Glossary
Sweepstakes casino
A US casino-style site run under sweepstakes law with 2 virtual currencies: one bought and played for fun, one given away free and redeemable for prizes. Not the same as sweepstakes offers, which are giveaway lead-gen.
Also called: sweeps casino, social sweepstakes casino, dual-currency casino.
The model rests on "no purchase necessary." Players buy packages of a play currency, often called Gold Coins, that cannot be cashed out. Purchases come with a bonus of the second currency, often called Sweeps Coins, which can also be obtained free, for example through a mail-in request or daily rewards. Wins in that currency are redeemed for cash or gift cards. The operator's legal position depends on that structure and its vocabulary: purchases and redemptions, not deposits and withdrawals.
This entry covers the casino model. On aliencpa, Sweepstakes means something else: giveaway lead offers where a user enters to win a prize and the affiliate is paid per SOI, DOI or card submit. Sweepstakes casino programs pay more like casino deals, per first purchase or as a revenue share.
The catch is state law. Legality is decided state by state, and a growing number of states have passed bans, several of them in 2026, with more bills every session. When a state bans the model, brands geo-block it and your traffic from there stops paying. Get each program's current list of excluded states and target by state, not by country.
Related terms: Sweepstakes, Gambling, iGaming license, GEO, Affiliate program.