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Sweepstakes casinos explained - Can you win real money at sweepstakes casinos?

sweepstakes-guide
With the rising popularity of sweepstakes casinos, it’s time to know the most important answer, once and for all.

Sweepstakes casinos are massive in the US. They grew in popularity due to the demand for online casinos, but because of strict regulations in place across the country, it’s not always easy to access online games. Not everyone lives in a state where online gambling is licensed, but there are ways to run a casino while still being legal in these jurisdictions.

This is where sweepstakes casinos come in. They’re legal in the US, even when gambling is classed as illegal in that state. We’ll take you through some of the biggest questions when it comes to sweepstakes casinos down below.

Can you win real money at sweepstakes casinos?

The short answer is: Yes
The long answer is: It’s complicated, but you can redeem cash prizes from sweepstake casinos

Sweepstakes casinos aren’t allowed to market themselves by saying there’s a chance to win real money on the platform, because this can indicate gambling. Most of the sites operate using a social gaming license, which covers playing casino-style games with no chance to spend money or win money.

So to get around this, sweepstakes casinos let you buy more play coins in the store. You can’t withdraw these, but if you get special coins (which are given away when you purchase anything) then you can redeem these in the shop - which sometimes offers cash vouchers. Do you see the workaround?

This means that you cannot ‘win’ ‘real money’ at sweepstakes casinos, but if you jump through a few different hoops, you might be able to redeem some cash prizes from the shop.

Consider it like going to visit your grandmother for a catch-up over some iced tea, but if she gives you a cake while you’re there, then that’s a great bonus. You don’t go there specifically for the cake, but it always brings a smile to your face when she brings it out. This is how cash prizes work at sweepstakes casinos.

So, are sweepstakes casinos gambling?

The short answer is: No
The long answer is: No, none of the conditions for gambling are met at sweepstake casinos

To answer this question, we need to look at the legal definition of gambling. For a platform to be considered a casino which offers gambling, you need to be able to deposit money into it, wager on games of chance (slots) or skill (poker), and then withdraw cash back into your account.

Can you deposit money into a sweepstakes casino? No. Can you wager money on games of chance or skill? Well, you can use play money, but this doesn’t legally count as a ‘wager’ because these have no real-world value. Can you withdraw money from a sweepstakes casino into your account? Technically, no!

This means that sweepstakes casinos do not align with anything that could class an online platform as a casino or facilitate gambling.

If you’re awarded the Bonus Coins, then these need to be played through before you withdraw them for cash vouchers, but these are never ‘bought’. It’s more like a reward for playing at the free-to-play casino.

So while you can buy play money, you can play casino-style games and you can claim cash prizes, none of these can be compared to the same process as a casino.

Are sweepstakes casinos legal?

The short answer is: Yes
The long answer is: Yes, in almost every state in the US

Usually with online casinos, the operators will need to be licensed by a local gaming authority in order to be legal. However, sweepstakes casinos aren’t classed as an actual casino. Despite the name, there’s no actual gambling on the site, so they don’t need a license to operate.

They are completely legal without a license, because they’re classed as a social free-to-play platform.

Sweepstakes are legal in almost every state, although it can be difficult to find one that operates in Washington. Additionally, Idaho, Michigan, Montana and Nevada have started to become strict with sweepstakes casinos, while Florida and New York have imposed a winning cap of $5,000.

Of course, you’ll also need to be above the minimum age to participate, which can range from 18-21 depending on where you live.

Ultimately, sweepstake casinos are legal and their laws are governed at both the federal and state levels in the US.

What can I play at sweepstakes casinos?

The short answer is: Casino-style games
The long answer is: Anything that you can find in real-money casinos, including slots, table games, scratchcards, crash games etc

Most sweepstakes casinos will have the same range of games available as real-money casinos do, including slot games, roulette, blackjack, bingo, keno, instant games, scratchcards, crash and sometimes even live casino games.

This means that if you want to play casino games for free, then sweepstakes casinos can offer you a great way to do this.

Some of the sweepstakes will focus on a particular genre of casino-style games - usually these are scratchcards, bingo or crash games, but almost every sweepstakes casino will offer a full range of games.

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