Players at VGW sweepstakes casinos are reporting a shift in how Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE) submissions work on the company’s platforms (Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, LuckyLand Casino, and Global Poker).
Users say a new photo-based digital submission system is now being rolled out, but it’s getting mixed reactions.
Under the traditional AMOE process, players could request 5 free Sweeps Coins (SC) for use on the casino games by mailing handwritten cards to VGW. That system, while slow, allowed for lots of submissions, limited mainly by time and postage costs. The bonus SC could ultimately lead to real cash prizes too, resulting in many players sending high amounts of entries as a ‘side hustle‘.
Now, according to user reports, most players are being offered a different system from within their VGW accounts: instead of mailing in entries, users now write the required details on a card, photograph it, and upload it directly through the site.
In fact, there doesn’t seem to be an option to use the old system once your account has been switched over.
How the New Online Mail-in Entry System Works at Chumba
The new digital AMOE process follows these steps on Chumba, for example:
- Find the ‘Entry Request’ linked in the footer
- Handwrite the required details on an index card
- Take a photo of the card using a phone/computer
- Upload the image to the platform
- Complete verification
- Wait for the entry to be approved and credited
- Players should also bear in mind that AMOE applications are limited to verified players only
Users are reporting that SC are now applied much faster than with mail-in entries, often within the same day or around 12-24 hours later. This avoids the long delay in the time to receive SC, which was sometimes up to months with the mail-in system.
However, despite the convenience of digital submission, many players say the system is far from seamless. Common issues reported include:
- Entries being rejected due to background elements in the photo
- Blurry or poorly framed images
- Strict requirements around keeping the card fully within a capture window
- Repeated ‘invalid entry’ errors
- Some users also report being asked to complete selfie verification
Yes, it seems that the system relies on automated image validation, which may explain the strict and sometimes inconsistent rejection behavior. That being said, many players have reported being able to use the system without issues too.
Players should also bear in mind the new submission limit attached to this digital system. It seems users are now restricted to one entry per day per VGW site – a big shift from the mail-in system, where players could submit many, many entries.
So overall it’s fair to say that reaction to the new system has been divided. Some players have welcomed the change for faster payouts and no need for stamps or envelopes. Others are less enthusiastic about the caps limiting earning potential and the technical issues.
Why the Switch to an Online AMOE for VGW?
No official reason has been given for the switch to the online system by VGW – in fact, it appears to be rolling out gradually rather than being launched officially all at once.
If we had to speculate as to the reasons for the change, we could say that it’s clearly less admin for the casinos with the new automated system.
The switch has also allowed VGW to implement the cap, which will ultimately reduce the free SC the casinos have to give out – this will, in turn, reduce the amount of payouts they have to make, and potentially increase the amount of coin bundles bought.
Finally, a more cynical theory would be that the technical problems with the online submission process are not unintentional and will put some players off claiming the SC completely.
All these reasons could ultimately benefit VGW sister sites and its bottom line. Still, it is important that Chumba, Global Poker, and the two LuckyLand brands do offer a way to claim free SC, as this ‘no purchase necessary’ idea is central to the sweepstakes model, even if the way it is implemented appears to be evolving.
Author: Joseph Allen
Updated:
