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What Is a Social Casino?
Social casinos are online casinos that you can play for free. This is because they use a different currency called Gold Coins (GC) for standard play. These coins are purely for fun and have no real world value; use them to play social slots and table games that behave just like real money slots.
You can win real prizes at social casinos using another currency called Sweeps Coins (SC). SC is used during promotional play and can be redeemed for prizes.
The core difference between real money and social casinos is that social casinos operate under sweepstakes law; SCs are given away for free and can result in real prizes, which means they are sweepstakes rather than casinos. Lotteries operate under the same legislation. This means social casinos are widely available throughout the US as opposed to real money casinos that are strictly regulated.
The purpose of a social casino is to play for fun, with no financial risk. Gold Coins can be restocked through the store or awarded for free through daily logins, exclusive social media promotions and even postcards.
Best Social Casinos in the US: Full Ranked List
Below is a full list of our favorite social casinos you can play across the US. We've included these because they represent the best gameplay experience, welcome offers, store value or social features.
BetRivers.net
Chanced
RealPrize
Punt
Jackpota
ZulaCasino
WOWVegas
FunRize
Spree
TaoFortune
Social Casinos Like Chumba Casino
| Platform | Comparison to Chumba |
|---|---|
| WOWVegas | Similar library size and game types, similar GC and SC mechanics, legal in 44 states similar to Chumba's broad reach |
| RealPrize | Huge table selection including Texas Hold'em, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, Caribbean Stud, Pai Gow, alongside slots |
| Spree | Big library (2,000+ games), GC/Spree-Coins structure similar to Chumba |
No Deposit Bonuses & Sign-Up Offers
When you sign up for a social casino you'll be credited with a set amount of free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. If you sign up for Spree, for example, you'll get 25,000 Gold Coins + 2.5 Spree Coins (their version of Sweeps Coins) as a no deposit bonus. If you run out of Gold Coins, you'll need to purchase a reload package.
You can't purchase Sweeps Coins on their own; they must be given away for free. A sweepstakes competition must have a free route to entry and, since social casinos operate under sweepstakes law, this applies to Sweeps Coins that are redeemed for real-world prizes.
Most social casinos offer a no deposit bonus, which is essentially the starter pack you get for signing up. It differs from real money no deposit bonus offers, which are usually separate from the welcome bonus that requires a deposit and usually takes the form of free spins. That means they're locked to slots, whereas a social casino no deposit bonus can be played on any game at the casino. Plus, if it comes with free Sweeps Coins, you're in with a chance of redeeming a prize.
Real Money, Payouts & Redemptions
At social casinos, you don't play with real money and therefore you don't technically win real money in the traditional sense. Playing with GC and winning will award more GC, a currency with no value outside of the social casino.
Playing with SC and winning means you'll be awarded more SC, which have a 1:1 real-world dollar value. The difference is you don't pay for SC, so winning more SC is technically free and when you redeem a prize you'll be awarded the dollar equivalent.
That's the case for most social casinos. However, at some social casinos, your SC can be redeemed for real-world prizes instead of cash prizes.
Hard Rock Social Casino allows you to redeem multiple prize coins, Hearts and Unity Points. Hearts are used to unlock more coins as well as collectibles and merchandise. Unity Points are a loyalty bonus that you accumulate the more you play and can be spent on unlocking hotel stays, Hard Rock merch, event tickets and more.
Payment Methods
Payment methods vary depending on the social casino you play at, but most social casinos allow you to purchase coins with debit cards, credit cards, PayPal and bank transfer. Here's an example comparison of the kind of payment methods you'll have access to:
| Hard Rock Games | BetRivers.net | |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus | 2,000,000 Free Coins | $1,000 Spin to Win Credits |
| Rating | 3.5/5 | 3.6/5 |
| Mastercard | Yes | Yes |
| PayPal | Yes | Yes |
| Google Play | Yes | No |
| Visa | Yes | Yes |
| Bank Transfer | No | Yes |
| American Express | No | Yes |
| Discover | No | Yes |
Most social casinos will redeem your SC as long as you meet the minimum requirement. This will usually be credited back to you via your preferred payment method, so be aware of any charges in the payment methods you use as long as typical timelines for payments like bank transfer (3-5 days).
Sweepstakes vs. Social Casinos: What's the Difference?
There is no functional difference between sweepstakes casinos or social casinos as they are both casinos that are designed for fun, engaging play without the real money risk. If a casino calls itself a sweepstakes casino as opposed to a social casino, chances are it offers Sweeps Coins and redemption of those coins into prizes, usually cash. A social casino will likely operate the same way, or it may prefer to call itself that because it doesn't offer Sweeps Coins or redemption routes, like BetRivers.net.
Social Casino Games & Features
You can play a variety of games at social casinos, most of which echo the kinds of games real money casinos offer. You'll also find some exciting features you wouldn't necessarily find at real money casinos depending on which casino you play at.
Social Features
- Spree: Weekly Slot Races and the unique Sit & Spin game, a 3-player head-to-head battle over a fixed number of spins, designed in the same spirit as esports.
- BetRivers.net: Daily slot tournaments and weekend blackjack tournaments.
- WOWVegas: Daily Race Rewards, themed days, VIP club, referral leaderboards, and a live real-time win feed showing other players' victories.
Social casinos usually have many interactive features including global chat rooms or lobby chat in their tournament lobbies, building entire communities on the platform.
Slots
Slots are the most common type of social casino game you'll find, just like online real money casinos. Many providers like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play or Red Tiger Gaming make exclusive titles for social casino, based on their real-money titles.
Bingo
Bingo is less common at social casinos but can be found at some such as BetRivers.net, RealPrize and WOWVegas. You'll be able to chat with other players in the lobby and during the game.
Poker & Table Games
While not guaranteed to carry them, many social casinos do have a good selection of table games as well as live and video poker:
- BetRivers.net has the most complete selection of table games, with 35+ blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, Sic Bo and War titles along with video poker. It also has over 20+ live dealer poker titles.
- RealPrize carries Texas Hold'em poker, video poker, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps along with Caribbean Stud and Pai Gow. You can play live dealer versions of blackjack, roulette, baccarat and Casino Hold 'Em.
- Chanced has a dedicated 30+ live dealer games and dedicated table games and video poker categories.
Plinko & Other Arcade Games
Plinko games and fish shooting games are extremely common at social casinos. You'll find fish shooting games and similar arcade-style games at the majority of the casinos on our list and a good amount of these casinos will also carry Plinko.
Social Casinos by State
There is no blanket list of legal states where you can play a social casino. Some states have outright banned them, whereas other states have banned some social casinos but not others. The only way for you to know if a social casino is available in your area is to try and access it in your state with geolocation on.
However, generally speaking, you can play most of the social casinos on this page in the following states:
| Region | States Where Social/Sweepstakes Casinos Generally Operate |
|---|---|
| South | AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA |
| Midwest | IL, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI |
| West | AK, CO, HI, NM, OR, UT, WY |
| Northeast | MA, NH, VT |
| Other | AZ |
Are you a big social casino fan? Have we missed any of your favorites? Let us know by dropping a comment below.
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