A sweepstakes casino provides access to casino-style games that allows you to play and spin without spending real money – this means any operators on our list of sweepstakes casinos are basically free sweeps casinos.

Real money gambling sites require you to deposit and wager your own cash to win. At free sweeps cash casinos, you receive Gold Coins instead, allowing you to use this virtual currency as a ticket to play games or enter contests. When you register with a free online sweepstakes site, you’ll receive a number of these coins that you can use to click and play casino games such as slots.

If you win playing games or take part in promotions, you can earn more coins for further gameplay. This means you don’t have to buy any coins to keep playing, unless you choose to purchase a top-up package if you run out. If you do decide to purchase Gold Coins, you might also be awarded Sweeps Coins. Sweeps Coins can either be used to play games for prizes, or can be exchanged for cash if you meet the minimum value required.

While you can claim cash if you collect enough Sweeps Coins, free sweepstakes online are not classed as gambling. This is because the Gold Coins have no actual value - you can’t trade them for real cash. Therefore, when you play games, you are not betting on the outcome with real money.

• Widely available: Because free sweeps casinos do not involve gambling your money, they are not subject to the same gambling laws and regulations as real money US casinos. Therefore, no deposit sweepstakes casinos are legal in 47 states (Idaho, Nevada, and Washington State being the exceptions) bringing casino games to more players.
• Play casino games: Sweeps casinos make it easy to play casino games no matter where you are located. Slots, card games, and roulette are available at leading online free sweepstakes. This means you enjoy casino gaming action, all without denting your bankroll.
• Variety of casino types: Sweeps sites come in various forms. Some closely mimic full casinos, while charity sweeps put a unique twist on the concept. For example, Golden Hearts Games rewards players with free sweeps coins when they make a donation to a charity of their choice.
• No risk: Unlike real money casinos, you never need to spend money to play games at sweeps casino sites. Not only is this ideal if you are on a budget, it means you can play top casino games for free and still potentially win prizes.
• Social fun: Free sweepstakes casinos promote social gaming and encourage players to interact during gameplay. These sites often have features not available at real money casinos, such as chat features.

No deposit bonus

Sweepstakes casinos no deposit bonuses are common as a welcome bonus for new customers. Because sweeps casinos provide free Gold Coins to users as part of the bonus, you can start playing without spending any money. How many gold coins you get depends on the sweepstakes casino you choose. Some of the best no deposit sweeps casino offers are listed above.

Play & Get

If you top up your account by purchasing Gold Coins, most sweeps casino sites will reward you with free coins to use as well. This amount may match the number of coins you spend or be another amount. For example, Golden Hearts Games currently has a Play & Get bonus where the site rewards players with 10 Gold Coins when they spend $10 on the casino.

Refer a Friend

Because free sweeps cash casinos encourage social interactions, there is a good chance you will want to get some friends involved. A common promo is known as “refer a friend”. If you recommend a sweeps casino to a buddy and they register, the operator will reward you with free Gold Coins. How many coins you receive will depend on the sweeps casino, so it’s a good thing to consider before you choose a casino to join.

• 1

  Connect with social media

  Sweeps social gaming platforms actively encourage players to interact with each other. It is absolutely worth connecting your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to your chosen online free sweepstakes casino. In fact, operators often offer bonus coins for connecting with social media. You can also get updates about the latest bonuses, games, and news directly on your social media feeds.

• 2

  Check the coin names

  While the concept of sweepstakes casinos is the same across all brands, the on-site currency will change from site to site. Currencies have different names but do basically the same thing. They may be known as game coins, Sweeps Coins, Gold Coins, or something else; but they all act as a token for you to play free casino games online.

• 3

  Play real money games for free

  Many sweeps casino games are slot and table titles exclusive to their sites. However, some games come from providers that also have real money versions of the same game available. This means you can both enjoy playing the game for free on a sweepstakes casino site, and also let's you learn the ins and outs of a game before trying the real money version if you choose, and if you are able to do so in your state.

• 4

  Boost your balance through the post

  That’s right, you can claim extra Gold Coins from free sweeps casinos through snail mail. In the T&Cs of most sweepstakes casinos, you will find an option to claim coins in this way. Simply send a letter asking for more Sweeps Coins, and the casino will oblige by automatically adding currency to your online account. Few players bother with this option, but it is an easy way to claim free coins.

• 5

  Always read the terms and conditions

  Most sweeps casinos have bonuses and promos for new customers and existing players. Whichever operator you choose and whatever reward you want to claim, always read the T&Cs. Understanding the small print is the only way to avoid nasty surprises and to know about any restrictions and requirements the casino imposes.

• Don’t select a sweeps casino randomly: While each site we highlight is top class, they each have advantages and disadvantages. That is why we comprehensively review sweeps casinos with our 25-step process. Read our in-depth reviews from our list above to learn more about a sweepstakes free online casino before making a final decision.
• Payment methods: While you can play sweeps casinos for free without making a deposit, you can also purchase coins. To do this, you will need to deposit money to buy currency. Therefore, we recommend checking which options are available to ensure your preferred payment method is supported.
• Game selection and variety: Quality is more important than quantity, but a sweeps casino that combines excellent games with a wide variety is the holy grail. Check the game portfolio of a site before joining. Most sweeps casinos offer online slots, but some provide casino table games like roulette or poker.
• Frequency of free Gold Coins: The biggest reason to play free online sweepstakes is to be able to play without making a deposit. Operators provide Gold Coins at different rates, so how much chance you have to play for free depends on the casino you choose. Shop around to find sites that provide frequent Gold Coins to customers.
• Number and types of promotions: When weighing up bonuses at a sweeps casino, you need to look at three factors: how often a casino provides promos, what types of bonuses are available, and how lucrative the rewards are. The best sweepstakes casino operators strike a balance of regular and generous bonuses for both new customers and existing players.

Unlike a real money casino, you do not gamble with actual cash at an online sweepstakes casino. Instead, you use a virtual currency created by the social casino. These are generally known as Gold Coins but some casinos may use their own terms. The point is they allow you to play casino games, but you cannot cash out these funds to your bank account.

So, why do online free sweepstakes casinos allow you to purchase coins if you cannot win money from them? As well as giving you the chance to play for longer if you'd like to, whenever you deposit real currency to top up your Gold Coins balance, you usually receive Sweeps Coins as well. These are essentially tokens that allow you to play casino games for prizes, allowing you then to withdraw the prizes you win. If you’ve collected enough of them, you can usually withdraw them as cash instead of playing with them, but the requirements for this vary per free sweeps casino.

Acquiring extra Gold Coins at a sweeps casino is mostly the same as any other online service. It is very straightforward if you follow these steps:

• 1
  Head to the section of the sweepstakes casino that lists the available coin packages.
• 2
  Pick the package you want, trying to find the one with the best value.
• 3
  Click the button for buying (such as “Buy” or “Purchase”).
• 4
  Pick your favorite payment method from the list of options.
• 5
  Enter the payment details for your chosen method, including the amount you want to deposit.
• 6
  Press “Submit” or similar to finalize the transaction.

Payment options

While each US sweepstakes casino will have their own payment options when it comes to getting extra Gold Coins, we've listed some of the most commonly accepted methods below:

When it comes time to redeem prizes, the process is similar to making a deposit. However, before you can withdraw for the first time, you will need to verify your account. To do this, you might need to send a scanned copy of your ID (passport, driving license, state ID card) and proof of address (utility bill, bank statement) to the sweeps casino.

Operators must approve every redeem transaction, which takes between one and three days, depending on the free sweepstakes online casino you choose. Once the payment is approved, your sweeps casino will send it to your financial service:

Proof of Identity: Free sweeps casinos require documents like a driver’s license, passport, or state ID card to prove your identity.

Proof of Address: Sites will also require a copy of a recent utility bill, bank statement, or mobile phone bill to verify your address.

Proof of payment method: Finally, some online sweeps casinos require your financial service details, such as a picture of your banking card, to prove your payment method.

Prize withdrawal methods

If you manage to win a prize, or collect enough Sweeps Coins to convert them into winnings, you'll need to think about which withdrawal options work best for you. While each US free sweeps casino will have different methods, we listed some of the most common we've found, along with useful information like app support and payout speed below:

You can take the thrill of online sweepstakes casinos with you on the move. Most online free sweepstakes sites are built on HTML5 technology. Without getting too technical, HTML5 makes website elements responsive, allowing casinos to transition seamlessly from desktop to mobile. In other words, you can enjoy playing on a website optimized specifically for your mobile.

It's worth mentioning that the number of free online sweepstakes casinos available as apps is increasing. McLuck, WOW Vegas, and Pulsz all offer dedicated sweepstakes mobile apps you can install on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. However, most of the time, you will be playing on mobile through the sweeps casino website.

Still, plenty of players prefer this approach because it means you can access a sweeps casino seamlessly across devices and platforms. Featuring hamburger menus, optimized layouts, and a clean UI, mobile browser sweeps sites are easy to navigate. While apps can often boast better connectivity and usability, mobile browser casinos are still an excellent option for mobile gameplay.

Yes is the simple answer. Unlike real money casinos, sweepstakes casinos are not gambling sites and so do not fall under the same regulations. This means free online sweepstakes sites are available in most US states. The only exception is Washington State, where profit-making sweeps casinos are not yet legal.

Sweeps casino sites are available to players in the USA who are 18 or older. The main reason why sweeps casinos avoid gambling regulations is that they are not classed as real money gambling sites – instead of wagering with your real money bankroll, you play with a virtual currency like Gold Coins. You have no obligation to pay anything to win cash prizes. In fact, you can play at a sweepstakes casino and never make a deposit but still walk away with cash prizes.

US law permits operations that provide real money prizes if games of chance are played using sweepstakes tokens instead of real money.

More and more casino players are waking up to the benefits of sweepstakes casinos. Playing slots and table games for free without making a deposit is handy. However, what makes free sweeps cash casinos interesting is that they also provide ways to win real money prizes. When you purchase or use Gold Coins on casino games, you can potentially cash out some of the winnings you make.

Available in most US states, there is a growing number of sweepstakes casinos to choose from. Thanks to the above guide and our list of top operators, you can find the best sweepstake casino to meet your specific needs.

• Focus Gaming News
• Lexology - Overview of US Federal Gaming Law
• Washington State Gambling Comission - Sweepstakes FAQ