Untrustworthy Sweepstakes Casinos: The SweepsKings Blacklist
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Untrustworthy Sweepstakes Casinos: The SweepsKings Blacklist

Sweepstakes casinos are the solution for how to play real money casino games in states that don’t allow traditional online casinos. The way they do this is a little complicated. However, if done correctly, sweepstakes casinos are 100% legal.

Unfortunately though, there are many casinos that don’t care about doing things correctly and instead are just looking to take advantage of the confusion surrounding sweepstakes casinos to trick potential players.

How these dodgy casinos trick players varies from casino to casino. Sometimes they’ll rig games, other times they’ll just straight up steal your money by offering deposits but not withdrawals. Regardless of exactly what they’re up to though, the end goal is usually the same. And that is to separate you from your money.

So what do you do? Well, you could try every sweepstakes casino yourself to find out firsthand which ones are legit and which ones are scams. However, that’ll cost a couple hundred dollars at the bare minimum.

Fortunately, there’s no need to do that because we here at SweepsKings make it our business to check out all sweepstakes casinos in the US to find out which are the real deal — and which are nothing but scams. So bookmark this page. And whenever you come across a new sweepstakes casino, check out our blacklist to see whether it’s one that you should avoid.

SweepsKings treats readers like royalty. Our team works around-the-clock to source you with honest and in-depth information on sweepstakes casinos. Our reviews, guides, bonuses, and coverage are based on hands-on testing and 100+ years of combined industry experience.

We may receive financial compensation if you play at the legal sweepstakes gaming sites we advertise. Still, our content remains impartial to financial or outside influence and is guided solely by our ethos, research, and industry knowledge.

Sweepstakes Casinos on the SweepsKings Blacklist

  • BitBetWin
  • Orion Stars
  • Mafia Sweeps
  • Riversweeps
  • Rivermonster
  • Vegas X
  • Ultrapower-Games
  • Ice8
  • Juwa
  • Orion Stars
  • Fire Kirin
  • Milky Way
  • Fun Zone
  • Flamingo7
  • Vegas Sweeps
  • Golden Treasure
  • VPower
  • Admiral
  • Game Vault
  • Gold Hunter
  • Mr All In One
  • Fire Phoenix Sweepstakes
  • Mega Win Sweepstakes
  • Lucky Legends
  • 100 Plus Sweepstakes
  • Vegas Strip Sweepstakes
  • Smash Sweepstakes Casino
  • Super777 Club Casino
  • River Dragon Sweepstakes
  • Pot of Gold Sweepstakes
  • Galaxy World
  • Magic City Sweepstakes
  • PlayNet Fun Casino
  • Gold Star Sweepstakes
  • Joker Gaming USA
  • Red Ruby
  • Strawberry Sweeps
  • JLTD Sweepstakes
  • Casino Royale Sweepstakes
  • SkillMine.net
  • Sky Sweeps Casino
  • Sweepstakes-mobi
  • Galaxy Fortunes Casino
  • Tiger Is Home
  • Shamrock Sweepstakes Games Online
  • Lucky Charms Sweepstakes Casino
  • WebSweeps Casino
  • Paradise Sweepstakes Casino
  • Enchanted Casino
  • Golden Dragon
  • Ace Reveal Casino
  • Sunrise Slots
  • Sunshine Sweeps
  • Slot Rush
  • High Roller Sweeps
  • SkillMachine-Net
  • Lucky 6 Sweepstakes Casino
  • Noble Sweepstakes Casino
  • Chicago Sweeps
  • Skills and Slots
  • E-Game Sweepstakes
  • Gemini Sweepstakes
  • Golden Treasure Sweepstakes
  • Fish Glory Sweepstakes
  • Golden City Sweepstakes
  • Gamesroom777 Online Casino
  • SweepSlots
  • Poseidon X Sweepstakes Casino
  • Lucky 777 Sweepstakes Casino
  • Classic Evolution Sweepstakes Casino
  • Lonestar.pro
  • Scrooge Casino
  • 7 Cali Casino
  • PayDay Sweeps
  • Vegas Volts
  • Circle Sweeps

Keep an eye on this list, as we’re constantly reviewing sweepstakes casinos and will update our blacklist whenever a new sweepstakes casino fails the test.

The Problem with Blacklisted Sweepstakes Casinos

The main issue with these sorts of sweepstakes casinos is that they are unfair. They are not regulated in any way, and so there’s no reason for them to offer players a fair gaming experience. Whether that’s outright stealing your money by not allowing for withdrawals or rigging their games — it means the same thing for players; the casino is lying to you to take as much of your money away from you as possible.

Though even if they aren’t outright scams, there are still problems. Namely that they are illegal. On the surface you might shrug your shoulders at that and think that as long as the casino is fair, who cares if it’s regulated? But talk to any player who has ever played at an illegal offshore casino, and they’ll have plenty of horror stories to tell you. Sites that were previously trustworthy and processed withdrawals in a timely manner suddenly disappear off the face of the internet, taking your money with them. And since these casinos weren’t ever legal in the US, you have no recourse.

Several members of the SweepsKings team chose to go this route prior to sweepstakes casinos being available in the US, and each of them says the same thing. It’s not worth it. And with so many great and legal sweepstakes casinos available, there really is no reason to be playing at any of these shady sites.

Red Flags That Make A Sweepstakes Casino Untrustworthy

When determining a sweepstakes casino’s trustworthiness, we consider numerous factors. Below though, we’ll cover what we consider to be the most egregious red flags.

Failure to Abide by US Sweepstakes Regulations

At SweepsKings, we’ll only ever recommend sweepstakes casinos that are legal in the US. Compared to the licensing requirements for a traditional online casino, sweepstakes casino regulations are pretty easy to follow, and any legitimate operation should have no issue following them. One of the main ways shady sweepstakes casinos fail here is by not abiding by the ‘No Purchase Necessary’ policy that is required by all sweepstakes promotions.

In a nutshell, this policy requires that sweepstakes casinos provide some way for players to play their games and win prizes without needing to make a real money deposit. The way most sweepstakes casinos do this is through no deposit bonuses. So, if there’s no no deposit bonus, they’re no good.

Lack of Transparency

The owners of shady sweepstakes casinos are well aware of the dodginess of their sites. As such, they typically don’t want to have either themselves or any legitimate business associated with their sweepstakes casinos, so you won’t be able to find any real details concerning ownership on the site. Additionally, they also like to obscure basic information like welcome bonuses, as more often than not, these bonuses will require a purchase, which goes against the laws that govern sweepstakes casinos.

Unfair Games

Unfair games are a recurring staple of all bad sweepstakes casinos. Unfair games typically come in two forms.

  • Rigged Games — Rigged games are the more malevolent of the unfair games, as you have no chance of winning with this game type. Rigged random number generators are how most of these games work, as instead of being truly random, they’re altered to guarantee that players lose.
  • Games with bad RTP — While not technically a scam, games with bad RTPs are common among shady sweepstakes casinos. Through rigorous testing, we’ve found many games with sub-80% RTP — with some even getting as low as 54%. For reference, legitimate sweepstakes casinos regularly offer games with 96.5%+ RTP.

Bonuses Too Good To Be True

Sweepstakes casinos are known for their great welcome bonuses. However, dodgy sweepstakes casinos really take this to another level — offering bonuses worth hundreds of dollars for only a few bucks.

Working out whether or not a bonus is too good to be true is pretty challenging. This is because there are some legitimate sweepstakes casinos that just happen to offer great bonuses — like Fortune Coins who offer new players $12 free on sign-up, or WOW Vegas who have a 200% first purchase bonus. As such, we recommend that you only sign up to sweepstakes casinos that have been verified by SweepsKings.

Banking Problems

A favorite trick of unregulated sweepstakes casinos is to present themselves as a legitimate sweepstakes casino all the way up until it’s time to redeem your winnings. Deposits are always instant. But when it’s time to collect your cash, there are delays, partial payments, dozens of excuses — and in some cases, complete silence as they simply close your account without any notice.

Bizarre Banking Policies

Bizarre banking procedures are probably the most obvious red flag that a sweepstakes casino can show. Payment methods like credit/debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, and Skrill are normal. But once we start seeing Cash App, Zelle, or even Western Union — it becomes clear that something dodgy is happening.

Rip Off of Popular Brands

There’s nothing wrong with a casino game taking inspiration from another source. However, dishonest sweepstakes casinos can sometimes have a tendency of completely ripping off the IP of another casino game with only the most minor of changes — or in some cases, straight up stealing the name and characters from mainstream media. This is obviously illegal in the US. So if you see an Aladdin fish game or MrBeast casino apps, stay clear of that casino.

What to Be On The Lookout For

Our number one tip to keep yourself safe from these unfair sweepstakes casinos is to only play with sweepstakes casinos that have been vetted by SweepsKings and given the all-clear. However, if you do want to play at a sweepstakes casino that we haven’t checked out yet, here are a few things to look out for.

  • Where They Are Legal — Legitimate sweepstakes casinos are legal in the vast majority of US states. Exactly where they’ll be legal will vary. However, Washington, Michigan, and Idaho are the states that do not allow sweepstakes casinos in any form. And while this is unfortunate for players who reside in one of those states, it can serve as a litmus test for whether or not a site is legit. Legitimate sweepstakes will never operate in those states and explicitly state as much in terms & conditions. On the other hand, dodgy sweepstakes casinos are usually already breaking the law. As such, they’re happy to accept users from all over the US.
  • Payment Methods — As mentioned in the previous section, payment methods can be a telltale sign as to whether or not a sweepstakes casino is legit. Recently, Cash App has been the favored banking method of dodgy sites, so if you see any mention of it — give that casino a wide berth.
  • Registration Process — Registration at sweepstakes casinos is usually pretty straightforward. However, recently our team has been noticing that a lot of the unfair casinos have strange registration processes that require you to text or message someone on Facebook to sign up. As a general rule, legitimate sweepstakes casinos usually process registration with an automated process done on the site, and besides the registration message — everything is done on their site.
  • What Other People Are Saying About Them — When in doubt, see what everyone else is saying. Though keep in mind that if the casino is new, you might not find any information. If that’s the case, we recommend you give the site a pass and wait for us to review them.

When in doubt, play it safe. With so many great sweepstakes casinos out there, there’s really no reason to risk your time and money playing at a sweepstakes casino that you are unsure about.

Sweepstakes Casinos Trusted by SweepsKings

7,500 Gold Coins + 2.5 Free SC
  • Excellent referral program
  • Sleek desktop app
  • 800+ games from premier studios
Up To 575k GC + 105 SC + 1,000 VIP Points
  • Free SC on socials
  • User-friendly website on all devices
  • Low gift card redemption threshold
50,000 Gold Coins + 5 Sweeps Coins
  • Supports 10+ cryptos
  • Commendable gaming variety
  • Affordable bonuses
1.75 million WOW Coins + 35 Free SC
  • Paris Hilton ambassador
  • 10 free spins awarded regularly
  • VIP Transfer
2.5 SC and 7,500 Gold Coins on Sign Up
  • Daily 5-figure payouts or better
  • Progressive jackpot network
  • Weekly tournaments

But enough about the bad. When sweepstakes casinos are run properly, they are a great, legal way to play casino games for real money across almost the entirety of the US. In this section, you can check out the list of the highest rated sweepstakes casinos that have been certified as safe by SweepsKings.

Seal of Approval by SweepsKings

FAQs

Are any sweepstakes casinos legal?

Sweepstakes casinos are a special type of online casino that blends sweepstakes promotions with online gambling. As long as they follow the rules regarding sweepstakes promotions, they are 100% legal.

What makes a sweepstakes casino untrustworthy?

A lot of things can flag a sweepstakes casino as untrustworthy. Weird banking procedures, lack of transparency, shady practices, and unfair games are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what sets off our scam radar. Though in general, if we can't accurately verify that a sweepstakes casino is legitimate, we can't mark them as trustworthy.

How does SweepsKings verify the legitimacy of a sweepstakes casino?

The SweepsKings team has a long list of procedures when it comes to reviewing sweepstakes casinos. Chief among these though, is playing at them ourselves. We register accounts, make deposits, play games, chat with customer support, and make withdrawals. If at any point we run into a roadblock, we mark it into our review and put the sweepstakes casino on our blacklist.
Mike F.

Author: Mike F.

Updated:

Mike is SweepsKings’ SEO wizard and uses his skills to produce content that answers questions you haven’t even thought of yet! He personally fact-checks all articles posted on SweepsKings and leverages his vast iGaming marketing experience to keep the site feeling fresh.
Mike is SweepsKings’ SEO wizard and uses his skills to produce content that answers questions you haven’t even thought of yet! He personally fact-checks all articles posted on SweepsKings and leverages his vast iGaming marketing experience to keep the site feeling fresh.
1.75 million WOW Coins + 35 Free SC