Sweepstakes casinos have become just as popular as regular online casinos. The difference with sweepstakes casinos is that players bet in virtual currency rather than real money. These are called gold coins and sweep coins, the latter of which are exchangeable for prizes.
So where are sweepstakes casinos legal? Gamers all over the United States and other parts of the world are addicted to it, but confusion remains about where you can actually play. Worry no more, because we are going to reveal all the details.
| ✅ Legal states | ❌ Banned states |
| AL, AK, AR, CO, FL, GA, HI, IL, IA, KS, MA, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM, NC, PA, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TX, VT, VA, WI, WY | NY, CA, MI, AZ, TN, WA, LA, NV, CT, KY, MT, NJ, ID, ME, IN, DE, MS, MD, UT, WV |
As it stands, sweepstakes casinos are legal in 30 states. This number has decreased considerably since 2024 following state bans in New York, California, Michigan, Arizona, Tennessee, Washington, Louisiana, Nevada, Connecticut, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Montana, New Jersey, Idaho, Maine, Indiana, Delaware, Mississippi, Maryland, Utah, West Virginia. If you live outside of one of these states, you can register and play.
Until recently, sweepstakes casinos remained legal in the vast majority of states outside of Washington. But legal pressure from a growing number of states, many of which view sweepstakes casinos as legitimate gambling sites, has led to bans. The largest so far are from New York and California, where existing player bases were huge until the bans were implemented.
Looking ahead to 2027, the latest news is that Pennsylvania is actively seeking to ban sweepstakes casino games. Other than that, no other states are actively pushing to ban casino sweepstakes. These casinos are widely expected to remain legal in the majority of states in the future, especially now that the United States is instead focusing on cracking down on prediction market sites. This is good news for players, although new bans could potentially develop.
“Free” sweepstakes casinos allow users to play for free or win prizes
The reason sweepstakes casinos are extremely popular with players is almost entirely because they are free. Yeahfree. Usually you would think this is strange for a casino, but let’s explain it.
When you enter an online sweepstakes casino, you have two options: play with gold coins (GC) or play with sweep coins (SC). GCs are the free currency and can be used to play any games you like, while SCs have real on-site value and can be redeemed for prizes. In a nutshell, you’ll want to use GCs if you’re only interested in fun gameplay, while prize hunters can play with SCs.
Most sweepstakes casinos offer a minimum redemption amount of around 50 Sweeps Coins. This means that once you collect enough of these coins, it opens the door to prizes. 1 SC converts to $1, so if you have 100 SC in your balance, you are entitled to around $100 in prizes.
Contest casinos also offer features such as leaderboards, missions, tournaments and much more. Popular game providers like EvoPlay and Hacksaw Gaming also distribute to sweepstakes casinos, offering players a very wide selection of slots, live dealer games and much more.
How to start playing
Like many, you may be a Gen Z gamer who is desperate to take a break from your console and try sweepstakes casinos, especially given how popular these casinos are currently on Kick and Twitch. Well, luckily we have the steps needed to get you set up correctly. Here’s what you need to do first:
- Make sure you live in an eligible state, like Florida or Ohio, and are 21 and older.
- Choose a sweepstakes casino you like (e.g. Stake.us) and tap to create an account
- Perform KYC verification
- Collect your free registration coins
- Make an optional deposit if you want to purchase coin packages
All sweepstakes casinos maintain a no deposit required policy. It is important to keep this in mind. No matter where you play from, you never need to deposit money and can play with free coins for as long as you want.
Once your account is activated, you will then want to start playing games. Remember: play for free using GCs or win prizes with SCs. And in between all this, it’s possible to climb the leaderboards, take part in daily challenges and missions, and even participate in tournaments, many of which are free and have big SC prize pools.
Draw casinos remain more accessible than online casinos
In the iGaming space, players and gamblers currently have a choice between these two types of casinos. However, what gives sweepstakes casinos the advantage is that they are vastly more accessible for the average player, which is why games like Chumba and Crown Coins now have millions of registered players. Unlike real money online casinos, which are legal only in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, CT, DE, RI and ME, sweepstakes casinos are accessible in 30 states.
The fact that sweepstakes casinos also offer identical games and a more player-friendly experience has tipped the scales massively in their favor in recent times. And with rapper Drake and streamers like Adin Ross actively pushing sweepstakes casinos on their social media platforms, these casinos will likely become bigger than ever in the coming years, despite recent state bans.
So, if you live in one of the 30 states that still remain casino-friendly, you can easily start playing today. We recommend playing with gold coins to start, as it’s free and will help you get used to the games available while gaining experience. Then, once your confidence has increased, you might want to start betting some Sweeps Coins and try to win prizes, which is what most players do now.
