Sweepstakes poker is growing fast in popularity. Not only does it let players win prizes like gift cards and cash transfers, but it’s also accessible from a large number of states. So, this guide is going to break down the legality of sweepstakes poker for you, letting you know exactly how and where you can play.
What Is Sweepstakes Poker?
- Sweepstakes poker uses virtual coins instead of real money
- You can win potential prizes that include gift cards and cash
- Play tournaments, Sit & Gos, and more
For new players, sweepstakes poker is a type of online poker played using virtual coins. These are called Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). There’s no real money involved, and you have to choose between one of those two currencies to play with before entering a lobby or tournament.
If you use Gold Coins, you play entirely for free, and it’s just for entertainment purposes. Sweeps Coins, on the other hand, have actual on-site value and are redeemable for prizes like gift cards, vouchers, cash transfers, and sometimes even cryptocurrencies. Essentially, whenever you play with Sweeps Coins, it’s more serious and competitive.
Across most sweepstakes poker platforms, 1 Sweeps Coin converts to $1. What this means is that if you played a game of sweepstakes Texas Hold’em and walked away from the table with 500 SC, you’d be able to redeem those coins for $500 worth of prizes. Or, you can stack those coins in your account balance and try to keep building your collection for bigger future prizes.
The actual rules and gameplay sequences of sweepstakes poker are exactly the same as regular poker, no matter which variation you’re playing. The only difference is that you’re playing with virtual coins instead of real cash. Depending on what type of lobby you’re in, some sweepstakes poker games can occasionally be more fast-paced, but that’s all there is when it comes to the differences.
Sweepstakes Poker Is Legal in the Majority of US States
The good thing about sweepstakes poker is that it’s legal in a huge number of states.
Whereas online poker is only officially legal in six states, sweepstakes poker is legal in over 33 states, making it much easier for a typical player to access online.
However, over the past year, a growing number of states have banned sweepstakes casinos and gaming sites following the dual-currency sweepstakes model.
It’s currently impossible to play sweepstakes poker in CA, CT, ID, IN, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, TN, or WA, but outside of those states, you’re good to go.
The reason why California, New York, and a handful of other states have banned sweepstakes poker is because they believe the prize-winning model, where Sweeps Coins can be exchanged for cash and other rewards, mimics real-life poker too closely and should therefore be treated the same way legally.
But if you want to play from Texas, Georgia, or any of the other 30+ states not in the banned or restricted list, you can.
Where to Play Sweepstakes Poker?
If you’re looking to play sweepstakes poker for the first time, there are quite a few options on the table. As long as you’re over the age of 21 and play from an eligible state, you’ll be able to access sweepstakes poker across any of these platforms:
Sweepstakes Casinos
In the US, sweepstakes casinos are extremely popular at the moment. The likes of Stake.us and Pulsz have millions of combined players, offering games like slots, roulette, and poker. For example, Stake.us has the exclusive ‘Stake Poker’, where there are countless lobbies to enjoy. And once you’ve collected enough SC, those coins can be redeemed for prizes, no matter which sweepstakes casino you’re playing in.
Sweepstakes Poker Sites
If you want a more ‘complete’ sweepstakes poker experience, go with a sweepstakes poker site. Clubs Poker and Global Poker are our top picks, as they come with a wide range of different tournaments, lobbies, and prize-winning opportunities.
Global Poker alone has its GP Championships like the Rattlesnake Open and Eagle Cup, along with its weekly poker tournaments like ‘Sunday Scrimmage’ (you can play all the popular variations of online poker, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Bounty Poker, and Crazy Pineapple, too). These types of sites, where you can only play sweepstakes poker and nothing else, are best suited to the more experienced players.
How a Typical Sweepstakes Poker Game Works
To give you an easy idea of how a sweepstakes poker game works from start to finish, we’ll use ‘Stake Poker’ from Stake.us as an example. It uses Texas Hold’em as its main format, and players get two hole cards and five community cards:
➜ Join a Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins lobby
➜ These lobbies can feature up to 9 players
➜ Play betting rounds (pre-flop, flop, turn, river)
➜ Win the pot by having the best 5-card hand or forcing others to fold
➜ Convert any Sweeps Coins you win for prizes
If you won 50 Sweeps Coins in a game of Stake Poker, you might redeem them for $50 worth of Bitcoin, or something similar.
If you’ve ever played any type of online poker before, though, you won’t find the transition to sweepstakes poker difficult at all, as the gameplay functions exactly the same.
Pretty much the only difference you’ll have to get used to is that you’re playing with virtual coins instead of real money.
Once you get the hang of that, it’s easy, and you can start hand-selecting the specific lobbies and tournaments you want to play in.
Verdict
Sweepstakes poker looks set to be a huge trend over the coming years.
Not only is it a free-to-play option for fans of online poker, but it also offers you the chance to redeem prizes like gift cards and cash transfers along the way, but you’ll need to collect enough Sweeps Coins to do this.
Best of all, you can access sweepstakes casinos and sweepstakes poker sites across the vast majority of states, excluding California, Indiana, and a small group of others.
Always keep in mind that if you just want to play for entertainment, use Gold Coins, whereas the serious prize-chasing players out there should play sweepstakes poker using Sweeps Coins.
