About Us

Sweepstakes Casino is an independent research site covering sweepstakes and social casinos for players in the US. We look at new and established platforms, explain how the dual-currency model actually works, and rank the sites we cover on the criteria that matter most to someone deciding where to play. We don't operate a casino ourselves and we don't take any deposits — our job is to make the landscape easier to navigate.

What a sweepstakes casino actually is

Sweepstakes casinos aren't traditional online gambling sites, and we're careful not to describe them as such. They run on a promotional sweepstakes model: players typically get two types of virtual currency, one for casual play with no cash value (often called Gold Coins) and one that can potentially be redeemed for prizes once certain conditions are met (often called Sweepstakes Coins, or SC). Coin packages can usually be purchased, but legitimate operators also offer a free method of entry — sometimes through daily login rewards, sometimes through a mail-in alternative method of entry (AMOE) — so a purchase is never strictly required to take part or to redeem. We flag this clearly wherever it applies, because it's one of the features that separates this model from real-money gambling.

Why we focus on new sweepstakes casinos

New operators are launching regularly, and their welcome offers, coin packages and eligible-state lists change fast. Our focus is on tracking these newer platforms as they arrive, checking what they publish about eligibility, redemption thresholds and identity verification, and updating our coverage as terms shift. That means our comparisons are less about which casino has existed longest and more about which ones currently have workable terms, an active game library, and clear rules for new players.

How we assess the sites we list

We don't play, deposit or withdraw on the sites we cover — there's no cash wagering involved to test in the first place. Instead, each platform is researched and compared against a consistent set of factors:

• Welcome offer terms — the headline Gold Coin and Sweepstakes Coin amounts, and any conditions attached, such as minimum age or one-per-household rules
• Game library — the range of slots, table games and any live or specialty titles on offer, and which studios supply them
• Redemption process — published minimum thresholds, identity verification steps and the payment methods used to pay out prizes
• State eligibility — which states an operator excludes, since sweepstakes casinos are governed at the state level and availability is never nationwide
• Ongoing rewards — daily login bonuses, loyalty programmes, leaderboards and seasonal promotions beyond the initial welcome package

Our editorial ratings reflect this research, not customer-submitted scores and not testing activity we haven't actually carried out. Where an operator's terms are unclear or change frequently, we say so rather than filling in a gap with a guess.

Commercial relationships, and where they stop

Sweepstakes Casino may earn a commission if a reader signs up with an operator through a link on this site. That relationship never decides the order sites appear in or the rating a site receives. Operators cannot pay for a better position, and we don't accept payment in exchange for a favorable review. If a platform has a limitation — a low redemption cap, a narrow state list, a slow verification process — we include it, even for sites near the top of a page.

What we don't do

We don't tell readers a specific site is legal for them to use — sweepstakes casino availability varies by state, laws change, and operators themselves decide which states they'll serve. We encourage every reader to check an operator's current terms and their own state's rules before signing up, and our Terms and Conditions page covers how this site itself operates. We also don't present sweepstakes casinos as identical to licensed real-money online casinos: the games can look similar, but the legal framework, promotional structure and consumer protections differ, and we try to make that distinction clear rather than blur it for the sake of a simpler comparison.

Our coverage is also written for adults. Sweepstakes casinos generally require players to be at least 18, and some operators or states set the minimum at 21 — we note this where it's relevant rather than assuming one age applies everywhere.

Player protections we point readers toward

Because chance-based games are involved even in a sweepstakes format, we think it's worth being upfront about the resources available for players who want to keep their play in check. Our Responsible Gambling page covers the tools and support options worth knowing about, regardless of which platform someone chooses to use.

Get in touch

If something on this site looks out of date — an operator's welcome offer, its state list, or anything else we cover — we'd rather hear about it and correct it than leave stale information up. The Contact Us page has the details for reaching us directly.