Rhode Island Sweepstakes Social Casinos
Like many other states, Rhode Island has fully embraced in-person and online sports betting. Still, online gambling is pretty limited as the state has legalized the practice only recently, in 2024. However, you’ll still find many online sweepstakes casinos, as casino-style gaming with sweepstakes is entirely legal here.
Best RI Sweepstakes Casinos - How Do These Platforms Work?
As you’ve seen, thanks to the generally favorable treatment of the industry, Rhode Island is home to several dozen, if not a hundred sweepstakes casinos. They all operate under the same rules and have largely the same sweepstakes system that’s legal in most US states.
However, the platforms differ extensively in their offerings, especially casino-style games and promotions. Due to that, it can be hard to pick the sweepstakes casinos that offer the best overall experience. To make it easier, we’ve researched the market and tested numerous sites, and now we have a couple of exciting platforms we believe are among the best:
• Mega Bonanza
• Jackpota
• WOW Vegas
• Hello Millions
• McLuck
You can expect to use the same two types of virtual currencies on all of these, albeit they might be called by different names, unique to the sweepstakes casinos on which they are used. Here’s the gist:
• Gold coins (GC) - These are used for playing only and cannot be redeemed for prizes, nor do they have any value. You can get them for free through various promotions or purchase gold coin packages containing them. In some cases, GCs can be used in most games on the site, but not all of them.
• Sweepstakes coins (SC) - These are used for promotional play, meaning you can redeem them later for cash prizes as long as you meet certain criteria. You get them free through promotions and as free extras in select gold coin packages. On some sites, SCs unlock all games in the library, as a particular portion doesn’t accept GC.
This dual-currency system is what allows sweepstakes casinos to operate under most state-specific sweepstakes rules.
FAQ
Are online sweepstakes casinos legal in Rhode Island?
Yes, sweepstakes casinos are entirely legal in Rhode Island. No local rules limit their use or require them to make alterations to their standard offerings.
Can I win real money playing at Rhode Island sweepstakes casinos?
No, you can’t. You can only use sweepstakes coins to play casino-style games, and once you meet specific criteria, you’ll get to redeem them for prizes, typically gift cards and cash prizes.
Can I get bonuses at RI sweepstakes casinos?
Although Rhode Island social sweepstakes casinos don’t have standard deposit bonuses, they do have various types of free promotions, including welcome no deposit bonuses, social media contests, and daily login bonuses. They also have discounts on gold coin packages.
Sweepstakes Casino Law in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has the old Prizes and Gifts Act of 2006 that lays the groundwork for sweepstakes casinos to operate in the form that they do throughout the United States.
There’s nothing that restricts their use as long as they adhere to sweepstakes rules, meaning you cannot be obligated to pay for a game of chance, nor can you get rewards in exchange for real money.
Moreover, there are no special rules some other states tend to place, meaning that most social sweepstakes casinos that work in many different states operate the same in the Ocean State.
There are a few notable exceptions, like Stake.us and High 5 Casino. High 5 Casino has recently left several states due to a court case, so Rhode Island isn’t an outlier in this regard.
However, remember that the legal age for registering and playing at sweepstakes casinos in Rhode Island is 18.
History of Sweepstakes Casinos in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has long been friendly toward gambling. The first recorded lottery was in 1744, even before the United States gained independence.
As for modern gambling, the state legalized horse racing betting in 1934, while the official lottery began in the 1970s.
Casino fans had the chance to try games like poker when charitable gambling was legalized in 1979. The few land-based casinos in the state came about later, when they introduced table games in 2010, much later than casinos gained popularity throughout the country.
Daily fantasy sports were deemed legal in 2016, which effectively paved the way for social sweepstakes casinos, while sports betting was fully legalized in 2018, or soon after the federal ban was overturned.
Around the same time, the first sweepstakes casinos started popping up nationwide. They automatically started offering their services in Rhode Island, too, since no laws forbade them.
Rhode Island fully legalized real money online casinos in 2024, becoming the 7th state to do so. However, the market has yet to start expanding. Once it does, there’s a slight chance that the government might try to limit sweepstakes casinos or ban them entirely so they don’t damage the up-and-coming online gambling market. Consequently, it’s important to keep a close eye on new developments in the space.
