North Carolina Sweepstakes Casinos

While the Tar Heel state waits for online casinos to become legalized, let’s take a look at North Carolina sweepstakes casinos and why these are great alternatives for online casino lovers.

North Carolina Gambling Laws: Online Casino Legal Updates

Online casinos are illegal in North Carolina, and so far, there have been no attempts to legalize the activity. Lawmakers seem more concerned about expanding the land-based casinos in the state rather than pushing for the launch of online casinos – a recent gambling bill was presented in 2023 to this effect but failed to gain majority votes.

North Carolina is not a very conservative state, so we believe online casinos will be legalized at some point. The state launched online sports betting in March 2024, which shows they tend to be a bit late to the party but are, nonetheless, open to expanding the gambling industry in NC. So, there’s hope for favorable laws on online casinos in the future.

Social and sweepstakes casinos are the alternatives for playing casino games legally in the Tar Heel State. In reality, both terms are used interchangeably, but sweepstakes are a specific type of social casino that allows you to play for fun and still win cash prizes. Sweepstakes have widespread acceptability across most US states except for Washington. Some states like Idaho and Michigan may restrict sweepstakes casinos too, but North Carolina has no such limitations. The only notable limitation I found was for Carnival Citi which allows playing for fun but prohibits sweepstakes prizes in North Carolina.

How You Can Play Slots and Casino Games in North Carolina

As online casino gambling is illegal in North Carolina, you are prohibited by law from playing at casino sites and apps. Joining offshore operators still offering their services to NC players would be risky and illegal, to say the least.

On the other hand, you can confidently play casino games online at sweepstakes casinos and social casinos. Again, sweepstakes offer real prizes, so they’re the next best thing to online casinos. These platforms provide in-game coins or virtual currencies for you to play with – Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). You can often buy Gold Coins with cash, but these coins are not redeemable, so whatever money you spend has no direct consequence on any real cash prizes you win. Sweeps Coins are the redeemable currency, but you only receive them for free as bonuses.

NC sweepstakes casinos are easier to sign up and join than traditional online casinos. Most times, there’s instant registration only with an email or mobile number, and you’ll get an initial wave of bonus coins that you can use to start playing right away. You’ll eventually have to verify your ID and age before you redeem though. Depending on the specific casino, you can enjoy slots, blackjack, poker, keno, bingo, fish table games, and more. Modern sweepstakes sites offer a variety of arcade-style options, too.

In North Carolina, you have to be at least 18 years old to play at sweepstakes casinos. However, if the casino you choose to play at stipulates 21 as the minimum age, then that is what applies.

Overview Of The Best Sweepstakes Casinos in North Carolina

If you’re looking for a sweepstakes casino in North Carolina, there are dozens of options for you to choose from. A lot of these sites are great, but below are my top five picks for you to get started with. I’ve highlighted the main features of each and why you should play.

• WOW Vegas – More than 1500 slot titles
• Hello Millions – A unique progressive jackpot network
• Vegas Gems – Daily bonus refills and hybrid payment options
• Pulsz – Massive game library on dedicated iOS and Android apps
• High 5 – Award-winning casino with quality games and payment methods

WOW Vegas – Best for Online Gaming

Focusing on a single game category may seem like a drawback, but WOW Vegas have made a name for themselves by offering the very best online slots there are. Their titles are from renowned real money casino providers like Pragmatic Play, Betsoft, Booming Games, and more, so what you’ll find here are extremely popular games like Big Bass Bonanza, Gates of Olympus, and Take The Bank.

Recently, WOW Vegas boosted its game library with even more options. Bingo, live casino, and a progressive jackpot network. This made it the ultimate destination for sweeps casino gaming.

WOW Vegas also provides a massive welcome bonus of 1.75 Million WOW Coins + 35 Free SC. This casino also hosts more payment methods than you’ll find at most of the competition.

Hello Millions – Best for Progressive Jackpot Games

Sporting a comic-book-style design, Hello Millions is a place to enjoy a superb variety of games. A cool feature is that a handful of games allow unlimited play for times when you run out of Gold Coins. Among this casino’s highlights is a unique progressive jackpot network spread across 30 instant jackpot games and 100 Hold and Win jackpots. You can also find popular Pragmatic Play and Habanero jackpots available here. Sign up at Hello Millions, and you’ll get 15,000 GC + 2.5 SC as a no deposit bonus plus a three-part hefty purchase deal.

Vegas Gems – Best Hybrid Fiat-Crypto Casino

Since going live in 2023, Vegas Gems is one of the most well-rounded casinos on the market. It offers a good mix of slots, jackpots, and table games. It’s got an impressive range of bonuses and great purchase deals. Best of all, you get a range of cryptocurrencies and fiat payment methods to choose from. As a new Vegas Gems player, you can take advantage of a free Welcome Chest with up to 1,000 free Gems, plus a 50% match bonus deal on your first purchase.

Pulsz – Best Sweepstakes Casino App

Although several sweepstakes casinos have mobile app offerings, Pulsz is by far the best North Carolina sweepstakes app you’ll find. It’s available for both iOS and Android users and offers everything from slots and table games to instant win options like scratchies and arcade games. Besides the games, Pulsz boasts plentiful promotions and a generous VIP rewards program. Grab your own Pulsz no deposit bonus of 5,000 GC + 2.3 SC when you register today.

High 5 – Best PayPal Social Casino

High 5 Casino has consecutively won social gaming operator of the year at the EGR awards, meaning that even the experts recognize how great a casino this is. Whether you want to play online or via dedicated mobile apps, High 5 Casino offers a massive gaming library with slots, live dealers, and jackpots in the range. It’s also one of the few that accepts PayPal purchases and redemptions. Join in to claim 5 SC, 250 GC, and 600 Diamonds in bonuses to start playing for free.

Why Our Experts Selected These Brands

The brands above are among our highest-ranked sweepstakes casinos, all of which boast an expert rating of 85% or higher. We review sweepstakes casinos just as critically as we would a regular online casino because we understand that North Carolinians are looking for the best alternative to real money gaming.

Except for the licensing aspect, which isn’t necessary since sweepstakes gaming is not gambling, we assess all the focal points of the casino, rank each aspect, and finally arrive at an overall rating. Below are the key aspects of our testing process here at SweepsKings:

• Quality and variety of bonuses and promotions
• Range of games and software providers
• Speed and availability of purchases and redemptions
• Legitimacy of the casino and its parent company
• Availability and reliability of customer support
• User experience across desktop and mobile devices

How Payments Work

North Carolina sweepstakes casinos offer a variety of payment methods, from card payments to e-wallets, bank transfers, and cryptocurrencies. Brands I love to see include PayPal, Apple Pay, Trustly, and Skrill. Others like Visa/Mastercard and ACH transfer tend to be staples.

The purpose of payment at sweepstakes casinos isn’t to make deposits like a real money casino but to purchase Gold Coins. It’s the same way you’d make in-app purchases on a mobile game.

1. Login to the casino
2. Click the “Shop” or “Buy Coins” option
3. Choose your preferred Gold Coin package from the list
4. Pick a payment method from the options provided
5. Enter your card or bank details and complete the transaction

Each casino will provide a variety of coin packages at varying prices. For instance, WOW Vegas bundles cost between $1.99 and $4,999. Naturally, the price of the bundle determines how many coins you receive. The main advantage of making purchases is that most packages come with some amount of free Sweeps Coins as a bonus.

Usually, the method you’ve used to make a deposit is the same method your redeemed cash will be credited to. Other times, redemption methods may be different from purchase methods.

Your Gaming Options at NC Sweepstakes Casinos

Generally, sweepstakes casino games are similar to what you’ll find at real money casinos. However, in addition to casino-style games, they usually feature arcade-style games as well. Here are the most common game categories featured for Tar Heels:

• Slots
• Blackjack
• Roulette
• Baccarat
• Poker
• Keno
• Scratchcards
• Bingo
• Fish table games
• Live dealer games

Generally, slots are the most populated games at North Carolina sweepstakes casinos, making up more than 90% of the library on most sites. Some casinos are slot-only, but others will mix up the entertainment with table games, instant win options like scratchies, bingo, etc. Live dealer games are sometimes available, notably at sites like Hello Millions, Stake.us, and McLuck. Fish table games are one unique category that you won’t find at real money casinos. This first-person arcade shooter game is available at Fortune Coins, Funrize, and Zula, and a few other NC gaming sites.

Sweepstakes casino games are often developed in-house, but many sites also source games from third-party developers. Several of the sites we recommend provide a blend. So you can enjoy exclusive titles alongside popular online games from Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Hacksaw Gaming, Relax Gaming, and more prominent software developers.

Bonuses and Promotions at North Carolina Online Casinos

Compared to real money online casinos, there’s a different approach to the bonuses at sweepstakes casinos. For starters, most bonuses are free and don’t require you to spend any of your own money. There’s also a larger variety of bonuses and promos at sweepstakes casinos because bonuses are vital to the free-to-play environment these platforms are known for.

With all the free bonuses available, there’s no purchase necessary to play at these sites. However, buying coins also attracts purchase bonuses – usually a discounted deal or extra SC on top of a coin package.

Here are some of the most popular North Carolina sweepstakes casino bonuses and promotions:

Bonuses are available right from the get-go. The welcome bonus for new players usually consists of the sign up offer and the first purchase bonus deal. These are one-time offers. All the rest are recurring promos. And if the variety isn’t impressive enough, the flexible wagering requirements should do the trick. You only have to play through Sweeps Coins bonuses 1x before redeeming them. Some sites like Stake.us require a 3x rollover, but that’s still extremely low compared to any traditional online casino.

Aspects in Favor and Against Sweepstakes Casinos in North Carolina

Sweepstakes casinos are an excellent solution for casino gaming in North Carolina, but not all aspects of sweeps casinos are appealing. It’s good to know the pros and cons of these casinos before you play, so here they are:

Now that you know what to expect in terms of both positives and negatives, you can sign up with any of our recommended NC sweeps casinos and start playing. A fun secret of the trade is that you don’t have to choose just one. You can sign up for all of them, claim multiple bonuses, and enjoy more games.

Other Gambling Options for North Carolinian Players

Online sports betting stands as the only legitimized real money online gambling activity alongside daily fantasy sports. North Carolina has approved 8 betting operators and counting. DraftKings, BetMGM, ESPN BET, Caesars, and more are live and accepting mobile bets from players in the Tar Heel state.

Away from the online scene, there are even more gambling options. Land-based tribal casinos are legal, and there are three different gambling destinations in the state: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel, and Catawba Two Kings Casino. In-person sportsbooks are also located within these establishments, two operated by Caesars and another run by the Catawba Nation. North Carolinians are also permitted to gamble on pari-mutuel horse betting and the lottery.

There are no online bills under consideration as of the time of writing, but again, we believe there’s a possibility for the future. We’ll keep you updated regarding the legalization of North Carolina online casinos as new developments arise.