We explain why there are two types of coins - simply
If You're discovering sweepstakes social casinos for the first time, and feeling a bit confused by the rules and terminology, then this is totally normal. But once explained, it's actually pretty simple.
This article helps explain the way sweepstakes work, and what the coins mean
When you sign up or make a purchase at a sweepstakes casino, you will see two different coin balances. You might also be asking why you need two types of money? There is actually actually a good reason, and once you get it, everything makes way more sense.
The short version: one coin type is purely for fun / free play (Gold Coins), the other one can actually turn into real money. Let me break it down the way I wish someone had explained it to me.
- Sweeps Coins (SC) - These are the ones that matter if you want to win real prizes. When you play with SC and win, you can redeem those winnings to your bank account, so they end up as cash. Switch to SC when you feel like being in 'actually win something" mode.
- Gold Coins (GC) - These are free play and only for fun. They're for testing out games, killing time, or just spinning slots without any pressure. As you can imagine, for us at penny-slot-machines, being free slot lovers, this is the one for us :)
You can't cash Gold Coins out, they are purely entertainment
Sweeps Coins - These come from promotions, giveaways, and technically you can request them through mail-in entries (although I've never heard of someone actually do that, I'm thiking about it, just for the laugh, and to tell the story).
The most common way to get these valuable coins is during an offer when you buy Gold Coins. Every site has offers, which are really good value, although does it slightly between them, so you'll want to check what they're offering.
Gold Coins - You will never have a lack of Gold Coin offers, and they are free. You can get them just from daily login, trounaments, random emails from the casino with promo codes, and laods more ways. Don't worry, you will most likely if all you do is contact customer supoort and ask.
And if you did ever run out, you can always buy packages of them directly for a few bucks.
Pro tip: When a casino emails you a promotion, actually read it. Sometimes there's a little extra offer just for clicking through and logging in that day.
Sweeps Coins - The sweepstakes nevr use the term "cash out" but technically, that's the whole point, to be able to redeem the coins into your bank account. You need to pass identity verification and hit the site's minimum withdrawal amount, but yes, these can turn into real money.
Gold Coins - No. GC are strictly for social play, and no amount of winning will change that.
No, this would not comply with sweepstakes regulations. Your chances of winning need to be the same in free play as they are in Sweeps Coin (SC) play, or it would not represent the game properly.
It may well be that some operators do this, who knows? But the sweepstakes we list have all reassured us that the odds of winning are the same, irrespective of which coin (free/gc or redeemable/sc) you play with.
You'll also see the same games, whicever coin you play with - you just pick which balance you want to play with before you start. The games themselves are identical.
My usual approach? I'll test a new game with Gold Coins first to see if I like how it plays and what the volatility is like. If it feels good and I'm hitting decent features, then I'll switch over to Sweeps Coins and play it for real. Saves me from wasting SC on games that turn out to be duds.
Helpful links:
FAQ
No. Sweeps Coins are a completely separate, and GC can not be converted into SC.
There is no purchase necessary - that is guaranteed, because it is a legal requirement for sweepstakes. All sites offer free SC, with no purchase, some even offer mail-in ways to get SC without spending anything, though the terms and process vary. Check the official rules on whatever site you're using.
1) Not checking which balance you are playing with before you start spinning
2) Not getting verified early - do that as soon as you sign up so you're not stuck waiting if you win big
3) Trying to redeem your SC, when you haven't reached the minimum threshold (usually 50-100 SC)
Both coin types have their place. Most people play just for fun with the free Gold Coins, and just sometimes, for that extra bit of excitmement, using a package that gives extra Sweeps Coins, to try and win big.
- Gold Coins are great for exploring new games and just relaxing without caring about wins and losses.
- Sweeps Coins are what you use when you actually want a shot at cashing out.
Once you understand that distinction, the whole two-coin system stops feeling weird and starts making sense.