At first glance, they look like distant cousins, but a sweepstakes contest and a sweepstakes casino are basically two very different families.

To put it in an example, a sweepstakes contest is like a social media giveaway. Participants send their entries, maybe follow a few listed accounts, and cross their fingers, hoping the draw picks them as the winner. There is no active gameplay or ongoing entertainment. Entrants simply submit entries and wait for the draw. 

A sweepstakes casino, on the other hand, instead of waiting to be picked, players play casino-style games such as slots, blackjack, poker, crash, and more with a dual-virtual currency setup. Players don’t need to wager any real money like in traditional online casinos. 

In a sweepstakes casino, two coins matter: Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). Gold Coins are the fun money that players use to play and feel the rush of the slot spin or Crash. GC is the currency of entertainment. SC, by contrast, are the ones that can actually turn into tangible rewards ranging from gift cards, vouchers, and even real cash. 

The biggest difference?

Contests are pure luck. It includes no gameplay, no skill, just entries and draws. On the other hand, sweepstakes casinos invite you to play games and win rewards. 

However, in both sweepstakes casinos and sweepstakes contests, the operators must ensure the platform setup is compliant with the operating region to stay on the right side of sweepstakes laws.