You’re likely wondering whether sweepstakes casinos are legal where you live, and given the general confusion surrounding gaming laws across the US, you’ll need to have confidence in your sources.
To shed some light on the situation, I’ve put together this guide to the legal position surrounding sweepstakes gameplay for US players. And I’ve also picked out some top recommendations for you to explore, along with the details of restricted states, so you’ll know exactly what’s available in your region.
Find Out if Sweepstakes Casinos are Legal in Your State 2025
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in the US?
What is a sweepstakes casino, and why are so many of them available throughout most of the US? When you understand how these sites operate, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular, when real-money online casino games are restricted to a handful of states. But gambling laws only apply when you play games of chance with real money – so they’re not relevant here!
When you sign up for an account at a sweepstakes casino, you won’t be making any deposits into your gaming account, so your bankroll never needs to be exposed to any risk. All gameplay is powered by virtual gaming tokens, which come in two distinct types:
- Gold Coins (GC) – which are just for fun.
- Sweeps Coins (SC) – which hold the key to real prizes.
You can look forward to an introductory bonus of free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins when you register for an account, backed up by regular bonuses to keep your gaming wallet topped up. You can even buy more Gold Coins, although no purchase is necessary at any of these sites. There’s no option for buying any more Sweeps Coins though, but these promotional tokens could eventually lead to real rewards. Fulfill your sweepstakes casino playthrough requirements, and your SC winnings become redeemable for rewards including digital gift cards, cash and even cryptocurrency, depending on which site you sign up to.
| Attribute | Gold Coins | Sweeps Coins |
|---|---|---|
| Awarded with introductory bonus | âś… | âś… |
| Ongoing bonuses and promotions | âś… | âś… |
| Mail-in bonuses | ❌ | ✅ |
| Purchase option available | ✅ | ❌ |
| Redeem winnings for real prizes | ❌ | ✅ |
Top sweepstakes recommendations suitable for all types of players
Here at WIN.gg we believe in making life as easy as possible, so you’ll find comprehensive reviews and guides to ensure you make fully informed decisions about where to play your casino favorites. There’s a lot of choice, so I’ve picked out the following sites to share with you, along with a rundown of the restricted states for each one, so you can easily see what’s available where you live.
I’ve made sure to include something to suit every type of gaming fan, so whether you’re an experienced blackjack player or a newbie slot spinner, there’s something here that you’re sure to love. I’ve added a brief rundown for each site, but you can also check out the full reviews on these pages if you’re looking for more information, such as payment methods, redemption times and the overall sweepstakes casino RTP. This is only a small selection of what’s available, so as you can see, there really is something for everyone!
RealPrize – Fun, casual gameplay from top software studios
RealPrize is one of the latest sites to join the ranks of sweepstakes casinos that are legal across most of the US, giving the chance to play top slots without risking your bankroll. This is an option that’s perfectly suited to casual, social gameplay, with plenty of fun tournaments, giving you the chance to make your way up the various leaderboards.
There’s no live casino, at least for the time being, and only a few traditional casino-style games, but there’s absolutely no shortage of slots, from developers such as Relax Gaming and Booming Games. This is a site that’s highly active on social media channels too, which is a great way of picking some free Coins thanks to the regular contests and giveaways.
CrownCoins Casino – A new kid on the social casino block for slots fans
CrownCoins hasn’t been around for long, so it’s less well-known than my other suggestions, but it’s still worth a look if you enjoy playing slots. There’s nothing in the way of traditional casino games on the site, but two recent additions – PlinCrown and CrownMiner are based on Plinko and Mines respectively, giving the chance to enjoy some cutting-edge gameplay without putting your bankroll on the line.
New it may be, but CrownCasino has launched with a VIP program in place, offering extra benefits as you progress through the levels. Everyone gets to claim a daily and monthly bonus, but making your way up through the VIP tiers will result in special rewards on your birthday, and extra freebies every time you level up. There’s even a rakeback feature, known as Coinback, which gives high-level VIP players extra chances to claim some free spins.
Golden Hearts Games – Slots, instant wins and multiplayer bingo games
As one of the more longstanding legit sweepstakes casinos available throughout most of the US, Golden Hearts Games has undergone quite a few changes over the years. This is a site that’s perfect for whenever you have some downtime, with plenty of fast-paced games, including a couple of Bingo Rooms that are open around the clock, offering a fun and sociable experience.
There’s the chance to play a couple of variants of blackjack and video poker, but there are no live casino games – although the bingo rooms are definitely the next best thing! There are no reward programs, but that most certainly doesn’t mean there’s any shortage of freebies, with daily login bonuses, spins on the Bonus Wheel and unlimited friend referrals available.
Stake.us – An authentic casino-style experience for all types of players
If there’s one online gaming site guaranteed to have you questioning whether sweepstakes casinos are legal, it’s Stake.us. But don’t worry – even though the site looks and feels like a high-roller gaming site, the games are all completely free to play using Gold Coins or bonus Stake Cash. And if you input SOCIALWINGG as you sign up for a new player account, you’ll be able to hit the ground running by helping yourself to 560,000 Gold Coins, 56 Stake Cash and 5% rakeback to keep your account topped up.
Stake.us is another long-established social casino, and continues to be a big hit with all sorts of gamers, thanks to its mobile-first design and high-quality games – including a collection of blockchain-inspired exclusives. There’s a thriving live social casino, as well as an ever-changing collection of slot races and tournaments to compete in, with some huge Coin prizes to be shared between the players who top the leaderboards.
Check whether my recommended sweepstakes casinos are legal in your state
I’ve added the following table to highlight the states that don’t currently permit residents to sign up and play at each of my suggested sites. Things can change quickly when it comes to state regulations though, so I recommend checking the terms of service of your preferred sites, to confirm their availability in your region.
| Sweepstakes Casino | Restricted States |
|---|---|
| RealPrize | ID, MI, NV, WA, MT, CT, & NY |
| CrownCoins Casino | ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, & WA |
| Golden Hearts Games | ID, MI, MT, NV, & WA |
| Stake.us | CT, DE, ID, NV, NJ, NY, KY, LA, MD, MI, MT, PA, RI, VT, WA, & WV |
Sweepstakes casinos are legal in just about every state
The general rule of thumb is that most states are happy to permit sweepstakes gameplay, with just a few exceptions. Washington and Idaho tend to have some of the strictest regulations, along with Nevada, surprisingly enough. But the situation could change at any time, which is why it’s so important to stay up to date with each site’s sweepstakes rules and terms of service.
Keep checking back here at WIN.gg to find out which sweepstakes casinos are legal where you live, and discover how to make the most of your time on them too. Our guides and reviews cover everything from the games you can play through the various sweepstakes casino redemption time limits, and a whole lot more besides. With all due diligence checks undertaken on your behalf, and with a wealth of information at your fingertips, you’re already halfway to an enjoyable and entertaining free-to-play gaming session – and with potential for redeeming some real prizes too!
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Simon Day
Simon has been writing about Gaming and Sports for over a decade, with his work featured in a variety of well-known gaming magazines. This year, he joined win.gg as an Editorial Specialist, where he continues to share his passion for the industry through insightful and well-crafted content pieces.
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