Sign up for the app, then choose your preferred game and platform. Then you need to choose what prize you want to play for – $1, $10 or $25. Press “Ready” and we’ll find you an opponent.
This page focuses on the basics of sweepstakes and social casinos, how these platforms operate, and what to expect before signing up. Stakester is your guide when choosing the right platform as we test and review legal sweepstakes and social casinos in the U.S.
What Is Stakester and How Does It Work?
Stakester is a sweepstakes and social casino directory. We list sweepstakes casinos, test them, write reviews of their offerings, and compare them based on bonuses, available games, redemptions, user and platform experience, and trust and reputation.
The majority of the listed platforms operate like sweepstakes. You get a token upon signup, use this for gameplay, and get rewarded with redeemable prizes. Stakester does the initial work, we review these platforms, and you choose whatever fits your gameplay.
We Have Answers!
What Are Sweepstakes Casinos?
Sweepstakes casinos work differently compared to traditional online casinos. They do not use money for betting. Instead, they have two types of virtual currencies:
- Gold Coins (GC): Used for standard gameplay and have no cash value, like tokens.
- Sweeps Coins (SC): Promotional currency that is redeemable for prizes.
This structure is built around sweepstakes laws, which require a no purchase necessary option. This way, users can join in without having to put in any money.
What Are Social Casinos?
Social casinos are play-for-fun platforms that simulate casino games without offering any real-money prizes or redemptions. They operate using a single virtual currency, which has no cash value and cannot be exchanged for money or rewards.
Players use these coins to access slots, table games, and other casino-style content purely for entertainment. There is no sweepstakes structure, no secondary currency, and no prize system tied to gameplay.
This makes social casinos the simplest model:
- One currency
- No redemptions or payouts
- No sweepstakes entry mechanics
- Focus entirely on casual gameplay
If a platform introduces redeemable rewards or a second currency, it moves out of the social casino category and into the sweepstakes model.
What Are Social Sportsbooks?
Social sportsbooks follow the same play-for-fun model as social casinos but focus on sports prediction and betting simulations instead of casino games.
Users place picks on sports events using virtual currency, with no real money risk and no real-world payouts. Like social casinos, these platforms:
- Use a single virtual currency
- Do not offer cash prizes or redemptions
- Simulate real sportsbook experiences (odds, spreads, parlays)
Some platforms may introduce sweepstakes-style mechanics (like redeemable tokens), but once rewards or prize redemption are involved, they shift into a sweepstakes sportsbook model, not a pure social sportsbook.
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