Sweepstakes casinos are the latest craze to hit the big time in the world of online casinos and gambling. This is hardly surprising when you consider you get to play all the casino games you love (and a lot more you might not even have known existed) with minimum risk. Sweepstakes deliver all the ‘fun of the fair’ but without the risk of losing money. On the downside, winning real money can be rather long-winded and complicated, but it is possible.
Sweepstakes are a hybrid of real money casinos and social casinos, with the chance of cashing in prizes for real money thrown in for good measure. Seriously, what’s not to like? Unsurprisingly, they have become hugely popular, and more operators are offering customers the chance to play at sweepstakes casinos. The team at the online casino review site Time2Play are experts in all things casino-related, so they have taken an in-depth look at how sweepstakes casinos work and looked at the pros and cons of playing on these sites.
There is no denying that sweepstakes casinos have plenty of advantages over traditional online casinos and offer a unique and entertaining form of online gambling. These casinos have plenty of positive features, but there are also some drawbacks, so it is important to understand what you are letting yourself in for before you start playing.
On the plus side, they are:-
- Free to play
- Sociable – you can play solo or with friends
- Allow you to exchange winning pots for cash
- Offer unique entertainment
- Integrate well with social media
- Legal just about everywhere
A few drawbacks include:-
- Smaller game libraries than traditional online casinos
- Generally, less customer support
- Limited ways to convert winnings to cash
To play at a sweepstakes casino in Canada, you have to be 19 to play, and they operate within Canadian gambling laws and regulations. However, Quebec and Ontario restrict sweepstake activities, and this means that players from these provinces are not accepted on sweep sites. Players in Ontario can access all the regulated real money casinos, so players there have plenty of choice, and there are social casinos available, too.
Another great thing about sweepstakes casinos is that players do not have to worry about the security of their personal information. This is because reputable sites follow the same strict safety protocols and responsible gambling measures as their real money counterparts. Gambling, whether for real money or sweep coins, is supposed to be fun and a form of entertainment. Good sweepstakes casinos offer opt-outs, deposit, loss and play time limits. It is good to use these tools as even social gambling can overtake other priorities if you are not careful.
There are plenty of options for how to play at sweepstakes casinos. There are plenty of app-based ones for those who like to play on a phone or tablet, whether at home or out and about. People who prefer to play on a bigger screen or monitor may choose to get to the action through a secure web browser. The beauty of these games is that they don’t require much processing power or a dedicated graphics card, meaning you won’t need to splash out on a gaming laptop, and can simply use your standard computer. Whichever you prefer, Time2Play has looked at the options and found which ones have the best apps and browser versions. However you are playing, you want your online casino experience to be easy to navigate, glitch-free and visually pleasing with a great selection of games.
Sweepstakes casinos are fair and secure, giving all players equal chances of winning. They use sophisticated encryption technology to keep your details safe. The games are powered by Random Number Generators (RNGs), meaning all players are in with an equal chance of winning. In addition, bonuses are generous because the casinos are not giving away real money.
Signing up for sweepstakes casinos is pretty straightforward, too. We recommend you take a look on the Time2Play pages to find which one you want to play at, but when you have, you will need to register to play. You will need to give some basic information about yourself, like name and email address; alternatively, you can sign up using your social media account. Once you have done that, accept the casino’s terms and conditions, verify your ID if requested and then explore the site and enjoy the games.
You will also need to get your hands on some virtual currency to ‘pay’ for your games. The sweeps casinos accept two types of ‘coins’. These are Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. The only coins that can be exchanged for cash prizes are the Sweeps ones. Different casinos have varying names for the Sweep coins. However, it is only ones that have been won through gameplay, and when the playing conditions have been met, they can be cashed out for real cash prizes. Gold Coins can never be cashed out. They are just for having fun with. No matter how big a pot of Gold Coins you build up, you can never use them in the real world.
Gold Coins and Sweep Coins might feel a bit confusing when you start on your Sweepstakes adventure, but do not worry; you will get the hang of them in no time. Sweep coins often come in a bundle with Gold Coins. You play with both types of coins and can cash out any Sweeps Coins you win. You might find some casinos have lower limits on the number of coins you can trade.
