Sportsgrid-Staff
Discover how sweepstakes casinos have changed the game
Play for free and win real prizes
Get an exclusive welcome offer at Stake.us
Sweepstakes casinos have completely reinvented the wheel when it comes to online gaming in the US. Why? There are several reasons, so let me show you…
Firstly, sweepstakes casinos allow you to play slots and other casino-style games using virtual currency instead of real money. As a result, they are distinctly different from traditional online casinos and are therefore more widely available in the US. Despite this, players still have the opportunity to win real money prizes through the “sweepstakes”, which I’ll explain in more detail.
Let’s begin with a quick but detailed explainer of what sweepstakes casinos are. Sweepstakes casinos are websites where you can play casino-style games using virtual currency, as opposed to a real money bankroll.
No actual gambling takes place on these sites, as you can never risk, win, or lose real money directly from gameplay. However, as I told you at the top of the article, there is still a way that you can potentially win real money prizes when playing on these sites.
Another key thing you should know about sweepstakes casinos is that they legally must allow you to play for free in the US. That being said, players can make optional purchases – as you will see below.
Most new sweeps casinos in the US operate using a dual virtual currency system. While the names of these two currencies differ on some sites, they are most commonly referred to as Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC).
Here’s a quick explainer showing how these two virtual currencies work:
Now that you have an understanding of how they work and have changed the game, let’s take a look at some of the best sweepstakes casinos with real money prizes in April 2025.
I’ve handpicked three US sweepstakes casinos for you based on several factors including welcome offers, game selection, prize redemptions, and more.
| Sweepstakes Casino | Welcome Offer | Promo Code | No. of Games | Best Slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PlayFame | 10,000 GC + 3 SC | N/A | 700+ | Release the Bison |
| Stake.us | 55 SC + 260k GC + 5% rakeback | ‘SPORTSGRID’ | 2,000+ | Scarab Spin |
| WOW Vegas | 250,000 WOW Coins + 5 SC | N/A | 1,200+ | Wild WOW Vegas |
Playfame is a bright and colorful US sweepstakes casino with an amazing selection of slots and other casino-style games. Just like at a “real” online casino, here you’ll find slots from quality software studios, including NetEnt, Relax Gaming, and Pragmatic Play.
When you first register, you will get 10,000 Gold Coins (GC) and 3 Sweepstakes Coins (SC) that you can use to start playing for free. If and when you make your first GC purchase, you can get a whopping 200% extra alongside a 30 SC free bonus.
As you can read about in my Stake.us review, this brand really defines modern sweepstakes casinos and is arguably the one that put the sweepstakes concept on the map. Here you will find a diverse selection of over 2,000 casino-style games, including slots, table games, live dealers, scratch-offs, and even a live poker room.
On top of that, this is one of the few sweepstakes casinos that has developed its own house-built provably fair games, known as Stake Originals. If you register today with our ‘SPORTSGRID’ promo code you can get an exclusive welcome offer, consisting of 55 SC + 260k GC + 5% rakeback.
WOW Vegas is a hugely fun sweepstakes casino with a great selection of slots, including many exclusive games. What’s also exclusive to this sweepstakes casino is the range of Paris Hilton x WOW Vegas promotions. My favorite is Pari’s Lucky 6, where you can win a share of 10,000 SC every week.
Before we get to all that, you can get up to 250,000 WOW Coins and 5 Sweeps Coins (SC) when you create your new account and get verified. Additionally, there’s a special first purchase promotion that gets you 1.5 million WOW Coins and 30 SC free for just $9.99. Check out my WOW Vegas review for more information.
The process differs at each online sweepstakes casino, but broadly speaking, this is how you can get started:
Another way that sweepstakes casinos are reinventing the social gaming world is through the slots and casino-style games that they provide. As I have explained, each of the three sites that I’ve recommended in this article has exclusive games that you won’t find anywhere else.
With this in mind, I’ve selected three unique sweepstakes casino slots (one from each recommended site) that you need to try out in April 2025. I’ve picked these based on multiple factors including the RTP, theme, quality of the provider, and more.
This wild animal-themed slot takes you on a treasure hunt, which almost becomes a game within a game. In the game, you play the role of a bison newly released into the wild and charging through a vast and rugged landscape.
The game is played on a 5×4 reel and is a high volatility slot with a maximum win of 3,000x and a 96.54% RTP. It is available at PlayFame and can be played using your GC or SC balance (just flick the toggle to choose).
I’d now like to tell you about some of the free spins and other bonus features, which I think are the highlights of this game:
This is the main bonus game that you can trigger by landing between three and five gem symbols in the base game. Once triggered, a bonus wheel will appear on the side to determine how many free spins you get (up to 18 max.). Additionally, a bison will charge across the grid, giving you the chance to win random multipliers and more free spins.
During the free spins mode, you can also hit random multipliers of 2x and 5x, which can potentially boost your total winnings. Once the free spins feature is activated, you have a whopping 4,096 ways to win.
Release the Bison is a slot by Pragmatic Play, which is a studio that supplies games to sweepstakes and traditional online casinos across the world. Given that many of you reading this may be new to sweepstakes casinos but familiar with sites that follow the traditional “real money” model, I think this game is ideal to bridge the gap.
| Feature | Stat |
|---|---|
| RTP: | 96.54% |
| Volatility rating: | High |
| Min. play per spin: | 25 GC / 0.20 SC |
| Free spins feature: | Yes ✅ |
| Other bonus features: | Yes ✅ |
Next up, we have an Ancient Egypt-themed slot by Stake Originals, the in-house software from Stake.us. However, it has quite a basic design with simple graphics, which is the trademark of all Stake Originals games.
The game has a classic 5×3 grid with symbols that include gemstones, a scorpion, and King Tut’s Mask. The volatility rating is medium and it has a very high RTP of 97.84%.
In the base game, King Tut’s Mask acts as a wild symbol that can be substituted for any regular symbol to complete a winning combo. If you land three scatter symbols (the “Scarab” beetle) you will trigger the free spins bonus games with 15 free spins to start you off.
During the free spins bonus game, you can win one of six special multipliers and three jackpots. This is where you can potentially hit the game’s maximum multiplier of 10,000x.
Scarab Spin is one of 19 Stake Originals and is unlike any other slots that you’ll find on other sweepstakes casinos. More importantly, its simplified graphics and basic gameplay make it ideal for beginners.
| Feature | Stat |
|---|---|
| RTP: | 97.84% |
| Volatility rating: | Medium |
| Min. play per spin: | 1.00 GC / 0.10 SC |
| Free spins feature: | Yes ✅ |
| Other bonus features: | Yes ✅ |
This video slot was made exclusively by Betsoft and is unapologetically Las Vegas-themed. You can expect bright neon lights, high-quality graphics, and classic fruit machine symbols. Essentially it’s a casino-style classic with a modern twist.
In true Vegas style, the game is played on a 5×3 grid and has an RTP of 94.17% and a medium volatility rating. The maximum win multiplier is 10,000x.
If you trigger the bonus feature, a Wheel of Fortune-style bonus game will appear. When you spin this, you can win random rewards, including additional multipliers of up to 500x.
You might not be able to venture out to Las Vegas for a real night at the casino anytime soon. However, I’d argue that WOW Vegas, and more specifically this slot, gives you the closest online experience.
| Feature | Stat |
|---|---|
| RTP: | 94.17% |
| Volatility rating: | Medium |
| Min. play per spin: | 10 GC / 0.10 SC |
| Free spins feature: | Yes ✅ |
| Other bonus features: | Yes ✅ |
To round things up, sweepstakes casinos function just like traditional online casinos. The key differences are that you play the slots using virtual currency instead of real money and that you can play for free.
While you cannot win real money directly from gameplay, or deposit and withdraw funds, you do have the chance to win and redeem real prizes. To do so, you must first meet the playthrough and minimum balance requirements.
If you decide to register at Stake.us today, don’t forget to register with our ‘SPORTSGRID’ bonus code. This is the only way to get your exclusive welcome offer, which consists of:
Top Sweepstakes Bonus of the Month!
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