PENNSYLVANIA - Pennsylvania has been making up for lost time when it comes to gambling. The first steps toward legal gambling were taken in 2004. Even though casinos were legalized then, it wasn’t until 2010 that they were allowed to offer table games alongside the slot machines. In 2017, Pennsylvania became one of the first states to legalize online gambling.
You wouldn’t know that from looking at the figures for participation and the amount of revenue that gambling brings in for the state. In fact, Pennsylvania is second only to Nevada in terms of casino revenue. With some of the best casinos in the East being located in Philadelphia, local gamblers have plenty of great options.
There are also plenty of online casinos to choose from. These offer all of the classic table games, slot machines, video poker and live casino games. As online casinos have grown in popularity around the world, the options for players have become more varied and creative. One of those newer options is the sweepstakes casino.
Sweepstakes casinos, also known as social casinos, are now a major feature of the gambling landscape in the United States. Many players have begun to choose them over regular online casinos – and even over traditional and-based casinos.
In this article, we’ll explain everything that you need to know about what sweepstakes casinos are, how they work and how to choose a good one. Then we’ll give our suggestions for the best online sweepstakes casino websites for players in Philadelphia.
What Are Sweepstakes Casinos?
A sweepstakes casino is a bit different from a regular online casino. Instead of playing with real money, players at sweepstakes casinos play with an in-game currency, usually known as Gold Coins. Gold Coins can be won, awarded or purchased. These casinos also have a second currency that’s typically called Sweeps Coins. Since no real money is being used, Sweeps Coins are exchanged for prizes or used to enter sweepstakes prize draws.
Sweepstakes casinos are also known as social casinos because they encourage a social community element. Most have a strong social media presence and provide ways for their players to interact and engage with the brand and one another.
While traditional online casinos generally focus on table games alongside the slot machine games, most sweepstakes casinos primarily have slots. Some do have a bit more variety but they all have huge slots game libraries. One of the other unique features of these casinos is that most have their own, specific software.
Choosing A Sweepstakes Casino
Choosing a sweepstakes casino is just like picking any other kind of entertainment – there are a number of options but some factors will come down to personal preference. The first thing to do is to look through the game libraries. Find the sweepstakes casinos that have the most games that appeal to you.
Once you’ve narrowed it down a bit, you should always check what kind of license(s) the sweepstakes casino has. Even though it doesn’t operate in quite the same manner as a casino, it will still be regulated by some official body. From there, verify that they accept the payment and withdrawal methods that you prefer using. Even if you don’t purchase coins, you’ll want to be able to redeem any prizes you earn.
Lastly, it’s a good idea to look at the kind of security software it uses and how to contact customer support. Secure sweepstakes casinos should be encrypted, so look for the lock icon in the address bar. We all hope we’ll never have an issue that requires contacting customer support, but it’s reassuring to know that there is a responsive and efficient option available.
There are many trustworthy sweepstakes casino guides online that can provide detailed reviews of each site. We’ve compiled our own list of some of the top providers for 2024:
WOW Vegas
‘Wow!’ is the first thing players think when they see this sweepstakes casino site. This online casino has been dazzling fans since 2022 with its great range of slots and special offers.
The bonuses from WOW Vegas are a big part of the site’s appeal. The welcome bonus includes 5,000 WOW Coins (its version of Gold Coins) and one Sweeps Coin. As you register for communications and verify your account, you can earn an additional 3,500 WC and five SC. It also regularly runs promotions on its social media accounts and has a daily login bonus.
For players who enjoy table games, bingo and keno, WOW Vegas will be disappointing – there are no options for those games. This seems like a major oversight from the brand. The processing time for withdrawals is also much longer than average.
Stake
Stake is one of the newest sweepstakes casinos on the market and it has quickly built up a loyal following. It is one of the only cryptocurrency sweepstakes casinos. If you don’t like using cryptocurrencies, this won’t be the site for you. However, if you enjoy playing with these modern digital currencies, this is a great site to use them on.
The game library at Stake has over 500 titles. Most of these are slot machine games but they also have a selection of table games and even some live casino game options. They have some exclusive games but the majority of their games are from Pragmatic Play. The lack of diversity in providers is obvious in some cases, and disappointing for players who will miss their favorite games.
Stake uses the highest level of security software to protect player data. Cryptocurrency is renowned for being secure, thanks to blockchain technology, so it makes sense that Stake would also be dedicated to security. One potential issue, however, is that they don’t have any visible evidence of using random number generators (RNGs). RNGs ensure fairness in online gambling, so this is mildly concerning.
McLuck
The welcome bonus on McLuck casino is enough to make every new player feel like the luckiest person around. It includes 7,500 GC and 2.5 SC. If a player makes a coin package purchase when creating an account, they also receive an additional 50,000 GC.
McLuck doesn’t have the biggest library in the industry. It offers players around 550 slot games and nothing else. What it does have, however, is a fantastic range of providers – 14 developers – and a great selection of jackpot games and Megaways games.
In today’s world of digital payments, it’s a little disappointing to see that McLuck only accept four types of payment methods – these are Visa, Mastercard, Google Pay and Apple Pay. These are all incredibly popular ways to make a deposit, so most players are still comfortable with using at least one of them. One of the biggest pluses, though, is that McLuck has a very low prize redemption minimum for gift cards. While most sweepstakes casinos have a minimum of 100 SC, McLuck has a 10 SC minimum for gift card redemption and 75 SC minimum for cash prize redemption.
