Sweepstakes Blackjack - the basics
Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games of all time, next to roulette and maybe baccarat. We’ve all seen it featured in movies and TV shows, and it’s often associated with the glitz and glam of the gaming world. Sweepstakes blackjack is essentially an online variant of this game, and serves as a superb alternative to real money blackjack, if real money gaming isn’t available in your state.
What is sweepstakes blackjack?
Sweepstakes blackjack is simply any blackjack game available at US sweepstakes casinos. At
social casinos, instead of using real money, you play using virtual currencies, which are typically Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
Gold Coins are for fun only and have no other function except being used for gameplay, whereas Sweeps Coins are usually redeemable for cash prizes. You have to meet redemption requirements such as having a minimum SC balance, verifying your ID, and meeting bonus SC playthrough requirements. BOTH virtual currencies can be used to play blackjack, and you then have the chance to get GC or SC prizes back in return.
Different versions of blackjack at sweepstakes casinos
When you sign up for a sweepstakes casino, you’ll quickly see that there are often multiple variants of blackjack available. It’s important to understand the differences as they can affect gameplay or give you extra opportunities. We’ve listed some of the most common variants in the table below:
| Sweepstakes Blackjack Variant |
Details |
| Multihand |
You can play more than one hand during each round played. |
| Single Hand |
You can only ever play with one hand at a time. |
| European |
The dealer only gets one face up card before you play your hand out. |
| American |
The dealer gets a face up card and face down card before you play your hand out. |
| Single Deck |
Only one deck of 52 playing cards is used (it’s usually 6-8 decks). |
| With Side Plays |
The game has optional side plays where you can get additional prizes based on your card combinations, such as pairs or dealer bust. |
Pros and cons of sweepstakes blackjack
Now, online blackjack isn’t perfect. Overall, it’s a fun game with some of the best potential for strategy out of all the table games. However, there are some potential drawbacks, like not being able to play for real money and the learning curve. We’ve reflected these thoughts in the pros and cons:
Pros and Cons
- Live and single player versions
- High average RTP of over 99%
- More strategy and skill involved
- Fun multiplayer gameplay
- Fast-paced rounds
- No real money gameplay
- Steeper learning curve
How to get started to play sweepstakes blackjack
If you want to give one of our recommended
sweepstakes casinos
a try and play blackjack, you must create an account. This is an incredibly simple process, and in most cases, you should be able to get up and running in minutes. The registration process usually includes the following steps:
-
Tap our social casino links and banners to open your chosen site.
-
Find and click on the sign up button.
-
Follow the registration instructions
-
Enter a promo code if needed
-
Accept any site terms and conditions
-
Verify your email if needed
-
Verify your ID if needed
-
Log in to your new account
This is the process at 99% of US social casinos - the only differences you’ll find are when you need to verify your ID, and if you need to enter promo codes for the welcome bonus. For instance, at Stake.us, you can use our DIMERS to get an exclusive 560,000 Gold Coin, 56 Stake Cash, and 5% rakeback welcome bundle.
With your account created and your welcome bonus obtained, it’s then a case of browsing the game categories. The best way to find the blackjack games is to use the search function if one is available. Just click on the search box, type in blackjack, and you should see all the variants the site has.
Playing your first game of sweepstakes blackjack
Now comes the most exciting part of all - playing your first game of sweepstakes blackjack. It’s actually a simple process to get started with your first game, and we think that you’ll most likely take more time learning the optimum playing strategy. To play online blackjack, you can do the following:
-
Open the sweepstakes blackjack game.
-
Read the game rules.
-
Choose your virtual currency playing amount
-
Play through your hand
-
Rinse and repeat
-
Step 6 content goes here
Now, the “play through your hand” section varies depending on the version of blackjack you are playing. However, in most cases, you will be dealt two face up cards, and the dealer a single face up card, and a face down card.
You must then choose what to do based on the cards you have, and the face up card the dealer is showing, and in most games you can do the following:
- Hit:
Get another card.
- Stick:
Stick with your current hand value.
- Double:
Double your play value and take one more card only.
- Split:
Turn a pair of cards (such as two Aces) into two separate hands.
Typically, you’ll play through your hand until you either stick with your total or bust (which means you went over 21), and then the dealer will play out their hand. You’ll then compare your scores, and if you get higher than the dealer, you win; if you get lower, the dealer wins, and if you bust, it’s an automatic loss. You then repeat this process for as many rounds as you want to play.
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Tips for playing sweepstakes blackjack
Blackjack is more complex compared to other table games and video slots and you will have a learning curve. To give you a starting point, we’ve used our knowledge to give you some introductory tips.
🎴 Learn the 'optimum' playing strategy
If you want to be effective at playing sweepstakes blackjack, you have to be willing to learn the “optimum” playing strategy. This essentially involves a range of moves that you should and shouldn’t do, based on what cards are shown. This is a relatively in-depth strategy, but to start, we think these are the most important rules that you should remember and play by:
- Always double if your first two cards equal 11.
- If your cards equal 17 or more, always stand.
- If your cards equal 16 or less, and the dealer is showing 7 or more, always hit.
- If your cards equal 16 or less, and the dealer is showing 6 or less, always stand.
- Never split pairs of tens or picture cards (Jack, Queen, King).
- Always split a pair of aces.
- Always split a pair of eights.
By using these rules, you should already be able to make decent potential strides in your sweepstakes blackjack gameplay. There are then other things you can learn, such as when to double with other card combinations, and what you should do when you have a soft total (i.e., your first two cards feature at least one ace). These are more advanced rules though, and you should at least get the basics sorted first.
🎁 Make use of all the available promos and bonuses
Sweepstakes casinos like Stake.us, McLuck, and WOW Vegas are bursting with promotions for both new and existing customers, and we recommend staying active and looking at the different bonuses you can get. In most instances, a social casino will have the following:
- Welcome bonus of GC and SC for new customers.
- Discounted optional GC packages.
- Mail-in bonus for additional SC.
- Daily login bonus of GC and SC.
- Referral schemes to invite your friends.
- Email promos.
- Social media contests and giveaways.
- VIP or loyalty programs.
In most cases, the more active you are, the more virtual currencies you can get to enjoy sweepstakes blackjack with!
⏳ Keep your playing sessions short
We advocate responsible social gaming, and we think that due to the intense nature of blackjack games and the fast-paced action, it’s advisable to only ever play for sessions of 15 minutes or less. Generally, the longer you play, the less focused you become. We’ve also found that sometimes your decision making process can become more erratic. So, keep your play short and sweet so you can stay in control, remain focused, and play effectively.
📈 Adjust your play amount depending on the flow
As you start playing sweepstakes blackjack, you’ll learn that the games often have peaks and troughs. You can go through periods where you’re getting all the good cards and things are looking great. However, you can then go through patches where the dealer seems to be getting everything their way. The key here is to adjust your virtual currency playing amounts to match these ebbs and flows. When the dealer is getting everything, lower your play amount. Then, when things look to be swinging your way, increase it back to your original play value.
🎲 Use side plays and other features sparingly
Side plays are where you can make additional plays with your virtual currencies on set outcomes, such as the dealer busting, or you getting a poker hand. These can look incredibly tempting, but they can also be a quick way to drain your virtual currency balance. Generally, we only recommend using them when you can make side plays with a lower amount than your main hand play. For example, if there’s a 5 SC minimum hand limit, we’d only use side plays if you could make them with 1 SC per side play.
Five top sites to play sweepstakes blackjack at today
We want you to be able to jump straight into the action and give this amazing game a try for yourself, and with that in mind, we’ve used our experience and knowledge to give you the 5 best blackjack sweepstakes casinos currently available:
| Social Casino |
Welcome Bonus |
Live Blackjack |
Single Player Blackjack |
| WOW Vegas |
250,000 WC and 5 SC |
Yes |
No |
| Stake.us |
560k GC, 56 SC, 5% rakeback |
Yes |
Yes |
| High5 Casino |
250 GC, 5 SC, 600 Diamonds |
Yes |
Yes |
| McLuck |
7,500 GC, 2.5 SC |
Yes |
Yes |
| Pulsz.com |
5,000 GC, 2.3 SC |
No |
Yes |
WOW Vegas - great for live dealer blackjack
WOW Vegas: Pros & Cons
- Solid No Deposit Bonus
- Great Bonus Variety
- Lots of Payment Methods
- No Table Games
- Lower Than Average Referral Bonus
First up, we have WOW Vegas which is a respected US sweepstakes brand. If you sign up using our links here, you’ll get an initial welcome bonus of 250,000 WOW Coins and 5 Sweeps Coins. You can then get a boosted daily login bonus spread across your first three days, which totals to a further 250,000 WOW Coins and 5 Sweeps Coins, which makes this one of the best welcome offers available. You’ll also find heaps of other promos at this site, including tournaments, mail-in bonuses, and daily prize wheels.
For blackjack, WOW Vegas offers live dealer variants from ICONIC21, and we’ve always found these to be immense fun. The tables are usually packed, and it’s entertaining to chat with the other players and the dealers. This social casino also has a huge slot collection, featuring games from developers like NetEnt, Booming Games, Fantasma, Habanero, and 3 Oaks Gaming.
Stake.us - Stake Originals blackjack for fast gameplay
Stake.us: Pros & Cons
- Highly Diverse Slots
- Huge No Deposit Bonus
- Exclusive Stake Originals Games
- High 3x Playthrough Requirement
- Crypto-Only Payment Methods
If you use the DIMERS promo code when you click our links and register an account with Stake.us, you’ll get one of the best currency cumulative welcome bonuses available at 560,000 Gold Coins, 56 Stake Cash, and a 5% rakeback. We’ve not seen a welcome bundle that beats this yet, but you also get other features like the 10,000 GC and 1 SC daily login bonus, the 5 SC mail-in bonus, and the bonus SC drops that can give you 5-10 SC each time.
The promos are legendary here, but so are the games, and we love that you can enjoy single player blackjack in the form of Stake Originals Blackjack, but also live dealer blackjack from both ICONIC21 and Live88. We prefer the Stake Originals Blackjack due to its simplistic graphics and fast-paced gameplay, but Gravity Blackjack from ICONIC21 is also easily one of the best live
sweepstakes games
available.
High5 Casino - great selection of single player blackjack games
High 5 Casino: Pros & Cons
- High 5 Exclusive Games
- Exclusive Diamonds Currency
- App for Android & iOS
- Limited Table Games
- FAQ Section Needs an Upgrade
High5 Casino has one of the largest game libraries available with over 2,000 casino-style games, and this includes both single player and live dealer variants. We’ve had loads of fun playing iconic table games here, and it’s made even better by the special Diamond virtual currency that you can potentially use to give yourself in-game boosts. Aside from the blackjack, High5Casino has one of the biggest slot collections available, including some in-house titles from their development team.
To enjoy these games, you can start off with a cracking welcome bonus of 250 Game Coins, 5 Sweeps Coins, and 600 Diamonds, which allows you to jump straight into the blackjack action. Next, you can do the daily harvest multiple times per day, which allows you to get additional Game Coins and Diamonds. This site also features an excellent referral bonus of up to 600 GC, 20 SC, and 600 Diamonds per person, and a VIP program that has 6 levels and offers loads of prizes and benefits.
McLuck - branded live dealer blackjack games
McLuck: Pros & Cons
- Growing Live Dealer Library
- Dedicated iOS and Android App
- Exclusive McJackpot with Huge Prizes
- Withdrawal Issues Reported
- Payment Options Could be Expanded
McLuck is another standout US social casino and if you use our
promo code
MCLUCKDIMERS when you register an account, you’ll get an exclusive welcome bonus of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins which is bang on the average for what we expect from sweepstakes casinos. After that, make sure that you log in at least once per 24 hours to get your daily login bonus of 1,500 GC and 0.20 SC. This social casino also has one of the better referral schemes where you can get up to 200,00 GC and 100 SC spread across your first 10 referrals.
When it comes to sweepstakes blackjack, McLuck features games from the well-known developer ICONIC21. They are famed for their live dealer games including the incredible Gravity Blackjack which is one of our favorite variants. The highlight for us though, are the McLuck-branded live dealer games which include live blackjack. You get the same live action, but the studio is branded with McLuck colors, themes, and decorations and it looks fantastic.
Pulsz Casino: Pros & Cons
- Android & iOS App Available
- Great Selection of Slots
- Lots of Payment Methods
- Limited Table Games
- No Promotions Page
Pulsz.com is one of the longest standing US sweepstakes casinos and it’s always been one of our favorites. If you use our links and give this site a try, you can get a welcome bonus of 5,000 Gold Coins and 2.3 Sweeps Coins. Not only that, but you should be able to get a daily login bonus of 1 SC, and join in loads of different tournaments and contests. There’s also the 5 SC mail-in bonus if you want to send off postcards.
For blackjack, Pulsz.com has single player variants in its arcade section and we’ve always had a blast playing. You can use your Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins, and from our testing, the game uses standard American blackjack rules and you have the option to play with multiple hands if you wish. Sadly, there isn’t live blackjack, but you can also enjoy hundreds of amazing video slots here, plus some awesome arcade games like Plinko and Mines.
Sign up and give sweepstakes blackjack a try
Sweepstakes blackjack remains one of the most popular social casino games. It’s fast-paced, there is an element of skill and understanding involved, and it has one of the highest RTP percentages from any casino game when you play using optimum strategy. Whether it’s fun live dealer action where you can interact with the dealer and other players, or single player games, we think you’ll get immense enjoyment from this iconic table game once you get used to the basic rules and strategies.
If you want to give it a try for yourself, we recommend doing a little reading, checking out our guide to sweepstakes games, and learning what is considered optimum blackjack gameplay. After that, you can use the links and banners we have featured on this page to sign up to one or more of our recommended blackjack sweepstakes casinos like Stake.us, McLuck, or High5 Casino.
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1.
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2.
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3.
200% Extra: 300,000 Gold Coins + 30 SC
4.
Get 200% More Coins on First Purchase - 1.5M CC + 75 SC
Wagering: 1x Bonus
5.
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Blackjack sweepstakes casinos FAQs
🤑 Can you win real money playing sweepstakes blackjack?
Not directly as you play the game using virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. At most social casinos like WOW Vegas and McLuck, you do have the chance to redeem your SC for cash prizes though, provided you have met the eligibility requirements.
🃏 What is the best online blackjack strategy?
The main strategy you need to use is to understand the basic rules of what to do and what not to do in different situations when playing online blackjack. As such, you should always try and make the optimum play in a given situation based on your cards and the dealer’s hand.
👥 Do you play against other players at online blackjack?
No. Other plays can play at the same table as you, however their score is independent of yours against the dealer. You could win a hand and beat the dealer’s score, while other players could still bust or get a lower score. Everyone plays their own game against the dealer within a game of online blackjack.
📍 Where is sweepstakes blackjack available?
This depends on the individual sweepstakes casino. Like real money sites, social casinos have varying state availability. Always check the terms and conditions or sweepstakes rules of one of our recommended sites to see where it is legal before attempting to sign up.
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by
Jason Bevilacqua
as part of our fact-checking process.
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