What is sweepstakes poker – and how do social casinos work, exactly?
For those of you who are completely new to sweepstakes or social casino gaming, now’s the time for our experts to break it down for you. In a nutshell,
sweepstakes casinos
are online casinos that:
- Offer Vegas-inspired games that are played using virtual coins.
- Allow gamers to play using two tiers of online currencies – GCs, which are used for fun only; and Sweepstake Coins, which have a real-world prize-exchangeable value.
- Do not require their customers to make any purchases or deposits to play – there are several ways in which both kinds of coins can be acquired and accumulated for free.
A sweepstakes poker operator is a social casino that specializes predominantly in poker-style games. These will often be almost identical to any real-money poker games you’ve played online elsewhere – and may even have been powered by the same software companies. The key difference is that you won’t be able to play using cash; you’ll need to place your bets using GCs or Sweepstakes Coins instead.
It's important to note that GCs can be acquired either by playing at Gold Coin games, claiming bonuses, or purchasing coin packages online. As for sweepstakes coins, they are not purchasable and can only be accumulated either in-game or via promotions.
If you’re looking for a juicy poker bonus, you can currently claim 5% rakeback on all games with Stake.us using our unique promo code,
“TGHSOCIAL”
when registering with this popular social casino provider.
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How to tell whether a site offering poker sweepstakes games is legit?
Now, obviously, the fact that social casino poker sites are so popular right now means that there are a few dubious operators out there, just as there are several standout operators offering amazing online gaming services.
By getting all your recommendations solely from TheGameHaus, you’ll only ever encounter 100% trusted sites – but here are a few important things you ought to look for if you go shopping around elsewhere:
1. A tried-and-tested industry reputation
Trusted sweepstakes online poker providers should really hold a license from a reputable gambling regulator, such as the UK Gambling Commission, for example. They ideally should have been in the business for at least a few years and have a bunch of positive user reviews under their belts, too. You can fish around for this kind of all-important information relatively easily online.
2. Sweepstakes poker machine games powered by recognized software brands
The best
sweepstakes casinos online for January
out there that specialize in poker tend to grant their customers access to well-known and branded poker titles. The biggest game names in poker come from prominent developers like Evolution Gaming, and any casinos that are able to source games from these reputable software firms will usually shout about in on their website. Ideally, you want to play with a poker site that offers only the very best, most trusted games.
3. A good selection of poker sweepstakes games
Game selection is just as important as game software when securing a good poker site. It’s an unfortunate fact that some social casinos are very slots-heavy and only offer a handful of poker titles. You might need to dig around a little more to find operators that have established a reputation for themselves in the poker field specifically. The good news is that our poker site comparisons at TheGameHaus can quickly point you in the right direction.
4. Lots of users entering into online poker sweepstakes tournaments
One of the most fun aspects of playing at online poker games with social casino sites is that these virtual coin-powered operators tend to offer an awful lot of tournaments, where you can compete with other gamers, via leaderboards, to rack up more poker rewards and get your hands on more coins. Many of the sites you’ll see recommended in our reviews and the banners on this page are mostly tournament-focused.
5. Fair promotions that you can verify have been used by other players
Many sweepstakes poker sites, like Stake.us, for example, will advertise a bonus – much like the exclusive 5% rakeback offer you can get with Stake.us using the code
“TGHSOCIAL”
right now. But, sometimes, if an operator’s promotion sounds too good to be true, there’s a chance that it probably is.
If you’re considering an attractive-sounding bonus, we’d suggest reading through customer reviews to get an idea of what those who’ve already used it thought of its T&Cs before claiming it for yourself.
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Where can I find the best poker sweepstakes games and providers?
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Sweepstakes Poker sites
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Play Sweepstakes Poker online
Here at TheGameHaus, we pride ourselves on bringing our readers fair and unbiased news and information regarding all things iGaming – and that includes online casinos, sports betting, and online poker sweepstakes sites. The banners on this page and our detailed reviews will offer you direct access to trusted and reputable poker social casinos, and you can use them to compare what each site has to offer.
Other ways you can locate today’s hottest sweepstakes poker websites and games, include:
- Checking out online community discussion forums about sweeps poker.
- Reading up on existing gamer reviews of certain operators via sites like TrustPilot.
- Comparing other operators’ promotions to the fantastic 5% rakeback offer you can get with Stake.us using our
“TGHSOCIAL”
code.
How do I register with sweepstakes online poker providers?
Obviously, every site uses a slightly different process, but you can generally register with most trusted online poker sweeps providers as follows:
- Visit their website and hit “register”.
- Enter your personal info.
- Punch in any promo codes necessary to claim any sign-up bonuses that are advertised for your region.
- Claim some free GC and/or sweepstakes coins and start playing.
- Purchase coin packages as a top-up if you wish, and remember to follow any bonus T&Cs.
- Exchange your
sweepstakes coins for prizes
– but remember that GCs are used for fun only.
Conclusion – sweepstakes poker requires a certain level of pre-game prep
Social casinos offering poker games are easy to find, but it’s vital to understand how their two-tier coin systems work and what makes a good poker sweepstakes operator before you register with one and start placing bets. Keep in mind that only sweepstakes coins have a prize-exchangeable value, and that GCs are playable for fun and freeplay purposes only.
You should also be careful to only ever bet with sites that hold a recognized license, collaborate with high-quality software providers, and offer a decent selection of poker games and tournaments. All the operators recommended by TheGameHaus should tick the right boxes. You can always rely on our experts for trusted recommendations.
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1.
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5.
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Sweepstakes poker FAQ
❓ What are sweepstakes coins in poker games?
Some free-to-play poker games offered by social casinos can be enjoyed using two different kinds of virtual currencies, GCs and sweepstakes coins. While Gold Coins can be purchased and used to play games, sweepstakes coins are usually won and can later be redeemed for certain prizes.
🧐 Can I play at online poker for free?
Online poker games are immensely popular globally, but it’s common that these games will often require players to put down real money bets. There are several
free-to-play casinos
out there known as social or “sweepstakes” betting sites, where you can also find free poker games to play.
🃏 Do social casinos offer poker games?
Some social casinos do indeed offer poker games. However, it is important to note that you cannot use real money to play these games or withdraw any real money winnings. Instead virtual currencies such as Gold Coins are used to play poker in social casinos.
📱 Which social casino app is best for poker fans?
Every social casino app you encounter is likely to have a different game selection from the last, with some apps better established in the online poker niche than others. It also depends heavily on your own personal preference and what you are looking for in a social casino app. Reading reviews and guides can help you find the best social casino app for you.
