Sweepstakes casinos don’t allow real-money deposits or withdrawals. Instead, they offer site-specific currency to comply with sweepstakes laws. This currency, usually called “coins,” can vary in name depending on the site, but they all work the same no matter the sweepstakes casino. Here’s a simple breakdown of how sweeps currency works.
Two Types of Coins
There are two types of sweepstakes casino currency:
- Social Coins: Usually called Gold Coins (GC), this currency allows players to enjoy the games and social components of the casino site. However, Gold Coins cannot be redeemed for a prize. For that reason, players get thousands of Gold Coins for signing up or making small purchases. Many social casinos are fun-play only and do not offer prizes.
- Sweepstakes Coins: Sweepstakes coins, usually simply called Sweeps Coins (SC), allow players to play the games for cash prizes and gift cards. The Sweeps Coins won on the games can be redeemed for a cash prize, typically with a value of 1 Sweeps Coin = $1. For example, if you win 100 Sweeps Coins playing a slot, you can redeem it for a $100 cash prize or gift card. All sweepstakes casinos credit new signups with free Sweeps Coins when they sign up for a free chance to win a cash prize, no purchase necessary.
Branded Coins
While Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins are the most common names for these coins, you’ll also come across branded coins, which are the same coins under a different name. Here are some of the most common examples:
- WOW Coins: WOW Vegas Casino’s version of social coins, which can’t be redeemed for a cash prize but can be used to play the games.
- Stake Cash: Stake.us Casino’s version of Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for a cash prize.
- Fortune Coins: Fortune Coins Casino’s version of Sweeps Coins that you can redeem for a cash prize or gift card.
More examples are out there, but these give you a good idea of how branded coins work.
Specialty Coins & Other Currencies
At some sweepstakes casinos, there are currencies that go beyond social coins and sweepstakes coins. For example, High 5 Casino has a third currency called Diamonds, which can be used to redeem free spins, multipliers, and other promotions. At Funzpoints Casino, players can spin a prize wheel for an entry into the prize pool, which rewards real US dollars as currency if it’s won.
How To Get Sweeps Currency
You cannot outright purchase Sweeps Coins. Instead, Sweeps Coins are credited as a free bonus when you purchase Gold Coins. You can also receive free Sweeps Coins through daily login bonuses, social media giveaways, mail-in sweeps requests, and other sweepstakes casino promotions.
As mentioned, sweepstakes casinos credit several thousand Gold Coins right when you join. Many different actions reward additional Gold Coins, including logging in or spinning a prize wheel. If you spread your plays out strategically, you can feasibly have a limitless amount of Gold Coins and play to your heart’s content.
Terms and Conditions of Sweepstakes Casino Coins
While sweepstakes casinos make using Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins relatively simple, there are a few important terms and conditions to keep in mind.
Expiration
Sweeps Coins and Gold Coins usually expire if your account is inactive for 60 consecutive days. This varies by sweepstakes casino, but 60 days is the industry standard. An inactive account typically means that you haven’t logged in, but it can also mean that you haven’t played any games either.
Thankfully, this isn’t an issue for most players, but it’s definitely important to keep in mind. If you’re planning on taking a long break, redeem your coins to make sure they don’t expire.
Playthrough Requirements
Sweeps Coins must be played at least once to become redeemable for a cash prize. Put another way, you can’t simply receive Sweeps Coins as a bonus and redeem them immediately, you need to use them on slots, table games, or whatever game you like to play.
In most cases, you only need to play the Sweeps Coins one time (1x playthrough requirements), but you may need to play them up to three times (3x playthrough requirements) depending on the casino site.
Gold Coins do not have playthrough requirements because they cannot be redeemed for a cash prize.
Yays & Nays of Playing with Gold Coins
- Receive thousands of coins for free and frequently.
- Not tied to playthrough requirements.
- Great for testing games and practicing strategy.
- Sometimes earns rewards points and other benefits.
- Cannot be redeemed for a cash prize or gift card.
- Some games are unavailable for Gold Coins play.
Yays & Nays of Playing with Sweeps Coins
- Winning coins can be redeemed for cash prizes or gift cards.
- Always awarded as a free bonus.
- Simple to understand. 1 SC = $1.
- Access to all games in most cases.
- Cannot outright buy Sweeps Coins like you can Gold Coins.
- Small amount awarded for purchases compared to Gold Coins.
- Tied to at least 1x playthrough requirements but sometimes more.
Final Thoughts on Sweeps Casino Currency
Currency at sweepstakes casinos may feel a bit overly complicated, but they’re necessary for these sites to be compliant with the law. The good news is that once you understand how the coins work, they’re quite simple. Here are more sweepstakes casino tips and strategies to help you win more.