Are sweepstakes casinos legit?
Sweepstakes casinos
have been around for quite some time now. They offer access to free-to-play, Vegas-inspired games that you can enjoy using either:
- Gold Coins (GC)
– that are played solely for fun and can be accumulated via gameplay, promotions or by purchasing coin packages using payment services like Venmo.
- Sweepstakes coins (SC)
– that are entered into sweepstakes tournaments and games and have a redeemable value, meaning that they can be swapped for real-world prizes such as event tickets and merchandise.
The social casinos which offer gameplay using virtual coins, like those listed above only, are legally accessible in several countries and regions, including most US states aside from Washington. This is largely because:
- Users of these sites are not under any pressure to make purchases – games can be enjoyed for free, and coins can be collected via numerous free avenues.
- Gameplay takes place using virtual coins only, therefore players are not technically betting any real cash.
It’s relatively easy to find a sweepstakes casino that accepts Venmo for coin purchases, though as Venmo itself is a relatively new online payments technology, it perhaps isn’t quite so widely supported by the social casino sector as more established online payment methods, such as credit card, for example. However, it is increasingly growing along side PayPal as a valuable
sweepstakes casino payment method.
With that said, regardless of which payment method you’re using, it’s important to ensure any social casino you register with holds a recognized gaming license and has a good industry reputation.
The history of Venmo sweepstakes betting
Today, Venmo has an estimated 85.1 million users worldwide, and is beginning to establish a name for itself in the online casino sector. Here’s what you need to know about Venmo’s evolution and expansion:
- 2009
– Venmo is first created by Andrew Kortina and Iqram Magdon-Ismail as an experimental payments technology designed to simplify payment transfers and substitute the exchange of checks or cash between friends.
- 2013
– Venmo is purchased by PayPal, the world’s leading online payments corporation.
Sweepstakes casinos and PayPal
tend to go hand in hand these days.
- 2015
– Venmo’s peer-to-peer (P2P) payments service grows increasingly popular in the US and other nations, and finding a sweepstakes casino that accepts Venmo starts to get real easy.
- 2022
– Venmo online casinos and sweepstakes betting sites are accessible virtually everywhere.
How do I tell apart a regular online casino and a sweepstakes casino that accepts Venmo?
Today, Venmo is accepted by both traditional, cash-based online casinos and virtual coin-powered social casinos, with typical transaction times ranging anywhere between one to three business days. But how can gamers tell these two kinds of online gambling institutions apart? Well…
Regular online casinos offer:
- Slots, jackpots, and table games that
accept real money bets.
- Gameplay using USD, GBP, CAD, and other major currencies.
- Actual
cash
prizes.
Sweepstakes casinos offer:
- Slots, jackpots, and table games that
accept virtual currencies only.
- Gameplay using GCs (for fun) or Sweepstakes coins (exchangeable for prizes).
- Real-world prizes such as gift vouchers, merchandise, and event tickets are offered to Sweepstakes coin users.
Knowing the difference between these two forms of online gaming is important, as real money casinos are illegal in some states and regions, while social casinos are much more widely accessible, while still offering different kinds of gaming services to Venmo users.
How do I sign-up with a sweepstakes casino that accepts Venmo?
Unless you’re betting from a US state where real money gambling is legal, or another regulated country or region, you’re probably going to be looking at social casinos. The typical registration process with most social casinos is super-straightforward. It will require you to:
- Visit your sweeps casino site’s homepage or download their app.
- Click “register” and follow the steps to create a brand-new account.
- Enter your personal info and desired username and password.
- Verify your account if required.
- Claim any sign-up bonuses advertised – which might offer you the chance to acquire some free coins.
- Start playing at GC and Sweepstakes coin games.
Should you wish to top-up your coin balance using Venmo, you can achieve this by:
- Double-checking that your sweepstakes casino accepts Venmo on its “payments” page.
- Clicking on “purchase coin packages”, “fund my account” or similar links.
- Selecting an appropriate GCs package from those listed.
- Choosing Venmo as your payment option.
- Approving any transactions via your Venmo app, if required.
56 Stake Cash + 560K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
What verification procedures do Venmo sweepstakes sites use?
It’s common for sweepstakes casinos to insist that you verify your ID and payment information before making your first GC purchase. You might have to:
KYC or “Know Your Customer” checks are becoming increasingly common in the online gaming sector. If your social casino requires one of you, you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to verify yourself before you can make any purchases.
If you’re new to Venmo, the payment provider’s own KYC checks can be completed with relative ease in the “Me” tab of your Venmo app, which is accessible via the settings/gear icon.
Verify yourself and your ID via email or text
Some social casinos might send you a verification email or text message containing a temporary one-time code that you’ll need to enter to verify your identity.
This could happen either during the account registration process, or once you attempt to purchase your first coin package using Venmo or another reputable payment provider. You might also have to provide evidence of your ID and place of residence, as the site will want to verify you’ll be playing from a legal and accessible region.
What are the advantages of using Venmo at sweepstakes casinos?
Venmo offers its users a few fantastic benefits over competitor payment technologies. Some of the top reasons you should consider using Venmo when playing at social casinos, are:
Venmo’s P2P technology bypasses the need for any third parties to be involved in transactions, meaning you can make social casino purchases quickly and easily.
Maintenance and transfer fees with Venmo are significantly lower than what’s charged by many of Venmo’s competitors.
The “Venmo Bucks” feature of Venmo allows you to store money in your app or account, then use it for faster-than-average transactions remarkably easily.
Conclusion – use TheGameHaus to find the best sweepstakes casino accepting Venmo available right now
Venmo is fast, easy-to-use and more widely supported by sweepstakes casinos than you might think, though you might need to shop around a little to find the best-rated social casinos to suit you. Fortunately, TheGameHaus is here to help, as you can use our comparisons and the banners on our site to comb through recommendations of trusted social casinos that offer full Venmo support.
Don’t forget that, unlike ordinary real money betting sites, social casinos allow for gameplay using virtual coins only, meaning you’ll need to use your Venmo account to purchase GCs instead of using it to fund cash wagers on casino games.
Some operators, such as Stake.us, will help you get off to a good start by claiming a generous new customer bonus. With Stake.us, you can currently get 5% rakeback on all your social casino losses by entering our unique promo code “TGHSOCIAL” when registering.
Make sure to check out our other guide related to
sweepstakes casino prepaid credit cards.
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Sweepstakes casino Venmo FAQ
🤔 Can I use Venmo at sweepstakes casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos can be enjoyed for free, as players have plenty of options available to them in terms of free ways of collecting virtual coins. That said, if you wish to purchase coin packages, you’re going to want to use a reputable online payments provider to do so. Discover Sweepstakes coin sites that accept Venmo, PayPal and other trusted e-wallets with TheGameHaus today.
💸 Is Venmo eligible for social casino bonuses?
Social casino bonuses typically come with rather different terms to promotions found at real money betting sites. No deposit bonuses are far more common here, but if you’re thinking of purchasing any GC packages at a later date, it’s important to ensure your sweepstakes provider accepts Venmo - or whichever other payment method you prefer. Compare sweepstakes casinos and their payment methods now with TheGameHaus.
🎰 Is Venmo or PayPal better for playing at sweeps casino games?
All e-wallets have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to using them at online casinos or sweepstakes betting sites. The latest social casino gaming guides from TheGameHaus explore which payment options are best for making coin purchases with at these increasingly popular, virtual coin-powered casino sites.
Are Venmo social casinos safe?
You should only ever bet with a social casino that you feel you can 100% trust. There are tons of sweepstakes operators out there to choose from, but we’d recommend shortlisting those that hold a reputable license, offer a great game selection, and have 24/7 customer service to hand, just in case you need to reach out to them. Discover more social casino gaming tips with TheGameHaus now.
