Common questions about sweepstakes casinos, weighted toward the ones players actually file complaints about: redemptions that stall, ID verification, mail-in entries, and what the grades mean.
A site that runs on two currencies. Gold Coins are for play only and have no cash value. Sweeps Coins are the ones you can redeem for real money once you have played them through. You can buy Gold Coin packs if you want to, but you never have to buy anything to get Sweeps Coins, and that is the part that makes it a sweepstakes rather than gambling.
Gold Coins are for fun and cannot be cashed out. Sweeps Coins can be, usually at 1 SC = $1. Check which balance you are playing with before you spin. Burning Sweeps Coins by accident is the most common beginner mistake.
Yes. Every site we list has a free way to get Sweeps Coins. Signup bonuses, daily logins, social giveaways and mail-in entries all work without spending a dollar. Buying Gold Coin packs is optional, and it is how the sites make their money.
Depends on the site and your state. A growing number of states have banned sweepstakes casinos or pushed operators out, and most sites skip a few more states on their own. The state filter on the casino list checks every site's restricted states for you, so it is the quickest way to see what is open where you are. For the laws themselves, SweepsGuard keeps a state-by-state map at sweepsguard.com/sweepstakes-casinos-by-state.
400+. Most carry a SweepsGuard letter grade; the rest are under review, launching soon, or closed. Closed sites stay listed, with their grade attached where they had one, so there is still a record when someone searches for them later.
Two days is the median across about 60 sites where we have at least five timed redemptions from players. The quick ones pay the same day. The slow ones run a week or more. Your first redemption at any site takes longer because of ID checks. Every casino page shows that site's own numbers rather than the average.
Standard, and almost every site does it before your first payout. Expect photo ID, sometimes a utility bill or a selfie. It is the single most common reason a first redemption stalls. Send clear photos and make sure the name and address match your account exactly.
File it with us. SweepsGuard runs a free complaint service and takes the case to the operator for you. Nearly 400 complaints have come through so far and this is by far the biggest category, so there is a worn path here. Start at sweepsguard.com/submit-complaint.
Not yet, and in most cases not at all. A card dispute is the last step rather than the first, and it usually ends with the account closed and whatever balance was in it gone. Work the operator first, then us. Disputes do have deadlines, though, and the clock starts when you bought the coins, so call your bank early and ask for its exact cutoff. If the account is already closed, or you will not play there again, a dispute is more worth considering, but it only covers what you paid for coins, never winnings, and it can give the casino a reason to cancel a pending redemption. The full order is at sweepsguard.com/casino-wont-pay.
We read it, check it against the site's terms, and contact the operator. Some cases resolve in days, some take weeks, and some end with the operator refusing. We publish the outcome either way, anonymized, including the ones that go against the player.