Are You Spending More Than You Think at Sweepstakes Casinos?

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Sweepstakes casinos have become a multi-billion-dollar industry. There are currently more than 40 sweepstakes casinos and social sportsbooks on the market.
These free-to-play sites offer casino games played with Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins instead of “real” money.
So, how do sweepstakes casinos rake in so much money? Let’s take a look at the sweepstakes casino business model and determine if you’re spending more than you think.
How Much Do Players Spend at Sweepstakes Casinos?
The marketing company Optimove reported that players spend over $200 a month at sweepstakes casinos.
This amount is much lower than the average real-money casino deposit (over $800), yet it’s no small chunk of change.
According to Forbes, more than 11 million Americans play at sweepstakes casinos.
So, what’s the deal? If sweepstakes casinos market themselves as “freeplay” sites, how do they make so much revenue?
How the Sweepstakes Casino Business Model Works
Sweepstakes casinos make money from Gold Coin purchases. These coins cannot be redeemed for prizes but can be used in gameplay.
When you play with Sweepstakes Coins, on the other hand, you get the chance to redeem your SC winnings for cash prizes or gift card prizes.
Because Sweeps Coins can be obtained for free, there’s no way for sites to make money off these coins; however, since players might be incentivized to make a Gold Coins purchase because they’ll get a bonus of Free Sweeps Coins. This can drive up the sale of Gold Coins.
Tips for Keeping Track of Sweepstakes Casino PurchasesÂ
If you’re one of the players spending more than $200 a month on Gold Coins without even realizing it, you might want to consider keeping track of your spending.
Here are a few tips to ensure you’re not spending more than you think at sweepstakes casinos.
Take Advantage of Bonuses
Sweepstakes casinos offer no-deposit welcome bonuses, and you can redeem these bonuses at as many sites as you’d like (just don’t create dupe accounts to get more than one bonus at each site).
You can also claim daily login bonuses and request Sweepstakes Coins for free by mail.
Use Player Safety Tools
Use player safety tools like Gold Coin purchase limits and time checks to ensure you’re not spending too much time or money at sweepstakes casinos.
You can also self-exclude, close your account, or opt out of marketing emails (if you’re too tempted to make a Gold Coin purchase because of email marketing).
Create a Gold Coins Budget
Decide how much you want to spend on Gold Coins each day, week, or month, and stick to your budget.
Each time you make a Gold Coins purchase, log the transaction in a spreadsheet. Or, use a spending tracking app to keep an eye on your purchases.
This can help you keep your purchases within your budget and ensure you don’t end up spending more than you think at sweepstakes casinos.
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Alicia is OddsSeeker's Lead Editor & Fact Checker! She's been reviewing online casinos, sportsbooks, and other gaming since 2021, but has well over a decade of experience writing and editing for some of the largest online magazines and brands since 2011! Over her career, Alicia has worked as a travel and entertainment writer & editor contributing to widely read digital publications such as The Spruce, The Balance and The Spruce Pets, VeryWell, and TripSavvy. Alicia makes sure our readers can trust every word - holding both our team & our gaming operator partners to the highest standard to ensure that our readers always have the best possible experiences playing gaming online! Beyond OddsSeeker, Alicia is a marketing expert, entrepreneur, and avid traveler based in Connecticut!
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