Sweeps

Sweepstakes Casinos in the US: Legality, Popularity, and Why You Should Play Them

For most gamblers, especially beginners, the concept of sweepstakes is quite new. However, it’s important to know that one of the renowned sweepstakes was launched in the early 1950s. It’s the concept of online sweepstakes casinos, which is a relatively new idea in the United States.

In these casinos, you’re not required to place a wager for winning a huge amount. Making wagers, in fact, is the feature of regular real-money online casino websites. The sweepstakes casinos offer you tokens or coins instead. They are a form of ticket that gives players an entry into the contests.

Once you’re done with your registration process, you end up earning a few coins. With these coins, you get the chance to click and play a range of online casino games. They include baccarat, slots, and roulette. You’ll also have the opportunity to earn even more coins upon winning the games. A coin or token itself has no value and this is why sweepstakes casinos can’t be classified as gambling sites.

When you’re playing the games on these online casinos you’re not considering the odds or making wagers. Of course, the coins you earn can be swapped for something else. It can be converted to cash later on. You get to play more by purchasing more coins. This is one of the ways how these casinos make their profits.

The legality of sweeps casinos

In sweepstakes casinos, you don’t directly make a wager on the outcome of a certain game. This is one of the major aspects that sets them apart from traditional online casinos. You play the games for fun and are allowed to earn a reward or bonus.

There are key differences in the way you play the games and what you wager compared to regular online casinos. Neither your skill in the games nor the programmed rewards play a role in deciding who is to be given a prize. Instead, you can win one of the predefined prizes in any of the sweepstakes sessions.

Such casinos can be considered a form of bingo or lottery. Each of the games you play here is treated as a unique mini-sweepstakes competition. Winners are announced after a draw and the winning tickets are rewarded.

Sweepstakes casinos and traditional online casinos, therefore, can’t be placed under the same legal rules and regulations. This is how a sweepstakes casino is spared from restrictions placed on a regular online casino, making it much more accessible.

Since real money is not involved in placing wagers in sweepstakes casinos, they’re entirely legal in almost all the American states. The only state where they’re not permitted is Washington. So, except for this state, you can find sweepstakes casinos in all the other states in the US.

There are only about six states in the United States where you can access online casinos easily. This is not the case with sweepstakes casinos, as they can be accessed online in 49 states. What this means is you can access sweepstakes casinos online even in the states where online casinos are illegal. It is important to note, however, that these casinos also have to adhere to certain rules and regulations.

The popularity of sweeps casinos

People have been betting on games of chance for thousands of years. This gradually evolved into establishments that specifically catered to such activities. There was a time when lotteries were extremely popular in the United States and European countries.

Sweepstakes started gaining popularity in the United States after the 1960s. The sweepstakes parlors came up in the southern part of the United States around 2005. They gave participants the chance to win prizes with the purchase of a ticket or a token.

Today, many countries in the world have legalized sweepstakes. With the advancements in digital technologies, many online sweepstakes casinos have come up over the past few years. They have also gained a significant number of loyal users worldwide.

Why play sweepstakes casinos?

Although traditional online casinos share quite a few similarities with sweepstakes casinos, they are certainly different. Here are a few major reasons why many gamblers play sweepstakes casinos:

1. No-deposit bonus

You get something for free to begin with in the sweepstakes casinos. This is usually in the form of a no-deposit bonus. For instance, after completing your registration, a sweepstakes casino might give you 10,000 coins as a bonus. Then there are the irresistible promotions such as daily free coins, entries into tournaments, and extra coins upon purchasing certain packages.

2. Legal in all states other than Washington

Except for Washington, every other state allows sweepstakes casinos. These casinos operate in ways that are different from traditional online casinos. So you need not worry about breaking any laws associated with gambling.

3. Considerable variety in games

Just like any other traditional online casino, a sweepstakes casino website offers a range of exciting games. You’ll also find slots and table games in many of these casinos. They appear quite different and are created with more playful and attractive graphics.

4. Lesser risks

You don’t need to pay or deposit cash to start playing a sweepstakes casino. This takes away a major element of risk that’s associated with the regular online casinos. You also get the benefit of a no-deposit bonus as soon as you register on these sites.

Of course, they’ll tempt you in every possible way to buy more coins at some point. Even such coins give you the chance to enjoy more games. You might not get such benefits at the same cost on a traditional online casino.

5. Choices in payment methods

At some point, you’d want to purchase additional tokens or coins. You might also want to exchange your sweepstakes winnings for real cash. The availability of different payment methods on these online casinos makes things easier for you. Generally, the options they provide are Visa, MasterCard, or American Express cards and bank transfers. Many sweepstakes casinos also offer e-wallets such as Neteller, Skrill, and PayPal.