Sweepstakes Casinos in New York

For fans of online casino games, sweepstakes casinos offer a great option. Currently, sweepstakes casinos are legal in most states, including New York. These sites allow you to play a variety of slots, table games, and even live dealer games online for free and in some cases offer opportunities to redeem winnings for cash prizes. Here’s a full explanation of how these sweepstakes sites work and our recommendations for the best ones to play in New York.

Best sweepstakes casinos in NY

Are sweepstakes gambling sites legal in NY?

Yes, sweepstakes casinos are legal in New York as they abide by the state’s sweepstakes laws. They allow players to enjoy a variety of popular casino games without using real money in the games, but instead virtual currencies.

As we explain below, the sites typically use a couple of different currencies, and in many cases, you have the chance to redeem one of those currencies for cash prizes. While the sites do invite players to purchase coins with which to play games, you never have to spend any money to play on the sites. Much like regular sweepstakes contests, there is no cost to play the games, nor do the games use real money as is the case at online casinos in states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and others where such games have been legalized.

That is, all of the sites discussed on this page, including our top recommended sweepstakes casinos, are fully legal in New York. Thus, while lawmakers in New York continue to debate the possibility of introducing NY online casinos with real money games, these sweepstakes sites currently provide a great alternative for those who want to play games online now.

How do sweepstakes casino sites work?

As mentioned above, sweepstakes casinos typically use a unique dual currency system in order to stay in compliance with the law. In effect, the system makes it impossible for players to buy coins that have actual cash value. Instead, a player will buy a certain amount of one type of coin, and sometimes, in return, receive coins in a second virtual currency as a welcome bonus. Those coins, which cannot be purchased directly, are the ones that players can later potentially redeem for cash prizes.

When you create an account at a sweepstakes site, you’ll have an account balance showing how many coins you have (of both types). However, there is one big difference between these sites and online casinos that use real money. With sweeps sites, you never “deposit” or “withdraw” funds into an account. Rather, you purchase coins (if you wish) and later redeem winnings for prizes.

The difference between Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins

The games on the sweepstakes sites can be played with both types of coins. You can usually play many free games without purchasing any coins at all. Sometimes purchasing coins lets you play a larger number of games. The coins you can purchase go by different names depending on the site, but are often called Gold Coins and have no cash value.

Meanwhile, the coins you receive as a bonus are often called Sweepstakes Coins, and you’ll find the sites often distinguish between Gold Coins games and Sweeps Coins games. When you play the Sweepstakes Coins games, you can win more of them, and when you accumulate a required minimum amount of SC, you can then redeem them for cash prizes.

How to obtain Coins at sweepstakes casinos

As noted, you typically will receive Sweepstakes Coins as bonus when you purchase Gold Coins. Often when you first register at a sweeps site, you’ll receive both some Gold Coins and some Sweepstakes Coins just for creating an account as a sweeps no deposit bonus. Also, playing SC games and winning Sweepstakes Coins is another way to accumulate more of them.

You’ll find other opportunities to receive Sweepstakes Coins, too, such as through ongoing promotions on the site. Many sweepstakes sites have social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X where they will hosts contests and giveaways where followers can receive SC as well. You can even contact the sites by regular mail and request Sweepstakes Coins, much like those entering mail-based sweepstakes contests can do the same.

Keep an eye out for the different ways to accumulate Sweepstakes Coins whenever you play on these sites. Again, you can never purchase them directly, but you’ll find there are lots of ways to receive SC in addition to winning them through the games.

How to redeem winnings for prizes

The process for turning your winnings into prizes like gift cards or even cash prizes differs from site to site but often involves following a similar path.

First, when you receive Sweepstakes Coins you will likely need to satisfy a playthrough requirement by wagering your SC in games on the site before you can try to redeem them. Often that only means wagering your SC one time (e.g., a “1x playthrough requirement”), but that still means you’ll have to put those SC at risk and win more of them, which you can then redeem for prizes.

Most sites require you to have won a minimum number of Sweepstakes Coins (e.g., 50 or 100) before you can redeem them. The limits might vary according to which kind of redemption you are going to make (e.g., at least 50 SC for gift cards, at least 100 SC for cash prizes).

Start the process by clicking “Redeem Coins” (or the equivalent) and following the instructions. From there you may need to enter some additional personal information to complete your request, such as providing additional items to verify your identity or banking details. After that it may take a few days for the redemption to process and for you to receive your desired prize.

What are online sweepstakes casinos?

Online sweepstakes casinos may not use real money like the online casinos in NJ, PA, MI and elsewhere do, but they otherwise look and play a lot like those sites. The sites all feature online slots prominently, just like their online casino counterparts. On many of the sweepstakes casinos you’ll also find some table games like blackjack and roulette, although when they do appear the selection is often relatively small. Meanwhile, several sweeps sites, such as High 5 Casino and McLuck Casino, even have live dealer games.

For several years, only a small handful of promotional sweepstakes and social casinos were available to New York players. Sites like Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, and Funzpoints were the best-known and most popular.

Today the number of choices of sweeps sites has grown considerably, with top sites like WOW Vegas, Crown Coins Casino, Pulsz and several others having given players more options. New sites like Fortune Coins, Zula Casino, Vegas Gems and others have expanded the available options even more.

There are also examples of online poker sites that employ the sweepstakes model by using virtual currencies rather than real money. The most popular of these is Global Poker.

Top online social and sweepstakes casinos

You can read full reviews of many of the sites mentioned here at PlayNY by following the links from this page. All of these sites are accessible via a web browser on your desktop or laptop, and in some cases, the sites also have their own mobile apps so you can play on smartphones or tablets. Let’s briefly run through a few of our favorite options, though, to give you an idea of what you’ll find when you visit them and sign up for accounts.

1. WOW Vegas

WOW Vegas has a lot to offer with more than 700 slots in its extensive (and growing) game library. These include many titles from top developers like Betsoft, Pragmatic Play, and Novatic, as well as lots of progressive jackpot slots. WOW Vegas especially stands out for its frequent promotions which give players extra ways to pick up both WOW Coins and Sweepstakes Coins. Look for frequent giveaways in the Prize Drops Lobby as well as other promos like Wake Up and Win, Lunchtime Loot, and Wowzer Prize Drop Games.

2. High 5 Casino

High 5 Casino has an even bigger game selection than WOW Vegas, with more than 1,000 games available. These include lots of slots, but you’ll also find live dealer games at High 5 with multiple tables of blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and casino poker. High 5 has ongoing promos, too, such as the “Boosts on Demand” option that awards multiplier payouts and more. High 5 Casino games are played with Game Coins and Sweeps Coins, but the site also throws a third currency into the mix called Diamonds with which you can earn perks like free spins.

3. McLuck Casino

McLuck Casino offers approximately 750 slots, including many unique titles and classic slots from NetEnt, Pragmatic, Ruby Play, 3 Oaks, Playson, and other established studios. Promos are highlighted by the McJackpots feature, which enables players to hit big wins on any given spin whether playing with Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins. McLuck likewise offers live dealer games, with blackjack, baccarat, and roulette among the options.

4. Funzpoints

Funzpoints has been around for several years and become a favorite site among many online players. The game library is on the small side with about 90 slots and a keno game, but the many promos keep players happy. The site calls its two currencies Standard Funzpoints and Premium Funzpoints and offers numerous ways to earn both. These include being able to spin the Funzwheel every three hours as well as ongoing promos like Boosters, Mystery Gifts, the Funzone, daily jackpots, and more.

5. Crown Coins Casino

Crown Coins Casino is another great choice among sweepstakes casinos. The game library continues to grow, with around 110 slots at present (including jackpot slots). The site also provides lots of ways to earn both Crown Coins and Sweeps Coins, including via daily rewards and weekly challenges, plus a tier-based loyalty program, the Crown VIP Club.

Other available social and sweeps casinos

The difference between social and sweepstakes sites

As discussed above, sweepstakes casinos follow states’ sweepstakes laws in order to offer games that can, in some cases, offer opportunities for players to redeem their winnings for cash prizes. The sweepstakes sites always offer free-to-play games and make it possible for players strictly to play games for entertainment purposes.

Meanwhile, there are also social casinos that offer online slots and other games that only use “play money” or coins that have no cash value and don’t provide any way to convert winnings or claim prizes. That’s the main distinction, namely, you cannot win real money prizes at social sites like you can at sweepstakes casinos. You can still enjoy the games, though, and claim virtual rewards and achievements at social casinos.

Enjoy casino games at sweepstakes casinos today

Many fans of online sweepstakes casinos have found the games rival the quality of those found at regular online casinos. That includes having the same high level of graphics, animation, and sound that can help create an immersive and fun gaming experience. In fact, some of the same slots featured at online casinos (and retail casinos) turn up in the game libraries of these sweepstakes sites, as do the table games and live dealer games, which similarly rival their real-money counterparts.

If you are looking for ways to enjoy casino games from New York, these online sweepstakes casinos provide an excellent option and even ways to redeem your winnings for various prizes. As noted, the games are always free to play, but you can purchase coins as well. If you choose to do so, be smart and employ the same responsible gambling practices you follow when gambling in real money games.