What Is Sweepstakes Poker?
This is simply where you play poker games with virtual credit rather than your own money. As such, there is no real money gambling involved when you play sweeps poker. The good news is that you can always play sweepstakes poker for free and you might even be able to redeem some real money prizes. Don’t forget to check out my
guide to online sweepstakes
for more about how these gaming platforms work.
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Pros and Cons of Playing Sweepstakes Poker
Before you rush to join the first sweeps platform you see, be sure to weigh up these pros and cons first:
- Play for free
- Legal in most US states
- Redeem real world prizes
- Good range of poker games
- Don't directly win real money
The Legality of Playing Sweepstakes Poker in the US
So the good news is that sweepstakes poker is largely legal in the majority of states across the US. This is possible due to the following reasons:
- No real money gambling:
You don't gamble with real money at sweeps poker sites. Instead you will be playing with two forms of virtual credit called Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins.
- Play for free:
All sweepstakes poker platforms are legally obliged to let you enter their sweepstakes for free.
- No deposits:
You cannot make deposits at sweeps poker sites but you can make one-off purchases of Gold Coins.
- Redeem prizes:
You don't directly win money at sweeps poker platforms but can redeem real world prizes if you play with Sweepstakes Coins.
- Differing age limits:
You might be able to play at some sweeps poker platforms from just 18 years old which is quite a difference from the standard 21 years at most real money gambling sites.
Helping You Find the Best Sweepstakes Poker Sites
I’ve taken three great brands from my
list of sweepstakes casinos
to give you a good idea of what you should be looking for in these kinds of sites. Here’s a quick introduction to these brands:
Stake.us - Stunning Reinvention of Poker
Pros & Cons
- Available in 40+ states
- Generous welcome offer
- Excellent Stake Poker game
- Redeemable real world prizes
I simply had to include Stake.us in this shortlist as it has just launched its own Stake Poker game. This offers a refreshing reinvention of poker in that it is wonderfully simple to play yet capable of serving up some generous multipliers. Plus the fact that this poker game is part of the Stake Originals series means that it has a seriously competitive house edge.
There’s plenty more to enjoy about Stake.us as its site features hundreds of slots from major developers, as well as everything from scratchcards to live dealer games. You can play all of these games for free and the brand will let you redeem a bunch of different prizes like cryptos, gift cards and merchandise.
Plus it’s worth noting that you can sign up to Stake.us right now and get an exclusive welcome offer that gives you 55 Stake Cash, 260,000 Gold Coins and 5% rakeback. Just note that you cannot play at this sweepstakes casino from the states of Vermont, New York, Michigan, Kentucky, Idaho, Nevada or Washington.
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Wow Vegas - Simply an Excellent Sweeps Casino
Pros & Cons
- Huge sign up offer
- Legal in 46 states
- Over 1,200 casino games
- Redeemable cash prizes
This sweepstakes casino is currently a little lacking in terms of poker games, but that’s sure to change because Wow Vegas is a great place to play. After all, you can sign up here from most states except Washington, Nevada, Idaho, or Michigan and enjoy well over 1,200 slot games. These include plenty of jackpot and Megaways slots, and the fact that they come from acclaimed developers like Betsoft and Habanero will mean that you get nothing but quality gameplay.
Signing up to Wow Vegas for the first time gives you a typically generous welcome offer. It’s a deal that gives you 1,750,000 Wow Coins as well as 35 Sweepstakes Coins. Just so you know, those Wow Coins are used to play for fun, while it is the Sweepstakes Coins that can be used to redeem prizes like cash and merchandise. Other top things to know about this brand include the fact that it has 24/7 customer support as well as an excellent VIP program. Highly recommended.
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McLuck - One of the Best Sweepstakes Poker Apps
Pros & Cons
- Excellent Android app
- Over 1,200 casino games
- Top Texas hold’em game
- Real world prizes redeemable
There was no way that I was missing out McLuck from this shortlist either. After all, the brand has a quality game of Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker from Evoplay that you can play for free. Not only that but the site contains over 1,200 slots from major developers like NetEnt and Playson, and you can even visit its live casino to play titles like Gravity Blackjack and Auto Roulette.
Like all good sweepstakes casinos, you can legally play at McLuck for free from most of the US. The only exceptions are that the brand isn’t available in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Nevada, and Washington.
However, if you live in one of the legal states, you can sign up to McLuck and get a welcome offer of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweepstakes Coins. Those Sweepstakes Coins can be redeemed for either cash prizes or gift cards, and there’s a handy loyalty scheme available later on. Just don’t forget that McLuck has an excellent Android app, although I’m still waiting for its iOS app to be released.
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Different Kinds of Sweepstakes Poker to Enjoy
I’ve found that some sweepstakes platforms have literally dozens of poker variants, some will have just a few video poker options and some will have nothing at all. But here are some of the most common types of sweepstakes poker that I’ve come across:
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The good news is that there are hundreds of
social casino promo codes
out there and the majority of them can be used for sweepstakes poker. Here are just some of the deals that you might come across:
Welcome offers are deals you receive when signing up to a sweepstakes poker site for the first time. Expect to receive anything from free coins to rakeback.
Daily freeroll bonuses require you to log into your sweepstakes poker account every 24 hours to receive a daily amount of free credit.
Follow your favorite sweeps poker platform on social media for a good chance to receive lots of free coins to play with.
Reward programs are long-running promotions that typically provide you with free credit and other benefits based on the amount of time you spend playing at their sites.
More Things to Check for in All Good Sweepstakes Poker Sites
There are many factors that go into my pick of the
best online sweepstakes casino, and so here are some things to consider before picking your next sweepstakes poker platform:
- Payment methods:
You should be given access to a broad range of credit cards, debit cards, ewallets, bank transfers and even cryptos for purchasing Gold Coins.
- Customer support:
Each sweeps poker site should have 24/7 customer care that you can access via live chat, email, phone or social media.
- Terms and conditions:
You should find a page of terms and conditions that explains how the poker platform works and there should be a clear sweeps rules page too.
You’ll find it quick and easy to get started on all good sweepstakes poker sites. Here is a quick walkthrough guide for what you usually have to do:
- Visit any of the sweeps poker brands listed in the banners of this page
- Create your account by filling in the registration form
- Verify your identity by submitting some photo ID
- Get your welcome offer that gives you free coins
- Navigate to the poker game you want to play
- Load it up from your web browser
- Enter your stake and start playing
Simple Tips for Playing Sweepstakes Online Poker
Playing sweepstakes poker online is a lot of fun, but it’ll get a whole lot more enjoyable if you use these simple tips:
Find the best tournaments
The best sweeps poker sites have an extensive range of tournaments including some great sit and go’s, so be sure to shop around to find the contest with the lowest buy-ins, the best games and the easiest opponents.
You’re sure to find lots of daily freerolls at the top sweeps poker sites, and don’t forget to follow these brands on social media so that you can be first in line to get more free coins giveaways.
Just because you are playing with virtual credit doesn’t mean that you can afford to be careless with your gameplay. My advice here is to use the Gold Coins as a practice run and then use your Sweepstakes Coins in small amounts.
I’ve shown you that there are plenty of excellent sweepstakes gaming platforms that’ll let you play poker online from most parts of the US. So that whether you want to play Texas hold’em in a tournament or just want to kick back with a few rounds of video poker, you’ll be able to find exactly what you are looking for.
The key thing to remember is that more and more sweepstakes poker platforms are being launched each month, and this resource will be ranking and rating each of these new brands accordingly. So be sure to check back here and discover which sweepstakes poker sites you should be playing at.
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Sweepstakes Poker FAQ
💵 Can I Play Sweepstakes Poker for Real Money?
Not really. You can play sweepstakes poker with a kind of virtual credit called Sweepstakes Coins which you can then redeem for real money prizes. However, you cannot directly gamble with real money or win real money on sweepstakes poker sites.
💰 Can I Get a Sweepstakes Poker No Deposit Bonus?
You sure can because all sweepstakes poker sites have to let you play for free and they don’t have the facility to accept deposits. As such, every bonus at a sweepstakes poker platform is a no deposit bonus.
⚙️ How Do I Get a Sweepstakes Poker Login?
You will usually have to visit the sweepstakes poker site, fill in the registration form with your personal information and then verify your identity. After you’ve done that, you should be able to log into your account and start playing.
📱 Can I Download a Sweepstakes Poker App?
Sure, but the majority of sweepstakes gaming platforms prefer to have mobile-optimized sites rather than any apps. This means that you don’t have to download any software to enjoy some quality poker gameplay from the small screen.
🤔 Who Are the Best Sweepstakes Poker Sites?
It depends on what you are looking for and where you are playing from. However, Stake.us is probably the best option for poker fans across the US.
If you or someone you know is struggling to gamble responsibly, these free, confidential resources can help:
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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