With sweepstakes casinos popping up all over the country—pun intended—some people may be wondering how they differ from online casinos and how they legally function.
PennLive is closely examining the legality of sweepstakes casinos and highlighting the top sweepstakes casinos in the United States in order to help enlighten individuals who are interested.
Since sweepstakes casinos are by definition not casinos, they have gained a lot of popularity. It is more of a gaming platform than a casino because players can play for free using a second currency. Having said that, the two-currency system allows players to enjoy playing a variety of casino games at well-known sweepstakes casinos in the state for real money.
This distinction enables sweepstakes casinos to function under a distinct legal framework and differentiate themselves from online casinos.
What makes an online sweeps casino legal
Since there is no purchase required to play, online sweeps casinos are subject to different regulations than other types of online casinos.
This is the foundation of all sweepstakes laws, albeit each state has slightly different rules. In certain situations, additional requirements must be fulfilled, such as revealing the odds for every game, having explicit rules, and occasionally registering profits over $5,000. Additionally, in order to play, users must be at least 18 years old.
At the federal level, agencies like the US Department of Justice, the US Postal Service, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission also keep an eye on sweepstakes casinos. Other special regulations for sweepstakes casinos in Pennsylvania include the prohibition of alcoholic beverages as prizes and a $25,000 cap on the total value of prizes given out in a seven-day period.
At sweepstakes casinos, players wager with two distinct coin types—typically referred to as Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins—instead of real money. While Sweeps Coins can be exchanged for monetary rewards, Gold Coins allow users to play for free. To extend their gameplay, players can buy Gold Coins, and typically, they receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus.
Since Sweeps Coins may be exchanged for monetary prizes, using them for gambling is effectively the same as using real money. However, once more, there is no purchase required to play, which is what alters the legal way sweepstakes casinos function.
For a variety of reasons, several states have problems with this procedure and forbid sweepstakes casinos. Some states have banned sweepstakes casinos completely because they view them as an unregulated type of gambling, while others have included provisions or language from earlier laws.
Nevertheless, 46 out of 50 states have fully permitted the operation of sweepstakes casinos, making up the majority of the nation.
Which states do not allow sweepstakes casinos and why?
Among the states that forbid sweepstakes casinos are Nevada, Washington, Michigan, and Idaho.
One state that didn’t hold back while banning sweepstakes casinos was Washington. They made it quite plain that the state does not let these sweepstakes casinos to operate.
In October 2023, Michigan did the same after Golden Hearts Games was forced to close. Since Golden Hearts’ closure and pressure on any gambling that is considered unregulated in Michigan, legitimate sweepstakes casinos have moved on.
Due to Idaho’s ban on players getting cash payouts, sweepstakes casinos are only able to accept Gold Coin bets, which reduces profitability and somewhat negates the purpose for operators.
All states in the US are accessible to sweepstakes casinos, with the exception of those three.
What are some popular sweepstakes casino operators?
In Pennsylvania and elsewhere, there are plenty of excellent and well-liked sweepstakes casino operators. The rivalry is very intense because new sweepstakes casinos appear almost every month.
We’ll examine three well-liked options today: Playfame Sweepstakes Casino, McLuck Sweepstakes Casino, and RealPrize Sweepstakes Casino.
RealPrize Sweepstakes Casino
With more than 700 slot machines and a few table games, RealPrize Sweepstakes Casino has something for everyone. The fact that new players receive up to 625,000 Gold Coins, 125 SC for free, and 1250 VIP Points simply for signing up is even better. Neither a purchase nor a promo code are necessary.
The RealPrize Sweepstakes Casino is well-known for its promotions and bonuses, outstanding customer service, and better-than-average user experience.
McLuck Sweepstakes Casino
McLuck Sweepstakes Casino is one of the strongest sweepstakes casinos overall.
The selection of slot machine games at McLuck Sweepstakes Casino is vast and carefully chosen. Along with slingo possibilities, there are live dealer games like roulette and blackjack.
The fantastic McLuck Sweepstakes Casino welcome bonus of 57,500 Gold Coins and 27.5 Sweeps Coins that can be obtained with the code PENNLIVE is even greater.
Playfame Sweepstakes Casino
Almost no other operator offers the same excellent selection of slot machines as Playfame Sweepstakes Casino.
The game catalog is incredible, featuring more than 800 casino games and some of the greatest slot machines made by leading producers. Jackpot slots, unique games, frequent new releases, and all the traditional casino games that all players like are all available.
However, don’t assume that Playfame’s strengths are limited to slot machines.The crown jewel is the Playfame Sweepstakes Casino welcome bonus, which puts the casino at the forefront.
Players get 10,000 Gold Coins and three Sweeps Coins only for registering. For $10, you can increase that offer to include 800,000 Gold Coins and 30 Sweeps Coins.
What does the future of the sweepstakes casinos look like in the US?
It is undeniable that the popularity of sweepstakes casinos is growing quickly. A lot of people are playing for cash and free rewards, but what does the future hold? Will these casinos with sweepstakes keep expanding?
The market is now favorable for casinos that provide sweepstakes. Operators of sweepstakes casinos have been profiting from underserved markets because very few states in the nation have approved online casinos as of yet. However, the earnings of these sweepstakes casinos may be impacted if there is a fresh wave of legalization of online casinos.
It is undeniable that this would negatively impact the bottom line, but many gamblers are probably more likely to remain at sweepstakes casinos than switch to a recently permitted online casino operator. Additionally, unlike sweepstakes casinos, online casinos do not provide free-to-play options.
There will probably always be a place for online casinos to occupy, therefore it is unlikely that they will totally overtake sweepstakes casinos.