos and social casinos in the US. This is because these sites don’t feature traditional gambling and are therefore exempt from the kind of legislation that governs real money casinos.
Be aware that certain locations like Washington, Idaho and New York often have rules that forbid sweepstakes gaming sites from operating in their states. We should also note that you’ll usually have to be at least 21 years old to play at sweepstakes and social casinos.
Conclusion – Following the rise of sweepstakes casinos
Sweepstakes casinos have come a long way in a short amount of time. The past decade has seen these sites go from being fairly low-tech affairs to being stylish gaming sites packed full of innovative games.
This means that more and more people are now getting to enjoy playing online slots and table games in the US than ever before. We think that this can only be a good thing and so we’ll keep monitoring the rise of sweepstakes casinos to help you find the perfect gaming site.
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How Do Sweepstakes Casinos Work? FAQ
💵 Can you wager money at USA sweepstakes casinos?
Make sure that you read our guide to see whether you can wager money at any of the top sweepstakes casinos online in the US. Plus we’ll do you a solid and recommend reading the in-depth articles about sweepstakes casinos on
SweepstakesCasino.com. You will definitely find everything about how these gaming sites actually work.
❓What are sweepstakes?
Take a look at our guide to see how sweepstakes casino sites work. After all, sweepstakes gaming is very different from how you play regular casino games online.
💰How much are sweeps coins worth?
Be sure to read our guide to see how much sweeps coins are worth. This is important because you will probably be playing with sweeps coins when you play at a sweepstakes casino site.
