If you take the time to sit back and think about how casinos have evolved in recent decades, it is truly astounding how the times have changed. The digital world has well and truly arrived, and this has massively transformed the way that many people enjoy casino games. Of course, land-based casinos still exist, and they certainly have their charms. However, lots of people now spend their free time on online casinos, which host a huge range of games and immersive experiences.
Although the above should rightly be seen as a positive transition, there are a few things to consider. Notably, beginners venturing into the online casino world are faced with risks and challenges that they perhaps weren’t as exposed to with land-based establishments. Whether those risks relate to legal issues, online casino rules, understanding the vast number of games, navigating promotional offers, remaining secure online, or even just avoiding unnecessary financial losses, newcomers need to be careful. That’s where sweepstakes casinos come in – a new type of online casino that is perfect for beginner casino players.
In this post, we’re going to run through the following points, to help newcomers navigate their way around online casinos safely:
- What sweepstakes casinos are and how they work.
- The legality of sweepstakes casinos.
- How sweepstakes casinos are perfect options for newcomers to online casinos.
Introducing Sweepstakes Casinos
At this point, you might be wondering “What is a sweepstakes casino?”, and that’s a great question.
In short, sweepstakes casinos are like most other online casinos in many ways because they offer a lot of the same experiences to users – slot machines, table games, jackpots, live dealer experiences, and so on.
Outside of the games, the best casinos for sweepstakes are like online casinos in other ways too. For example, players can take advantage of promotion offers, which is a great incentive for them to continue to play.
Explaining How Sweepstakes Casinos Work
So, what’s the difference between traditional online casinos and sweepstakes casinos? It all comes down to how they work.
If you’re unfamiliar with how traditional online casinos work, it’s simple – users make cash deposits and then use that balance to play games, which is the act of gambling.
Sweepstakes do things differently because they don’t allow users to play games with real money. Instead, two alternative currencies are used, which are outlined below:
Gold Coins
The first alternative currency used at sweepstakes casinos is Gold Coins. These sometimes have a different name but work in the same way. Users can buy Gold Coins from a sweepstakes casino, which are then used to play games. It’s important to note that Gold Coins aren’t worth any real money, and they can’t be exchanged or withdrawn.
Sweeps Coins
The second alternative currency used at sweepstakes casinos is Sweeps Coins. Again, they sometimes have a different name but work in the same way. Sweeps Coins cannot be purchased but are given to players for free for lots of different things – registering, as a bonus when buying Gold Coins, logging in regularly, through giveaways, and so on.
Like Gold Coins, Sweeps Coins aren’t worth any real money. However, they can be exchanged for prizes, which include real money. This can then be withdrawn, just as it could be at a traditional online casino.
Understanding the Legality of Sweepstakes Casinos
Before we get to the reasons why sweepstakes casinos are perfect for beginners, it’s worth noting that they also offer another benefit – they are legal in many US states where online gambling is prohibited.
You might be wondering how this could be, but it’s simple – the sweepstakes model.
Instead of allowing real money gambling, sweepstakes casinos conform to sweepstakes regulations (hence the name), and this bypasses online casino restrictions in 49 states. Washington is currently an exception to this because the Washington State Gambling Commission views sweepstakes casinos as platforms that offer raffles and promotional contests of chance – something it still considers illegal within the state.
Reasons Why Sweepstakes Casinos Are Perfect for Beginners
Right, let’s get to the main point of this post. There are several reasons why sweepstakes casinos are perfect for beginners, including the following points:
Removing Financial Risks
Without a doubt, one of the main reasons why sweepstakes casinos are perfect for beginner players is that they remove financial risk. Because users can play casino games with Sweeps Coins, which are given out for free and without the requirement for a real money deposit, there is no gambling involved. That means that users can enjoy a wide range of games without the potential to lose any real money.
Understanding How to Play Games
One of the biggest issues for new online casino users is understanding how the games are played. This is made worse when real money is on the line because it increases pressure to learn quickly. With sweepstakes casinos, this isn’t an issue because players don’t have any money at risk. Therefore, they can take their time to understand how the games work.
Witnessing Losing Streaks
When playing online casino games, users will inevitably lose hands, spins, and so on regularly. This is a part of what makes playing games so exciting – there are winners and losers. Sweepstakes casinos are perfect for beginners in this sense because they provide a platform for users to play for free regularly, which leads to lots of opportunities to experience losing streaks. Understanding this will often lead to more responsible attitudes towards games in the long term and, therefore, safer behaviors if playing for real money in the future.
Developing Impulse Control
Impulse control can be a major problem for some people, and this is a recipe for disaster when playing casino games for real money because it can lead to significant financial losses. With sweepstakes casinos, this isn’t a problem because there is no real money to lose. Therefore, beginners can learn to play responsibly on these platforms before they play for real money at traditional online casinos. In other words, beginners can use sweepstakes casinos to hone their skills and behavior, which will benefit them in the long run.
