Sweepstakes casinos are the most popular alternative to real casinos. They offer you a chance to play for free and win real prizes at the same time, so it’s no surprise they’re such a huge hit with Gen Z and even some of the older generations. And with help from SweepsKings, we’ve put together a list of the 5 hottest sweepstakes casinos in the US.

If you want to play casino-style games without spending a penny, these sites are the way to go.

5 Hottest Sweepstakes Casinos In the US

1.    Lonestar

Lonestar is a promising new casino in the sweepstakes space that we recommend keeping an eye on. Launched earlier this year, Lonestar offers a compact library of 500+ games with most of them supplied by big-name providers like Relax Gaming and NetEnt. The games range from popular slots to Plinko and table games, making the site perfect for players who want variety rather than the same old sweepstakes games. And to cap it off nicely, Lonestar has a Daily Login Bonus of 5,000 Gold Coins and 0.3 Sweeps Coins, giving players the opportunity to keep their coins stacked high without having to purchase them directly.

2.    Chumba Casino

Almost a decade after it launched in 2017, Chumba Casino is still widely regarded as the go-to sweepstakes casino and is viewed by most players as an all-time classic. It has the best games, including blackjack and video poker, as well as a nice blend of scratchcards and instant win games (Chumba also offers Money Train, Wild Gold, and many of the other trending slots). And if you decide to join the community of Chumba champs, you can look forward to some of the fastest payouts of all the sweepstakes casinos. You just can’t beat it.

3.    WOW Vegas

The Paris Hilton-sponsored WOW Vegas definitely brings the “WOW” factor to the party with its catalogue of, get this, 2,000+ slot and jackpot games. It’s an insane range of games to pick from, and if you play any of the slots you’re instantly in with a shot of winning WOW’s GRAND, MAJOR, MINOR, and MINI jackpots, which grow every second until a player eventually wins them. We also recommend taking advantage of the WOW Vegas star-tier VIP Program to get extra perks, the Daily Spin wheel to receive free coins, and the amazing weekly and monthly tournaments on the site. Right now, there’s the ongoing Hello-Wins Race tournament, where players can play through 16 Hello-Wins games to climb up the leaderboard and potentially win a share of 31,000 Sweeps Coins.

4.    Stake.us 

Another one of the red-hot sweepstakes casinos is Stake.us. By this point, you’ve probably seen rapper Drake promoting the Stake brand all across his social media, but if you haven’t it’s one of the biggest sweepstakes casinos on the block. Launched in 2022, Stake.us has since built a game library of 1,000+ games, including popular slots and even Stake-exclusives like Stake Poker. The site also has a Daily Login Bonus of 10,000 Gold Coins and 1 Stake Cash (one of the biggest offers you can find on any sweepstakes site) along with Prize Drops and other awesome perks. So, if you’re a casual gamer looking to join your first sweepstakes casino, Stake.us is one of the best to go with.

5.    Mega Bonanza

Mega Bonanza is the final hottest sweepstakes casino in the US right now. It first came out in mid-2024 and has quickly become a household name, boasting over 1,200 slots alone with some live dealer games sprinkled on top, so it’s definitely more of a sweepstakes casino for slots fans. Progressive Jackpots, Daily Login Bonuses, and a Refer-a-Friend Program are part of the experience, too, with the referral program allowing you to earn up to 130,000 Gold Coins and 65 Sweeps Coins for free. In our eyes, it’s a great little Western-themed sweepstakes casino for both casual and experienced gamblers, especially if you have a love for slot machines.

Play with Sweeps Coins and Potentially Win Prizes

The deal with sweepstakes casinos is that instead of betting real money, you play with Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins. If you opt to play with Sweeps Coins and eventually collect enough of them, it’s then possible to redeem them for prizes. We’re talking gift cards, cash transfers, and sometimes even cryptocurrencies, which is why players love this new type of casino.

Let’s say you play the popular Stampede Fury slot inside Chumba Casino using 10 Sweeps Coins. After several spins, you win 15 Sweeps Coins and decide to stop playing. Through Chumba’s prize redemption menu the option would be there for you to exchange those 15 Sweeps Coins (worth around $15) for any of the available prizes, be it a gift card or cash transfer to your bank account.

What Bonuses Can You Get at Sweepstakes Casinos?

One of the major perks of being a sweepstakes casino fanatic is that you can basically claim bonuses all year round. This way, you get to keep your coin collection stacked high. It’s all about knowing how and where to claim these bonuses, though, so these are the best options:

• Welcome bonuses. Every sweepstakes casino offers a welcome bonus, which will typically be a big number of Gold Coins and a smaller number of Sweeps Coins.
• Free spins. You can get free spins through things like Daily Login rewards or simply completing challenges.
• Refer-a-friend. Sweepstakes casinos want as many players as possible, so most of them give out refer-a-friend bonuses that both you and a friend can claim.
• Mail-ins. If you send a letter to the address of your favourite sweepstakes casino asking for free Sweeps Coins, there’s a good chance they’ll get back to you and reward those coins to your account.
• Social media giveaways. A lot of sweeps casinos have a big social media presence, where they host giveaways that usually include free coins and free spins.

Sweepstakes casinos practically throw coins at players for free, whereas traditional online casinos don’t. So, if you’re new to the world of sweepstakes, definitely take advantage of some of these bonus methods so that you don’t have to pay money for extra Sweeps Coins. It’s a no-brainer.

Fastest Payout Sweepstakes Casinos

What are the fastest payout sweepstakes casinos? This question gets asked a lot by sweepstakes fans. Generally, most sweepstakes casinos payout pretty fast, with these being some of the most reliable:

• Stake.us. Cash withdrawals usually only take a few minutes, whereas merchandise can take several days or even weeks.
• McLuck. Up to 3 days.
• Crown Coins. 3 to 5 business days.
• Chumba Casino. Cash transfers can take up to 10 days, whereas gift cards can be as little as 2 days.
• WOW Vegas. 3 to 5 business days.

If you ever personally experience withdrawals taking too long or believe there’s been a technical error, most sweepstakes casinos have technical support where you can speak to someone and have your issue flagged. If your prize redemption is taking too long, they’ll fix it as fast as they can. 

States That Allow Sweeps Casinos

There’s actually been a lot of controversy surrounding sweepstakes casinos ever since 2024, which has seen a growing number of states start to ban them. This is because many state officials believe sweepstakes casinos are still technically gambling sites and so should follow the same laws and regulations that traditional online casinos do.

Worry not, though, sweepstakes players, because these casinos are currently only outlawed in California, Connecticut, Idaho, New Jersey, Michigan, Montana, and Washington. If you live in one of the remaining 43 states, you can still easily play inside any sweepstakes casino you like as long as you’re above the legal playing age, which is usually 18 or 21.

Whether you join the up-and-coming Lonestar or go with a classic operator like Chumba Casino, keep your Sweeps Coins stacked high and enjoy all of the free-to-play games on offer.