Mr. Sweepstakes

Separating Real From Fake Casinos

Online casino gambling is illegal in the USA, and many Americans often find it difficult to differentiate between it and the social casinos. Sweepstakes online casinos are permitted in most states in the United States, as you cannot play with real money in them. Here at MrSweepstakes, we review only the most reputable USA online sweepstakes casinos that have been proven to adhere to State Lottery Laws.

State Restrictions and Availability

In 2018 the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) successfully repealed the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. But how are sports betting laws connected to online sweepstake casinos? The answer to this question is a simple one – regulation. By repealing PASPA, SCOTUS gave each US state the power to develop, institute, and regulate its own gambling laws.

NOTE: There are many cases where a legal brand won’t be permitted in another state because their sweepstake laws differ from those used by the majority of the United States.

Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in the USA?

Sweeps cash casinos are legal in the majority of the US, with some exceptions (for more information, check the article for your favorite casino to know if it’s legal in your place of residence). This has been achieved through the fact that players get to play in the sweeps casino for free – this way, the casinos comply with the federal laws of the USA.

State Regulation & Federal Government

Sweepstakes casinos and their promotions are subjected to many rules which are enforced by a number of agencies. Those include:

• The Federal Trade Commission, The Federal Communications Commission
• The United States Postal Service
• The United States Department of Justice

Sweepstakes legal brands are state-regulated. This allows official representatives such as state attorney generals and district attorneys to have regulatory functions. It is explicitly stated that any sweepstakes casino brand that operates nationwide, must adhere not only to the full list of rules imposed by the federal government, but also to the laws of every individual state.

Why are Traditional Lotteries Illegal?

When social casino sites’ popularity started rising, defining them in a legal way was close-to-impossible .Those brands that didn’t meet the federal and state criteria were quickly branded as “illegal lottery” and were subsequently disbanded.

Lotteries are regarded as illegal in the US unless run by the state. The definition of a “lottery” is as follows:

 

For a sweepstake casino to be classified as an “illegal lottery”, it needs to adhere to the three principles shown above. On the other hand, if the sweepstakes casino does not fall within a single one of these categories, it will be automatically considered as legal.

Legal Online Casinos in the USA

The 2018 decision of SCOTUS opened the online casino world to Americans, but only in some states. This is why only players from New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut can play for real money. Until more states come up with their own regulatory practices, the only way for people residing there to play free social casino games is by using sweepstake brands.
Since you’re not playing sweepstakes online for real money, you can always use these platforms and have the chance to win real cash prizes for free.

Bonuses in Sweepstake Casinos

The sweepstake casinos constantly offer different bonuses and promotions to both their loyal users and first-time players. There are different bonuses that you can encounter in a social casino such as welcome bonus, no-purchase bonus, daily login bonus, bundle deals with free sweeps cash as bonus, sweep slots bonus codes and others. Of course, each casino has their own offers, so if you are looking for the bonuses of a specific casino, you need to check the review dedicated to it.

VIP Programs

VIP Programs are an addition to some popular sweepstakes casinos. It is a welcomed add-on, since it’s an entertaining way to earn more promotions, improved coin-earning mechanics and other benefits.

NOTE: Only a few social casinos currently possess this feature. If you are unsure whether or not a casino has a VIP program, you can check the detailed casino reviews on our page.

Games

Compared to traditional online gaming platforms, the number of games in sweepstakes casinos is considered limited, which is expected. In order to comply with the local law, game providers need to rework their titles with a completely different currency system. Nevertheless, there are numerous software providers known worldwide that are already available in social casinos. Some of them include Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Evolution Gaming, BGaming, and many more.

In terms of available game types, however, social casinos do not step back – you can find a diversity of games such as slots, blackjack, roulette, and other table games. There are also more exotic types like instant wins, crash, and dice games. Some sweepstakes casinos even offer keno and bingo games.

Licensed Games

There are cases when a sweepstakes gaming site offers exclusive games that are available in real casinos. Attaining legal permission to use those games is rather difficult, but still possible. Keep in mind that not every American casino possesses access to such exclusive games.

Pros of Playing in Sweepstakes Casinos

The first major reason why you should play in sweepstakes casinos is for fun. Although the majority of sweepstakes casinos offer purchasable play-for-free coins, you can still attain them for free via a variety of bonuses. There are a few other pros you should consider.

Registration Process

The registration process in sweeps casinos usually requires only a few steps. Of course the exact process varies depending on the site you’re signing on, but some requirements stay the same on each one, such as:

• Username (also known as display name)
• Password
• Email
• Agree to Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
• Proof of identity (ID, drivers license, proof of residency, etc)

NOTE: The last requirement is needed when you wish to redeem your Sweeps Coins for real cash rewards. If you plan on playing free sweepstakes casino slots for fun, all but the last option will be required.

Original Sweepstake Games

Online sweepstakes casinos offer a unique experience. Most of the games that are developed for their brand exist exclusively only on their platform. If there are specific sweepstakes casino games that you like to play on those websites, there is a good chance they exist only there.

Win Real Money for Free

Social casinos offer you the possibility to win real monetary rewards for free. The SC you use to play in the online social casino can be cashed out once you reach a certain threshold. All you have to do is verify your identity and proof that you live in one of the approved States.

This happens by submitting an identification document that can verify whether or not you’re telling the truth about who you are. It’s a one-time verification process that will allow you to cash out in the future too. After that, all you need to do is choose the method in which you can receive the payment (out of the available ones), and wait 3 to 5 working days for the transfer.

Claim Free Sweeps Coins

Most sweepstakes online casinos offer numerous options for you to claim Sweeps Coins. These include being active on the given brand’s social media, answering quizzes, claiming coins through email requests, and many other forms of being an active player. Most of these platforms provide free Sweeps Cash and reward you with a daily login bonus.

Intuitive UI

Sweepstakes casinos take UI very seriously. The design of their websites usually has a casino theme, and all of them list the different game categories and settings in the home page, for the best UX. The sites are usually stylized and easy-to-navigate, and the games load quickly. Not all casinos are the same, but it’s safe to say this covers the majority of them.

Social Casino Apps

Online sweepstakes casinos have optimized their devices for both computer and mobile users. Since not all offer downloadable apps, they made sure that their site runs well on any modern device that can access the web. This includes support for Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS.

The sites that do offer sweeps casino mobile apps have already uploaded them in the device’s store (Play Store, App Store, and Microsoft Store) or have a dedicated page on their site from where you can download their app.

Purchase Methods

Players can use real money for purchasing Gold Coins to participate in the rewards-free social gaming part of the casino.Because of that, sweepstakes casinos in the USA support a variety of banking methods, such as:

• Credit/Debit Cards
• E-Banking Systems
• E-Vouchers
• Cryptocurrency

Secure Social Gaming

Although sweepstakes casinos offer free action, that doesn’t mean they aren’t secure. As per state and federal regulations, every active sweepstakes website is protected by SSL encryption protocols, along with a number of other data protection systems. We cover the type of protection every casino has in their respectable reviews.

Responsible Playing

Gaming (even for free) can still prove addictive to some people. Because addictive behavior is a real-life challenge, sweepstakes casinos dedicate a portion of their website to information about social responsibility. Visitors are always encouraged to look through this “social responsibility” section of any casino brand they visit. Check out our MrSweepstakes review on your preferred brand – we will give you the TLDR version of it.

Are Sweepstakes Casinos Social?

Not only are Sweeps Cash brands heavily engaged in managing their own social media presence, but they also allow players to interact with one another. Most platforms provide a chat lobby feature, allowing registered members to talk with each other, and share opinions about their personal gaming experiences.

Sweepstakes vs Social Casinos

Maybe you are confused about whether sweepstakes and social casinos refer to the same type of online gaming site. Well, there is one main difference between them. In social casinos, you can play only for fun – you cannot redeem your winnings. Usually, they have virtual currency or points, which you receive for free, but you can also purchase them if you need more. You can interact with other players, chat and share your gaming results, or compete for the leaderboard positions.

On the other hand, sweepstakes casinos share the same characteristics with one addition – you can redeem real money prizes. So, they are a type of social casino incorporating the sweepstakes model.

Why Choose MrSweepstakes?

At Mr. Sweepstakes we give unbiased, straight-to-the-point information regarding all you need to know when it comes to sweepstakes casinos. We not only check their security and reputability, but we also discuss their sweepstakes casino slots, bonuses, and other important details, all summed up in short, quick to understand articles.