Introduction

New sweepstakes casinos are being launched regularly, which isn’t surprising given that they allow players to enjoy casino gaming when they otherwise would not have been able to. What’s more, as players are not playing at a real-money casino, they do not have to spend any of their own money if they don’t want to.

New sweepstakes casinos are recently launched online casino platforms that let players enjoy casino-style games using virtual currencies instead of real money.

Sweepstakes casinos give players much greater flexibility than their real-money counterparts. This is because players can choose to play for fun using free-to-play currency that is typically referred to as Gold Coins, or for real money using what is typically referred to as Sweeps Coins.

As a general rule, each Sweeps Coin is worth $1 of real money, and must be wagered 1x to be eligible for a redemption. Although exact thresholds may vary, the latest sweepstakes casinos typically align with more established sweepstakes casinos by requiring players to have at least 100 eligible Sweeps Coins to make a redemption request.

Despite sharing some similarities with established casinos, new sweepstakes casinos typically differ significantly. As we’ll cover later, this has its share of both benefits and drawbacks.

Some of the most common differences between new sweepstakes casinos and established ones are as follows.

Bonuses

The contrast in bonuses is clear from the outset. New sweepstakes casinos are aware that the market is rapidly becoming increasingly competitive, and so they must stand out from the start.

To this end, they tend to offer larger incentives to draw in new players, both in the form of no deposit bonuses and first purchase bonuses. However, the latest sweepstakes casino launches may also offer alternative features that aren’t commonly available at established casinos, such as a Coins top up feature that allows players to keep the fun going even after they’ve run out of currency.

On the other hand, more established casinos have opted for a model that prioritizes longevity by spacing the rewards out over a longer period of time. This may take the form of a measured Daily Login bonus that keeps players coming back for more, as well as a tiered VIP Program that rewards players with tangible benefits the higher they climb the ladder.

Games

The contrast between new and established sweepstakes casinos also shows when looking at the games offering.

Typically, more established casinos will offer larger libraries, but these are more likely to stick to established categories that have proven their popularity. Slots are a mainstay at virtually every casino regardless of age, but those who check out new sweepstakes casinos are more likely to find niche games such as Crash, Plinko, and Mines, that allow these businesses to offer a different experience that may otherwise come across as repetitive.

Banking

Finally, the contrast between new and established sweepstakes casinos also shows when looking at the range of banking options.

More established sweepstakes casinos tend to offer a more limited selection that is usually confined to debit cards like Visa and Mastercard and Bank Transfers. In contrast, new sweepstakes casinos are more likely to offer an expanded range of options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and Cryptocurrencies. Consequently, players at these casinos can expect faster processing times, allowing them to enjoy their winnings much sooner.

Although there are multiple areas that we consider when weighing up how a new sweepstakes casino performs, there are some areas that take precedence.

While the latest sweepstakes casino launches may not have a reputation yet, this is true of any newly-created business. However, there are areas that we expect to see covered from all sweepstakes casinos, regardless of age.

If a sweepstakes casino doesn’t address the following areas, it is a good idea to look elsewhere.

Operated By a Registered Company

As they operate under a different framework to their real-money counterparts, sweepstakes casinos don’t require a license to operate.

However, that doesn’t absolve them of all legal responsibility. They still need to be owned by a legitimate and registered business. As such, you should be able to find the company’s legal information in the website footer.

This should be readily available, so if you can’t find this, it’s a good idea to look elsewhere.

Games From Well-Known Providers

Many players worry that new sweepstakes casinos might offer rigged games, which is perfectly understandable. Fortunately, this is easy to avoid, as only playing at websites that offer games from leading iGaming providers is a very effective way to minimize your chances of playing at a rigged site.

These software providers are bound to strict licensing conditions, and their games are independently tested to ensure that outcomes are completely random. What’s more, casinos are unable to manipulate games that weren’t developed in-house, so there’s no chance of a rogue casino being able to manipulate an honest games developer’s productions for its own benefit.

By looking for trusted games developers, players can be assured that the games themselves are completely fair.

Secure Payment Methods

To ensure your financial information is kept as safe as possible, it’s best to stick to new sweepstakes casinos that provide the most secure payment methods, like Visa, Mastercard, and Bank Transfers.

Responsive Customer Support

Customer support is a cornerstone of any online casino, and all businesses should enable their customers to get in touch with the support in as many ways as they can manage.

However, dodgy sweepstakes casinos that see their customers as wallets to be drained will often make this as difficult as possible.

To this end, it’s essential to look for sweepstakes casinos that make it easy to get in touch and also ensure you get a response as quickly as possible.

Encryption & Privacy Policy

Ensuring your information is kept secure when online is essential. A legitimate new sweepstakes casino takes their commitment to keeping your data secure very seriously, and will ensure they employ the right protections to safeguard your personal and financial details.

Before you sign up, it’s a good idea to check the casino’s privacy policy to see what protections they have in place, and what they do with your data.

Complying With Sweepstakes Rules

Sweepstakes casinos may not be licensed, but they still need to comply with the rules attached to their business model. These include:

• Allowing free play. Sweepstakes casinos operate on a business model where spending money is optional. Legitimate sweepstakes casinos should provide players with a steady supply of both Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins through their bonus selection.
• Completing KYC (Know Your Customer) checks to ensure players who sign up are of legal age.
• Geo-blocking users from restricted states. Different states have varying levels of restrictions on sweepstakes casinos. It’s on the casinos to ensure that players aren’t able to circumvent state restrictions and create an account.
• Not selling Sweeps Coins. As Sweeps Coins can be exchanged for Gift Cards and Cash Prizes, they can’t be sold outright. These should only be made available through bonuses, or as part of a Gold Coins bundle purchase.

Responsible Gaming Tools

Sweepstakes casinos may not be legally required to offer Responsible Gambling tools, but they still should as a matter of principle.

Fortunately, many sweepstakes casinos do. Common restrictions include purchase limits on Gold Coins, playing time limits, and the ability to temporarily or even permanently self-exclude.

Playing at new sweepstakes casinos is generally an enjoyable experience, as the casinos are able to offer a fresh experience that differs from older, more established sweepstakes websites.

However, new sweepstakes casinos also inevitably contain their share of drawbacks. As such, we have decided to compile a list of the most common advantages and disadvantages, so you know what to expect.

Pros

Newer Games

New casino games are being launched regularly, and new sweepstakes casinos are more likely to offer fresh releases. This helps these casinos to stand out from the competition, which goes a considerable way in attracting new customers.

Crypto Support

Although this is not always the case, new sweepstakes casinos are more likely to accept cryptocurrencies as a valid payment method, as the team behind each new casino will likely have done their research and realized that cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly popular in the online casino industry.

Better Welcome Bonuses

New sweepstakes casinos are aware that they need to stand out from the competition to have any chance of surviving, so will tempt players in by offering bonuses that are often better than many more established casinos.

This applies to all players regardless of whether they choose to spend money or not. Although first purchase bonus incentives are offered to encourage players to spend money, new players can expect to receive generous no deposit bonuses at new casinos as well.

Wider Games Variety

Standard casino games are a staple of many sweepstakes casinos, but many players are also beginning to look for the opportunity to enjoy something else. Newer sweepstakes casinos are aware of this, and as such they are more likely to offer games from a wider selection of games categories, such as Instant Win games and Arcade games.

By extension, this also means that newer casinos are more likely to offer games from unique software providers.

Faster Redemptions

Slow redemptions are an unfortunate drawback of many sweepstakes casinos, and newly launched casinos are aware of this.

As this is a common problem, new sweepstakes casinos are in a much better position to offer fast redemptions, bringing them more in line with the standard processing times of their real-money counterparts.

Cons

Smaller Games Library

Despite showing ambition, the latest sweepstakes casino launches will unfortunately likely be unable to offer a big selection.

New casinos typically do not have the infrastructure to support as many games as more established casinos on their websites.

Limited Track Record

As with any newly launched business, the latest sweepstakes casinos may initially struggle to attract new players as they don’t have a reputation yet.

They may be a trustworthy business, but prospective players will still be more likely to go for sweepstakes casinos that have a proven track record of being trustworthy.

User Experience Issues

New sweepstakes casinos are considerably more likely to have issues that need ironing out post-launch. As there is so much that needs to be done, it is more likely for potential issues to slip through the cracks.

These include the potential for a buggy user interface, minor cosmetic issues that make the website look less professional, and delays with getting customer support issues resolved.

Finally, although new sweepstakes casinos showcase ambition to offer mobile casino customers as seamless an experience as possible, many of them are typically not able to offer mobile apps straight away.

Although these issues are easy fixes, it is still something that players should be mindful of when examining the latest sweepstakes casino launches.