Last Updated: 04 February, 2025
If the thought of losing real money at a casino is unappealing, sweepstakes casinos may just be what you need. Sweepstakes casinos are nearly exact replicas of typical online casinos, except they use virtual currency instead of real money wagering.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states except ID, MI, MT, NV & WA. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 21+. Available in all US states except ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NV & WA. No purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states except AL, DE, GA, ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NV, & WA. No purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states except ID, MI, WA, & WY. No purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states except AL, ID, MI, MT, NV, TN, & WA. No purchase necessary - for entertainment purposes only. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states except FL, GA, KY, MI, MO, NE, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, UT, & WA. No purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states except AL, DE, GA, ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NV & WA. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes rules and full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide, except in AL, DE, GA, ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NJ, NV & WA. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Full T&Cs and sweepstakes rules apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide, except in AL, DE, GA, ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NV & WA. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Sweepstakes rules and further T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available all over the US, excluding ID, KY, MI, & WA. No purchase necessary, for amusement purposes only. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide, except in ID, KY, MI, NV, & WA. Free-to-play, no purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available only in the US, excluding AL, GA, ID, KY, MI, MT, NV, & WA. No purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available only in the US (excluding ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, & WA). No purchase necessary. Full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in the US (excluding ID, MI, & WA) and in Canada (excluding Ontario). Entering sweepstakes does not require purchase. Sweepstakes are void where prohibited by law. Full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available only in the US, excluding ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, & WA. Always free-to-play, no purchase necessary to participate in sweepstakes. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide, except in ID, MI, MT, NV, & WA. No purchase is necessary. Full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 21+. Available only in the US, except in CT, ID, KY, MI, NV, NY, VT, & WA. No purchase is necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+ (19+ in AL, NE, & OH). Available only in the US (excluding CT, DE, HI, ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NJ, NV, & WA. No purchase is necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 21+. Available only in the US, excluding ID, MI, NV, & WA. Does not offer real money gambling. No actual money is required to play. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. A minimum age of 18+ is required. Available only in the US, excluding ID, MI, & WA. No purchase is necessary to enter sweepstakes. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide, except in ID, MI, WA, & WY. Play-for-fun website intended for amusement purposes only. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available only in the US (except in ID, MI, WA, & WY). No purchase is necessary. Promotional games are void where prohibited by law. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all US states, except in ID, MI, WA, & WY. For amusement purposes only. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available all over the US, excluding AL, ID, MI, MT, NV, TN, & WA. No purchase is necessary - for recreational and entertainment purposes only. Full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in all over the US (except ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, & WA). No purchase necessary to enter sweepstakes. Void where prohibited by law. Full T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide (excluding AL, DE, GA, ID, KY, LA, MI, MT, NJ, NV, & WA). All games available to play for free - no purchase necessary. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide (excluding ID, KY, MI, NV, NY, VT, & WA). No purchase necessary to enter sweepstakes. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available in the US only (excluding ID, MI, NV, & WA). Purely for entertainment purposes only. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available only in the US (excluding the states of CT, DE, ID, MI, NV, & WA). No purchase required to participate in the sweepstakes. Void where prohibited by law. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+ (19+ in AL & NE, 21+ in MS). Available only in the US, except in ID, MI, NV, & WA. No purchase is necessary to participate. Making a purchase does not increase your odds of winning. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social casino. 18+. Free-to-play website/app only, no real-money prizes offered. Available US-wide. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social/sweepstakes casino. 18+. Available US-wide (excluding ID, MI, WA & WY). For entertainment and amusement purposes only. No purchase necessary to play. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
Social casino. 21+ only. Free-to-play gaming platform. No actual money can be won while playing. Available all over US, including the District of Columbia. T&Cs apply. Please play responsibly.
As of right now, just seven US states offer licensed online casinos. However, only one US state does not offer sweepstakes casinos. By avoiding gambling legislation and falling under the sweepstakes laws in each state, these social casinos can operate in every state outside of Washington. In Idaho, social casinos are legal, but customers can only use the form of in-app currency that cannot be redeemed for real money prizes.
Sweepstakes casinos' quick rise to popularity has been due to their ability to operate in states where gambling is illegal and offer free-to-play options. Of course, even though these products do not abide by in-state gambling regulations, they still need to follow the rules, which is why most require customers to be at least 18 years old. Some states and products, including a popular product in the market, Stake.us, may require bettors to be 21+.
Just because these products operate in a gray area in the gaming industry does not mean states are fully aware of their growing popularity. Recently, New Jersey became the first state to draft a bill that would regulate sweepstakes casinos in the state, as they are looking to tax these products and ensure there are mandated customer protections.
If this legislation is passed, more states could quickly join the party in regulating social casinos. While it may sound like states are trying to change these products, the Social and Promotional Games Association has made it clear they support similar bills, as they want to improve the products for the nearly 55 million Americans who use them (ABC News).
State | Sweepstakes casinos | Real-money online casinos | High 5 Casino | Legendz |
---|---|---|---|---|
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Legal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Legal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal (Gold Coins only) | Illegal | Yes | No | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | No | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | No | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Illegal | Legal | No | No | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | No | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | No | |
Legal (restericted) | Illegal | Yes | No | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Legal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | No | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | No | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Legal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Legal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Illegal | Illegal | No | No | |
Legal | Legal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes | |
Legal | Illegal | Yes | Yes |
January 31, 2025: Senator Joey Fillingane has filed a bill (SB 2510) that would make sweepstakes casinos illegal in Mississippi.
January 30, 2025: West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is reportedly prepared to issue subpoenas or cease-and-desist letters to all sweepstakes casinos operating in the state. If and when this plan is put into action, it is yet to be determined.
January 19, 2025: New Jersey lawmakers have introduced Bill A5196, which, if passed, would make them the first state to legalize and regulate sweepstakes casinos.
December 3, 2024: New Jersey resident Julian Bargo has filed a class action lawsuit against a range of sweepstakes casinos after he lost over $1,000 combined on them. The lawsuit also includes Google and Apple under the claim that they are distributing illegal gambling.
According to studies, around 55 million Americans participate in sweepstakes contests or social gaming yearly. The entire US sweepstakes casino industry is estimated to generate around $6.9bn in revenue in 2025, growing with an annual growth rate of 31%.
Mobile and online sweepstakes casinos can legally operate in almost all US states, with MI & WA being the exception to the rule. However, some states have placed such high restrictions on sweeps casinos, discouraging them from operating in those areas.
Any sweepstakes casino that offers sweeps coins will offer either cash winnings or gift cards. Idaho is the only state that does not allow real money cash winnings to be acquired.
Typically, any games that you would find on a licensed online casino, like slots, table games, and more, can be found on sweepstakes casinos.