Sweepstakes Casinos vs. Gambling at Real Money Casinos

The best real money casinos offer a large variety of online slots, virtual table games, video poker options, and live dealer tables. They aren’t allowed in most states, however, and as a result, social and sweepstakes casinos have become a popular option nationwide, including in New York. Read on to learn more about key differences between real money and online sweepstakes casinos, and to discover the best sites at your disposal right now.

Key differences between real money & sweepstakes casinos

On the surface, real money online casinos and sweepstakes casinos look very similar. They host hundreds of games, divided into categories such as slots, virtual table games, variety games, and potentially live dealer games, too. However, there are some key differences between them, which we have explained below.

Currency

Real money online casinos allow you to play games with U.S. dollars. You can make an instant deposit via a credit card, debit card, bank transfer, e-check, prepaid card, or a digital wallet like PayPal or Venmo. All of your bets will be placed in USD, and you can then cash out your funds at any time.

Sweepstakes casinos do not allow you to play with dollars. They offer two forms of currency: Gold Coins, which have no monetary value, and premium coins, which are normally known as Sweeps Coins.

The Gold Coins allow you to play games for fun. The Sweeps Coins can typically be redeemed for cash prizes at a rate of 1 Sweeps Coin to $1 if you successfully play them through. You can earn free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins through various bonuses. Some sites also allow you to purchase extra Gold Coins, and they will then give you free Sweeps Coins as a reward for doing so, but there is never any obligation to make a purchase.

Game selection

Real money casinos offer a wide variety of online slots, virtual table games, video poker games, specialty games, and live dealer games. They can only source games from software providers that hold licenses in each state. For example, BetMGM offers more than 2,000 slots in New Jersey but only around 650 slots at its Pennsylvania sites, as there are far more licensed suppliers in NJ.

Sweepstakes casinos tend to offer a smaller range of games than their real money counterparts. They all offer online slots, which are primarily sourced from NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, 3Oaks, BGaming, and a few other studios. Some offer a handful of virtual table games, too. It is reasonably rare to find live dealer games at a sweepstakes casino.

Platforms

Real money casinos offer websites and apps. You can download casino apps such as BetMGM, Caesars Palace Casino, DraftKings, and FanDuel via the App Store or Google Play. They allow you to play games from anywhere in a legal state. Just turn on your phone’s location services when using the app.

Most sweepstakes casinos do not offer native apps. However, the best sweepstakes casino sites are optimized for iPhones and Android phones. You can visit a sweepstakes casino site via any browser on your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. Just sign in and begin playing whenever you like. You can also set up a shortcut to a sweepstakes casino site on your phone’s home screen, which makes it easily accessible.

Legality

Six states have legalized real money online casinos: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Anyone age 21 or older and physically located in one of those states can play online casino games for real money. That applies to residents and visitors.

Most sweepstakes casinos are legally available to players in 46 states. The only exceptions are Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington state. You generally need to be 18 or older to play at a sweepstakes casino. They offer sweepstakes contests in the form of casino games, such as slots, blackjack, or roulette. These sites comply with each state’s sweepstakes laws, so you can legally redeem cash prizes if you win.