For many years now there has been a conversation around if online casinos should be allowed. With numerous places around the world still not having legalized the online gambling platforms. Because of this, companies have tried to find ways to get around this with new ideas and loopholes around the laws and legislations due to the potential profitability.
Providers have found ways to offer the best online casino experience without breaking any regulations or laws set in the US. For example, in some states, online sports betting is illegal and not permitted, so these companies have found a way to allow people to still play their favourite games without crossing these lines.
Let’s take a look into how these work:
Unlike normal casino websites, sweepstakes work by allowing people to essentially play for free instead of depositing real money. In sweepstakes players will play with virtual coins instead of cash, being able to earn these freely through just playing. Players are also able to earn additional coins if they want to play for longer or bet with larger amounts. When players do purchase additional coins, they can earn a special coin as a prize for doing so. You’re able to then redeem these special coins for cash prizes.
This is how they get around the legislations and regulations as there’s no requirement for the player to actually make a deposit to play and the additional coins are classed as a bonus, this falls outside of the legislation and therefore isn’t illegal.
Pros of sweepstake casinos
More access for players
Especially in the US and Canada, not everyone can access standard online casinos due to them being illegal and banned. Because of this, having a second option available for them to play is ideal as it still allows them to play a certain type of game without running the risk of breaking the law.
Whilst they may not be the exact same games as they would play on a casino website, it’s the next best thing and is something some players would take over not playing at all.
No purchase required
As mentioned above, there’s no actual requirement to spend real money, therefore if you’re just looking to play more casually, you’re more than welcome to just play without buying any additional money and don’t need to worry about spending to play. The option is there if you fancy spending a bit here and there but if you’re just looking to play for fun, you’re absolutely able to do this.
This allows the player to play with freedom as they don’t feel pressured into making a deposit, as they’ll get a similar experience to someone who is paying, just with a less chance of winning cash prizes. If you’re just looking to pass some time and have some fun, this is absolutely a great way to do it.
Chance to win real prizes
Even if you don’t make any deposits, you’ve still got a chance to win real cash prizes. This means even if you don’t want to make a deposit, you’ve still got a chance at taking home some real money.
Along with cash prizes, players can also earn free games and promotions too, meaning it’s not just cash you can win giving the player multiple prizes to look forward to. This is great for players that want the experience but don’t want to put up the cash as they’ve still got a chance at winning some great prizes.
Now let’s take a look at some of the negatives
Limited selection
If you check out sites which profile the best US online casinos for real money, you’ll notice there are a lot more options compared to sweepstakes. This is because they’re much more popular than sweepstakes as you’ve got a better chance at winning real money. This also means the games available are a lot less than actual casino websites.
Redeeming funds
Trying to withdraw your money can be a long and frustrating process as numerous verifications can sometimes be needed to withdraw your money. This is opposite to an online casino where usually it’s instant and at most a few hours. This can be a deal breaker for some people as they don’t want to wait nearly up to a week for their funds and provide additional identification.
With online casinos not available everywhere in both the US and Canada, it’s no surprise that online sweepstake websites have become more and more popular. They are however facing a constant battle against both online casino websites taking over if those states legalize it, along with those same states trying to crack down to stop them from trading.
Despite this, they’re still on the rise and can be a great alternative for players who are unable to play online casino games.