Sweepstakes casinos differ from traditional online casinos in that they don’t take real money bets.
Instead, you use virtual currency known as Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC) to play games.
For the uninitiated, when you register with a sweepstakes casino, you can choose between fun play and promotional mode.
You play strictly entertainment using Gold Coins if you opt for the former.
Promotional mode allows you to redeem cash prizes when you play games using free SC coins.
Sweepstakes casinos provide you with these playing coins for free the minute you sign up.
You are not required to purchase any coins to get hold of these welcome coins.
Sweepstakes sites provide additional no-purchase bonuses to keep your virtual coin balance full.
The exact promotions vary among sites, but players generally get daily login rewards, social media offers, and referral deals.
A big part of playing at the best sweepstakes casinos is the free-play gaming element.
Players use Sweeps Coins to play, and these are always free.
You can obtain these through the following ways.
You typically scoop your first batch of free Sweeps Coins through the welcome bonus upon registration.
No purchase is necessary to get these coins.
Only a few casinos give you a welcome bonus with Gold Coins without the Sweeps Coins.
That said, sweepstakes casinos rarely throw countless free SC your way, considering they are a redeemable virtual currency.
On average, you pick up between 2 and 5 SC, sometimes only 1 SC, as part of the signup deal.
As you continue your free gaming journey with a sweepstakes casino, you unlock more SC through ongoing promos as you go.
Daily login rewards are the most popular.
You only need to log into your account each day, even if you’re not playing, to collect your allocation for the day, typically between 0.2 and 1 SC.
Otherwise, you can actively seek out free SC by participating in time-sensitive social media giveaways running on the casino’s Facebook or Instagram pages.
As we mentioned, sweepstakes casinos are legally required to grant players free SC, and a mail-in bonus is another popular method.
In this case, you simply send a request to the sweepstakes casino via post, asking for SC.
The casino will give you between 2 and 5 SC, provided you follow its AMOE rules, which are detailed in the fine print.
For example, most casinos require that your request be in the form of a handwritten letter sent in a number 10 envelope.
Some casinos offer bonus coins for inviting friends. Each user has a referral link on their profile that they can share with friends.
You send it to a friend, and if they sign up using the link, you are one step closer to being granted your reward.
The catch is that the referred party must first purchase a Gold Coin package of usually at least $10 for you to get your free SC.
You can bag up to 10 SC with this promo, depending on the site. Some casinos also limit the number of friends you can refer.
While there’s never any sure-fire way to earn loads of SC at once, you must stay informed.
Many online casinos and social casino sites will offer their best bonuses at sign up, so taking a look at the best promotions will give you the greatest reward.
At Gamesville in particular, we’ve found that the WOW Vegas no deposit promotion is one of the best around. Players can get 5 free SC signing up.
If you then decide to make a deposit of just $9.99, you’ll get an additional 30 sweeps coins.
There are plenty to choose from, but the Golden Hearts Games promotion comes a close second, giving players 3.5 free SC, along with an additional 25 SC on a first deposit.
The selection of games at free SC sweepstakes casinos is more or less similar to what you’d find at a real money casino.
The numbers and variety may be limited, but you enjoy engaging and thrilling titles without paying a cent.
Here’s a look into some of the games offered by SC Sweeps sites.
Slots are the bread and butter at sweepstakes casinos. They offer unmatched entertainment as you spin the reels to hopefully land winning combinations.
Online slot machines are available in different types, from classics to progressives, and feature varying bonus mechanics, features, themes, and paylines.
Gate of Olympus and Big Bass Bonanza are great options to play. Winning spins may be fewer compared to other slots, but they are usually bigger, so you might catch a break if you hang in there.
You can find many of these games here on the Gamesville slots page.
Table games are a staple at most sweepstakes casinos, and you can also play them with free SC coins.
Most sweepstakes casinos offer multiple variants across blackjack, roulette, and baccarat categories.
American Blackjack, European Roulette, and classic Baccarat are examples of titles to dig into.
Some games need as little as 0.20 SC to play. Your SC from your welcome bonus will give you a good number of game rounds in such cases.
Try demo table games if you’re not quite familiar with how they work so you can practice before you waste free SC.
Live casino games are gaining traction at sweepstakes casinos and are a common feature at casinos like Stake.
Real croupiers lead these games streamed live in HD technology for a thoroughly engaging experience.
You can enjoy live game shows or traditional table games, depending on the site you pick.
To balance the scales and give players more variety, sweepstakes are adding specialty titles into the mix.
You can enjoy the likes of keno and bingo.
Scratchcards are also part of the fun if you prefer fast-paced gaming action with even quicker outcomes.
A site qualifies as a sweepstakes casino if it removes the element of consideration.
Before you ask, consideration is any effort or purchase made to obtain or gain entry to a promotion.
A sweepstakes casino must allow everyone equal access to games that may result in winning prizes.
So, because you don’t need to pay to play, sweepstakes casinos are legal in the US, even in many states where gambling is prohibited.
As it stands, most US states, save for Maryland, Washington and Idaho, accept sweeps casinos.
These sites use RNG-certified games for fairness, so you get the same fair results that you’d get at a real money casino.
Free SC sweeps casinos are a great option if you want to explore casino games without spending a single penny.
Sweepstakes casinos offer free gaming by giving players free SC to get started and additional ways to unlock more as they go.
The new generation of sweepstakes casinos offers a plethora of casino games that resemble a real money casino, so no one feels shortchanged.
Sweepstakes are legal, so you can play without looking over your shoulder. At the end of it all, it’s possible to redeem real cash prizes.
Check out our best free SC sweeps casinos list, and you’ll likely find a site perfect to sign up with and start your free gaming journey today.
