If you’re new to the world of sweepstakes casinos, then you might find them a bit confusing at first. They have their own currencies, laws and terms that feel so familiar but so different at the same time. Why do they call it playing and not betting? Is redeeming cash prizes the same as withdrawing? We’ll go through everything you need to know in this guide.
Sweepstakes casinos have been a popular casino-style business model in the US for several years by now, and some of them have even become household names. They’re popular for one main reason: They’re not classed as gambling, so they can operate in states that haven’t legalized online casinos yet.
A comprehensive list of sweepstakes casino slang and terms
Below is a list of some of the most confusing and popular sweepstakes casino terms.
Buy Coins: If you want to purchase more Gold Coins to play with, you can buy coin packs from the online store. However, these have no monetary value and cannot be redeemed or withdrawn in any way.
Casino-style: As sweepstake casinos don't operate as true casinos, it can feel strange to offer the portfolio of games as ‘casino games’. For this reason, many sweepstake casinos will describe their portfolio as containing ‘casino-style’ games, but it will likely be the same list of your favorite providers, such as Hacksaw Gaming, Evolution and Pragmatic Play.
Daily bonuses: Sweepstakes casinos will often offer a fresh amount of Gold Coins each day that you log in to the platform. This ensures that you've got enough Coins to play your favorite games with! Some sweepstakes casinos will also offer daily challenges, such as playing certain games or triggering certain features, to win more prizes.
Gold Coins: Gold Coins are the main currency used in sweepstake casinos. These can be bought from the store or given away by the casino, but they cannot be redeemed in any way. All Gold Coins will stay in your account and can only be used to play games with. For a more in-depth explanation on this, we have a full guide on Gold Coins Vs Sweeps Coins available here.
Social casinos: Social casinos operate in a similar way to sweepstakes casinos, but social casinos do not let you redeem prizes from them. They operate as a truly free casino.
Sweeps Coins/Sweeps Cash: Sweeps Coins or Sweeps Cash can have many different names and are very often named after the site they're on (such as Pulz Coins or Stake Cash). These cannot be directly purchased, but are given away through promotions. These can also be redeemed for cash prizes or gift cards from the store once the playthrough requirements have been met. We have a full guide on Sweeps Cash playthrough requirements available here.
Sweepstake casinos: These are a free-to-play online platform which offer slots, blackjack, roulette and other fun games to play. You can buy Gold Coins to play with, but you cannot redeem them. Sweeps Cash are given away as freebies, and they can be redeemed for cash prizes or gift cards.
Play: As sweepstakes casinos don't operate as true online casinos, you'll notice that many of them don't use words such as ‘bet’ or ‘wager’. Instead, they'll use ‘play’ or ‘spin’.
Redeem prizes: This is the process of converting Sweeps Cash into real-world prizes. Some sweepstakes casinos offer real cash redemption, while others offer gift cards or cryptocurrency. It's worth checking that the casino supports your prize of choice before committing too much time and energy to it.
Spin: Same as Play.
