Sweepstakes Casino Rules

Sweepstakes casinos operate on two key currencies: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Gold Coins are used for entertainment play and cannot be redeemed for cash value; Sweeps Coins, won through various means, are what players use to enter a cash sweepstakes. Find out how the two-currency system works, how players acquire Sweeps Coins, and the rules for redeeming them before you buy a coin package.

A Two-Currency System

Sweepstakes casinos use a two-virtual-currency model to separate entertainment play from prize play:

• Gold Coins have no cash value, are issued freely, and can only be used to play for fun.
• Sweeps Coins are what the player uses to enter sweepstakes promotions that award cash prizes, gift cards and other rewards.

Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins are tracked in their own balances, and cannot be exchanged or converted between the two.

How does this twin-currency model turn prize play into a promotional activity instead of a direct purchase? Sweeps Coins cannot be bought for real money - at least, not outright. Instead, players buy digital Gold Coin packages that come with Sweeps Coins included. It's a subtle difference, but the key to sweepstakes casinos' prize-play framing.

How Players Earn Sweeps Coins

Gold Coins are given for free as a welcome gift, as a daily login bonus, through social media promotions, or based on player level, so players always have a way to enter entertainment play.

More Sweeps Coins are given to players on their Sweeps Coins balance for promotions, but mostly come as a linked benefit when you buy a Gold Coin package. The Gold Coin amounts are relatively little, but the Sweeps Coins linked to each can be significant.

Players do not have to buy to play. A no-purchase route always exists alongside the packages — usually a mailed request card, plus daily logins and on-site promotions — and it is what keeps the model a sweepstakes rather than a sale of play.

How Sweeps Coin Redemptions Work

To turn Sweeps Coins into real rewards, players have to hit a redemption threshold and satisfy playthrough rules - gambling convention played out in the sweepstakes model. No one gets real winnings immediately; the player has to play through their sweepstakes promotional entry chance first.

Most sweepstakes casinos require a typical 1x playthrough of the Sweeps Coins earned. For example, you win 10 SC from the spin of a promotional wheel - you have to spin/cash in a cumulative total of 10 SC before you can redeem for prizes. Some set a 3x requirement. A few require a flat amount, such as 50 SC, before the playthrough requirement kicks in. Redemption minimums vary by site.

Identity verification is normally triggered at the first redemption of any size, and prizes are paid as cash to a bank account or as gift cards, depending on the site. Check three things before buying a coin package: the playthrough on Sweeps Coins, the minimum balance you must reach to redeem at all, and whether your state is on the excluded list.