Sweepstakes casinos appear to be launching with increasing frequency, and LuckyStake is no exception. With so much competition, standing out from the crowd is vital. LuckyStake knows this, as shown by the fact that it already offers more than 500 games that cover Slots, Table Games, Live Casino games, and Crash games.

The welcome bonus of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins showcases that LuckyStake wants to ensure its players get a feel for the games library before they spend anything. It’s not the biggest welcome offer we’ve seen, but it’s a solid size that entices players in without giving away too much in one go.

While LuckyStake’s games selection and new player bonus make a strong impression, they are not enough on their own for us to recommend the casino as a viable option overall. With that being said, in this review we’ll break down how LuckyStake performs across a variety of essential areas to determine if it is a viable option in the industry.

Licensing and Legal Compliance

LuckyStake operates under sweepstakes laws rather than a gambling license, which is standard for this type of casino.

However, its availability is fairly restricted, as it is unavailable in Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York, Utah, and Washington.

In line with the industry average, LuckyStake requires players to be at least 18 to set up an account.

Score: 15/20

Encryption and Security

The LuckyStake website uses SSL encryption to keep player information and transactions safe. It’s the same security standard used by most casinos, so players can rest assured that their information is safe.

Score: 20/20

Reputation & Customer Reviews

LuckyStake may be new, but it has already made a solid first impression on players, as evidenced by its average Trustpilot score of 3.7 stars based on over 190 reviews.

Granted, there may not be that many reviews, but the signs are definitely promising.

Score: 20/40

General Terms

At the beginning, the T&Cs regarding Sweeps Coins were as we expected. All Sweeps Coins must be wagered at least once to become redeemable, and each token is worth $1 of real money.

However, the redemption amount depends on the method you choose. Players can redeem Gift Cards with just 10 Sweeps Coins, although this rises to 50 Sweeps Coins for Prepaid Cards, and 100 eligible Sweeps Coins for Cash Prizes.

The redemption times are surprisingly solid, with Gift Cards and Prepaid Card redemptions being completed instantly, while Bank Transfers typically take between 3 and 5 days.

Score: 17/20

Final Trust & Safety Score: 72/100

Welcome Bonus

LuckyStake’s new player bonuses are solid, starting with the respectable no deposit bonus of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins we mentioned earlier.

Once this has been used up, new players have the option to purchase 50,000 Gold Coins and 25 Sweeps Coins for $9.99. This first purchase bundle balances value and affordability very well, so we would definitely encourage you to make use of it if you’re looking for a shortcut and don’t mind spending a bit of money to do so.

Score: 20/30

Ongoing Promotions

The existing player bonuses appear to be a work in progress, but LuckyStake is still able to offer existing players a number of staples in the form of a Daily Login bonus, a Mail-In bonus, and a Referral bonus.

The Daily Login bonus reward might not start out that great, but it’s worth putting in the effort. Logging in for 7 days straight will see you obtain the maximum 7,500 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins. Taken together with the prizes you would have accumulated along the way, you could easily see your account balance grow with a bit of patience.

For its part, the Mail-In bonus of 2 Sweeps Coins doesn’t look that great at first, but again, it could easily pay off if you’re patient enough. There is no limit to how many Mail-In bonuses you can request, so this is a handy way to keep the premium currency coming in, even if it takes a while to be credited.

Finally, LuckyStake offers a Referral bonus of 50,000 Gold Coins and 25 Sweeps Coins for each referral. Although this looks very appealing, the high spending limit takes a considerable amount of the shine off. You may be able to make as many referrals as you like, but it’s unlikely that any of them will spend the $100 you need to unlock this reward.

Score: 17/25

Loyalty Program

At present, LuckyStake doesn’t offer a VIP Program to its players.

Score: 0/25

Wagering Terms and Conditions

The wagering terms and conditions were as we expected. All Sweeps Coins are worth 1 USD and must be wagered at least once to become eligible for redemption.

On top of this, the maximum redemption amount is $10,000 per day, which is the usual standard we’re used to. Florida has a lower limit that is capped at $5,000, which is in line with the state’s restrictions.

Score: 20/20

Final Bonuses and Promotions Score: 57/100

Deposit Methods

LuckyStake’s range of payment options is restrictive, but not in the way we predicted. Interestingly, players actually have more options in terms of redemptions than they do for deposits.

Players can only deposit with Visa and Mastercard, although the casino does somewhat make up for this with the 8 different Gold Coins bundles available. These range from just $1.99 to $999.99, so LuckyStake is able to provide something for all players.

The $1.99 bundle might not come with a Sweeps Coins bonus attached, but we expected this given its ridiculously cheap price point.

Score: 16/20

Withdrawal Methods

Redemptions at LuckyStake offer slightly more scope than deposits, with Gift Cards and Cash Prizes both available, with the latter being supported via Prepaid Cards and Bank Transfers.

Of course, how many Sweeps Coins you need depends on the method you use. Gift Cards have a very low 10 Sweeps Coins minimum, Prepaid Cards require 50 Sweeps Coins, and finally, Bank Transfers have the highest requirement at 100 Sweeps Coins, although this is in line with the industry standard.

Whichever method you choose, the wait times are better than we’ve become used to. As we covered earlier, redeeming Gift Cards and Cash Prizes to a Prepaid Card is instant, while a Bank Transfer takes between 3 and 5 days to complete. The waiting time for Bank Transfers might not sound great, but we’ve encountered much longer waits than this.

The only caveat to this is that mandatory KYC checks may slow down your first redemption request. These are quite strict, as players need to submit an image of their photo ID, a selfie, and proof of address.

Score: 18/25

Transaction Security and Fairness

The transactions are kept secure thanks to the SSL encryption software the casino uses, and each of the banking methods has its own security provisions in place for further protection.

The 1x wagering requirement is also in line with the industry standard, so players can rest assured that the casino is playing fair.

Score: 25/25

Final Payment and Transaction Methods Score: 59/70

Website Design & Navigation

LuckyStake has paid a lot of attention to the usability of its website, as shown by the fact that there are plenty of shortcuts to get around smoothly.

Of course, getting around the games library is the most important part of an online casino, and LuckyStake has aimed to stand out from the crowd. Despite following the standard website design, the casino allows you to save your favorite games, and also to view your most recent ones. This is a nice touch, especially for players who know what they’re after. We all have our favorites, so the fact that the casino acknowledges this sets it apart from much of the competition.

Yet, while the user experience is smooth overall, it’s not as polished as it could be. Sometimes the games don’t load as quickly as we expect, and we couldn’t help but notice that the games library is missing a number of filters as well.

Score: 18/25

Mobile Gaming

Although the casino works just as well on mobile devices as it does on a computer, LuckyStake doesn’t have any mobile apps to offer to customers.

Although we can give the casino some leeway here as it’s very new, we were still disappointed to see that it had launched without this feature, as many mobile casino players have come to expect this regardless of how old the online casino is.

Score: 14/20

Customer Support

Players can contact support by emailing support@luckystake.com or by using the Live Chat feature. Of the two, Live Chat predictably offers the fastest reply times, taking an average of just 15 minutes when we put it to the test. It might not be instant, but it’s much faster than some other casinos we’ve encountered.

We also have to give LuckyStake credit for making the Live Chat feature available to all players. We’ve encountered casinos where this essential feature is paywalled, which is simply not on. It’s not just wrong, it goes against the whole point of not spending money unless you want to, which is the premise that sweeps casinos are built on.

We should note here that LuckyStake maintains social media channels for general communication, but these are not official support lines. So if you need help, you’re better off sticking to the email and Live Chat channels.

The solid FAQ section no doubt plays a part in the quick response times, as it covers a range of basics that mean that newcomers don’t have to turn to the support team straight away.

Score: 23/30

Responsible Gaming Measures

LuckyStake’s Responsible Gambling tools cover Purchase Limits and temporary self-exclusion.

When we tested out the website, we only found the option for Daily Purchase Limits, although this should be enough to keep most players’ spending in control.

Players who need a short break from playing can temporarily self-exclude for 7, 14, or 30 days, while players who need more serious help can self-exclude for at least 6 months. Should players fall into this category, it may be a good idea to seek external help as well.

These tools cover the basics, but we would really like to see LuckyStake allow players to access these tools by themselves. For now, it seems as though the casino doesn’t properly trust its players.

Score: 20/25

Final User Experience and Customer Support: 75/100

LuckyStake may be new, but it has definitely made a solid first impression, with a diverse games library, fast redemptions, and solid customer support that ensures players get their issues resolved in a timely manner.

Granted, the casino is in need of significant improvements, most notably its restrictive banking options, the lack of a mobile app, and the comparative lack of bonuses when compared to other sweeps casinos.

However, these are easy fixes, and they don’t change the fact that LuckyStake gets enough right for us to recommend it as a solid option for sweepstakes casino enthusiasts.