If you've already played at a sweepstakes casino, you probably encountered two types of coins. It's important for players to understand the differences between Gold Coins vs. Sweeps Coins, how they work, and what they're for.
Sweeps Coins and Gold Coins, also known as SC and GC, are the virtual currencies you can play with at free-to-play sweepstakes casinos. Some of these gaming sites use different names for their currencies — often mirroring the site's theme — but they typically work the same way.
Read on to learn the differences between Sweeps Coins and Gold Coins, and what you can use them for.
Gold Coins vs. Sweeps Coins: The main difference
Neither coin has any real monetary value, so they usually act as free sweepstakes casino bonuses to claim at registration.
The main difference between them is that Gold Coins are used for free play, while Sweeps Coins can be accumulated and eventually redeemed for prizes, including gift cards and even real money.
There are two playing modes at sweepstakes casinos: one featuring Gold Coins as the playing currency and the other requiring Sweeps Coins to join games. The titles you play will feature a minimum bet for whichever type of coin is used. Since Gold Coins are for free play, the minimum amount is usually a substantial number of GC, while Sweeps Coins — usually pegged to the U.S. dollar — typically feature a minimum bet of around 0.20 SC. One Sweeps Coin typically equals $1.
How to get coins at sweepstakes casinos
Another difference between the two virtual currencies is how you receive them. Gold Coins can be purchased, while Sweep Coins cannot.
New customers can begin playing at a sweepstakes casino for free with Gold Coins, as they often receive a substantial amount of GC and very few SC when registering an account. For example, a typical sweepstakes casino welcome bonus includes 100,000 Gold Coins and two Sweeps Coins.
First-purchase bonus
Sweepstakes casinos usually offer a first-purchase bonus to players who make an initial purchase. It's usually a match percentage offer that can be calculated, since one SC is equivalent to $1. So, a first-purchase bonus can be a 50% offer, where you get 200,000 GC and 20 SC for $10.
Buy Gold Coin bundles
After a first-purchase bonus, you can also acquire bundles of Gold Coins, which may include Sweeps Coins as well. There are several bundles to choose from, priced from $10 to $100, and the more you spend, the more likely SC will be included.
Like typical online casinos, you can deposit money into your sweepstakes casino account to purchase coin bundles. Sweeps casinos usually accept credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, prepaid vouchers, and online bank transfers. More casinos are beginning to accept cryptocurrency.
Win Sweeps Coins
Remember that Sweeps Coins cannot be purchased. You get them by winning games in the Sweeps mode, whereas Gold Coins are earned through registration offers, coin bundles, promotions, and social media giveaways. Often, sweepstakes casinos offer a mail-in option where you send a snail-mail entry to receive one to two SC.
Most platforms also offer a daily login bonus, where, when you log in once per day, you will receive, for example, 10,000 GC and 0.20 SC.
How to redeem Sweeps Coins (SC)
To redeem Sweeps Coins for prizes and real money, you must have a specific number of them. At most sweepstakes casinos, you'll need at least 50-100 SC to redeem them for real money, and fewer if you want other prizes, which are typically gift cards.
KYC checks
Like a regular online casino, at a sweepstakes casino, you will have to complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) process before making a redemption. This involves verifying your identity and address.
To do so, you will have to send the sweepstakes casino a copy of a government-issued ID (i.e., passport or valid driver’s license) and proof of address (i.e., recent utility bill or bank statement).
Visit the casino cashier
Once you have completed the KYC process and have enough SC for redemption, you can visit the banker or cashier section of the sweepstakes casino. Enter the number of Sweeps Coins you'd like to redeem, whether for prizes or real money, and complete the transaction.
Typically, you must use the same payment methods for real-money redemptions and coin bundle purchases. However, deposit methods aren't always available for real-money rewards; prepaid vouchers are usually the exception, and credit cards are sometimes available. If this is the case, you will have to set up a different method for redemption withdrawals.
