What are Sweeps Coins?

Imagine stepping into an online casino where you can spin the reels, play poker, and hit blackjack, all without ever making a real money bet. That’s the magic of Sweeps Coins, the virtual currency that powers sweepstakes casinos.

Unlike real money casinos, where you deposit cash, sweepstakes casinos use Sweeps Coins as free promotional entries to play games and win real cash prizes.

The best part? You don’t have to buy them! You can score Sweeps Coins through daily bonuses, social media giveaways, and even mail-in offers. They work just like real money in games, and any winnings you rack up can be redeemed for cash or gift cards.

Think of it as casino fun with a legal twist, or as I like to say, where entertainment meets sweepstakes laws!

Sweepstakes Casino Coins Explained

Sweepstakes casinos operate using a unique dual-currency system involving both Sweeps Coins and Gold Coins. This approach ensures compliance with sweepstakes regulations:

• Sweeps Coins enable casinos to offer real prize opportunities legally, as they are not directly purchasable and serve as sweepstakes entries. These can be called differently, but the mechanics stay the same. For instance, Fortune Coins calls them “Fortune Coins”; Stake.us calls it “Stake Cash”; Funrize calls it “Free Entries”.
• Gold Coins allow unrestricted social casino gameplay, providing entertainment-only gaming without any financial risk. These can also come with different names – WOW Vegas calls them (you guessed it) WOW Coins.

Gold Coins vs Sweeps Coins: Key Differences

Before we go any deeper, you need to understand the differences between Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

How to Get Free Sweeps Coins?

There are many ways to get free Sweepstakes Coins – from no deposit bonuses on sign up to referral and snail mail bonuses. The most effective way is buying Gold Coin bundles that include them, but acquiring free SC without spending a cent is a prerequisite to the legality of sweepstakes casinos.

After testing over 100+ US sweepstakes casino sites, in my experience, these are the most common ways to get more free Sweeps Coins:

Welcome Bonus – Free SCs are usually credited after you register and confirm your email address. In some cases, like in Fortune Coins, you will need to complete several tasks to get the full sign up bonus. In other cases, like WOW Vegas, you will just need to log in for 3 days consecutively to get the full no deposit bonus.

First Purchase Bonus – An exclusive discount on select or all Gold Coin packages, usually offering savings between 50% and 200%. In some sweeps casinos, these deals expire after 60 minutes (WOW Vegas has one such discount), while in others, you can claim it for as long as 60 days or until you decide to make a first purchase.

Mail-in Bonus – Often called the “alternative method of entry” or AMOE, it gives a flat amount of free Sweeps Coins to eligible players who send a handwritten postcard to the casino’s operator. You can usually get between 3 and 5 free SC per envelope, but you need to follow very detailed instructions.

Daily Login Bonus – You’ll most often find a daily reload promo at sweepstakes casinos, but the shape of it often changes. It can be a bonus wheel like in WOW Vegas, a progressive consecutive bonus like in DingDingDing or a flat SC bonus. Some operators have flat bonuses but the prizes increase as you progress through the VIP levels.

Refer-a-Friend – Most sweeps sites now have a referral program that rewards you with free SC once your friends register and purchase GC packages.

Besides the promos I’ve mentioned, you can find various slot races, challenges, tournaments, social media contests, and many other deals unique to each online casino. To ensure you’re getting the most virtual currency at reputable platforms, use our links to sign up with leading US sweepstakes casinos.

How to Redeem Sweeps Coins for Real Money

Let’s say you’ve won using my strategies above. What comes next? It’s redemption time! But before you send that redemption request, you first need to make sure you tick the following boxes:

Wagering requirements: Typically, casinos require Sweeps Coins to be played at least once, although some casinos have slightly higher playthrough requirements (rarely exceeding 3x).

Minimum redemption thresholds: Operators commonly set a minimum threshold for redemption, and this limit varies depending on the option you choose. Sweeps to gift card redemptions have lower limits that usually start at 10 SC but can be as high as 50 SC. On the other hand, cash redemptions typically require between 50 – 100 Sweeps Coins.

Verification: You must submit documents for KYC checks, such as ID or proof of residence, and a bank statement, ensuring compliance with sweepstakes laws. I suggest you start the KYC as soon as you register. This way, you won’t have to wait before you can send your redemption request.

Payment method: Once verified, choose from options such as direct bank transfers, digital wallets like PayPal, crypto, or gift cards to complete your redemption. Some sweepstakes casinos require that you use the same method you employed for GC purchases when redeeming SC for real money.

Conclusion

Sweepstakes Coins can be likened to “cash with extra steps”. All sweepstakes sites use them to circumvent certain issues in the US gaming space, but that shouldn’t worry you – they’re perfectly legal.

We’d like to conclude this guide with a few words of advice. Treat your sweeps like you’d treat your own money while playing. If you run out, be patient with daily refill bonuses and avoid overspending as much as you can. Fortunately, most legit sweeps casinos have responsible gaming tools that can help you with such matters.

If you’ve just entered the sweepstakes space, check out our other guides for more tips and insights.