Social casinos and sweepstakes casinos have become popular ways to gamble for any player who wants the thrill of placing wagers without the financial implications of spending their hard-earned cash.
With more than 49% of US adults participating in some form of gambling in 2023, these casinos are also the perfect alternative for players in regions where iGaming is prohibited.
If you’re new to online sweepstakes casinos, you may be confused when you see the continuous mention of sweeps coins. Below, we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to sweeps coins, why they exist, and how they work.
What are Sweeps Coins?
In essence, sweeps coins are a form of virtual currency used on sweeps sites or online social casinos. The coins hold no real value and cannot be transferred away from the casino website that issues them to players.
While they don’t hold any value, sweeps coins can be redeemed for cash prizes, which we’ll cover later. Therefore, a collection of coins can be profitable and rewarding.
Sweeps coins cannot be purchased and can only be issued by the casino to players when they complete certain activities. They can also be gained by claiming bonuses or promotions social casinos offer.
Sweeps Coins vs. Gold Coins
Alongside sweeps coins, most online sweepstakes casinos use a second virtual currency called gold coins. These are the coins used when playing games and are what you are likely to win.
Unlike sweeps coins, gold coins can often be purchased using a site’s secure payment methods. Purchasing gold coins will credit your account and allow you to continue playing. These coins are usually sold in bundles that give a specific number of gold coins and throw in a few sweep coins for free.
While both types of coins can commonly be used to play, gold coins cannot be redeemed for a cash prize. Sweeps coins, on the other hand, can be. Therefore, playing with them and risking losing them could mean missing out on a tangible reward if you acquire enough.
Why Use Sweeps Coins?
The reason sweepstakes casinos and sites use sweeps coins is simple: doing so helps operators circumvent legislation that either prohibits online casinos or restricts players from depositing into a player account.
Many argue that this could lead to players falling prey to scam sweepstakes or casinos that might try to defraud them. However, these sites are few and far between, and following a few simple tricks—such as using a site with good public reviews or one that has been reviewed by an authoritative website—can quickly help avoid them.
Because sweeps coins are a virtual currency that, aside from the website issuing them, are worth nothing, they are not seen as a form of real-money gambling. In states like California, which prohibit online gambling, these coins allow operators to offer casino games to players legally.
Gaining Sweeps Coins
As mentioned, sweeps coins cannot be purchased directly in almost all cases. Instead, they are issued by a sweepstakes casino as a reward for fulfilling specific tasks.
The most common instances in which sweeps coins are issued are:
When a New Player Account is Registered
Most sweepstakes casinos will reward new players with a set number of sweeps coins as an incentive for registering. These coins are often given on a once-off basis, and quite a number are generally provided.
Logging in Daily
To encourage players to return to a site daily, many casinos offer sweeps coins as a reward just for logging on. Some casinos offer them on a sliding scale, with more coins being given if players log on consecutively over a period.
Purchasing Gold Coins
One of the primary ways to receive additional sweeps coins is by purchasing gold coins. Although sweepstakes casinos are often used by players who aren’t looking to spend their money, an extended losing streak while playing could quickly deplete the available gold coins a player receives when registering.
When this occurs, they must purchase more if they want to continue playing. Because the gold coins are worth nothing and can’t be redeemed for a prize, casinos sweeten the deal of purchasing more by giving sweeps coins as a bonus whenever a purchase is made.
Winning While Playing
Even though playing with sweeps coins rather than gold coins is riskier because you could lose the redeemable coins, it is also worthwhile. As with gold coins, any successful wager placed using sweeps coins will result in more coins being credited to your account.
Participate in Social Media Campaigns
Many sweepstakes casinos host competitions or tournaments through social channels like X, Facebook, and Instagram. Participating in these competitions by sharing posts or liking content can reward players with additional sweeps coins.
Claim Bonuses and Promotions
The final way to gain additional sweeps coins is by taking advantage of promotions run by sweepstakes casinos, affiliates, or review websites. Collecting sweeps cash on casinos.com is an easy way to increase your sweeps coin balance and get a shot at winning fantastic cash prizes.
How to Redeem Sweeps Coins
The process for redeeming sweeps coins for cash prizes is similar regardless of which website you’re playing on. However, the requirements (such as the minimum required for redemption) may vary slightly.
Most social casinos have a minimum redemption limit of between 20 and 100 sweeps coins. Once you’ve reached the minimum limit, you can redeem your coins for a cash prize or a gift card from a popular online retailer (such as Amazon).
Redeeming coins can be quickly done through your online player account. It should be noted that player verification is often required when redeeming sweeps coins for the first time with a casino. To complete this, players must provide proof of their identity, residential address, and (in the case of claiming a cash prize) proof of their bank account details.
When requesting a gift card in lieu of a cash prize, websites may choose to forego the verification process and will require only an email address to which the digital gift card can be sent.
Cash Prize vs. Gift Card
In many instances, players opt to receive a cash prize rather than a gift card. However, this may not always be the best option, as gift card redemptions traditionally offer greater value than the sweeps coins required to redeem them. Gift cards also tend to have lower minimum redemption limits.