Real-money online casinos and sweepstakes casinos offer similar games and the chance to win cash prizes, but there are important differences to be aware of. In this post, I’ll explain the main differences between sweepstakes or social sites and their real-money counterparts across a few important categories.
Availability: where you can play
One of the biggest distinctions between real-money online casinos and sweepstakes casinos is where you’re allowed to play.
Only a few states offer real-money casinos with deposits and withdrawals. Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are the main markets. Connecticut and Delaware also have a few options.
Sweepstakes casinos, on the other hand, are available in most US states. The exact markets where a sweepstakes or social casino is available will vary by platform. Typically, sweepstakes casinos are accessible in most states with notable exceptions, commonly including Idaho, Washington State, Michigan, and Nevada. Our sweepstakes casino reviews specify which states allow and/or prohibit a given site.
Minimum age to play
Sweepstakes casinos typically allow anyone 18 or older to play. Select sites may have a higher limit, such as 21, but that’s rare.
Real-money online casinos almost always have a minimum age of 21.
In both cases, you are required to prove you are of legal age to play.
Real-money play vs. sweepstakes play
This is the big one, the main difference between these two types of online gaming.
At a real money online casino, you play with your actual money. Anything you win is withdrawable cash that you can send to your bank account or continue playing with. There’s no middle step for real money play.
Sweepstakes casinos have a different structure. They usually operate with two virtual currencies: Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins. The names and labels may vary, but the ideas remain. There’s always a standard currency used for fun and a premium currency that allows you to win prizes.
Gold Coins or their equivalent are available for purchase, and you can use them to enjoy sweepstakes games for fun. You can win more Gold Coins, but you can never cash them out or withdraw. They’re only useful within the sweepstakes casino’s games.
Premium currencies like Sweepstakes Coins are a second virtual coin type. These cannot be purchased. They’re usually granted bonuses when you buy Gold Coins or obtain them through special promotions, such as referrals. When you play with Sweepstakes Coins and win enough, you can redeem them for prizes. Some sweepstakes casinos allow you to request cash redemptions, while others allow gift cards or merch prizes.
Game libraries
Peruse the game library of any sweepstakes casino, and you’re likely to find a lot of the same developers. BGaming, Pragmatic Play, 3 Oaks Gaming, and RubyPlay are just a few you can expect to encounter. Real-money sites are more likely to have games from developers like NetEnt, Light & Wonder, IGT, Everi, and more.
Keep in mind you may see some overlap, so treat this as a general trend instead of a hard-and-fast rule.
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