Unlock the world of legal poker in the United States with sweepstakes poker sites.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unravel the mechanics and legality of sweepstakes poker. If you’ve ever wondered how it’s possible to win real money prizes playing on social poker apps, you’re in the right place. These social poker apps operate on a unique sweepstakes model, allowing them to host online poker games, and allowing you to walk away with real money prizes.
Whether you’re a seasoned poker player or new to the world of online poker, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about winning real money prizes playing social poker games online.
Get ready to explore the top social poker sites, learn how to win real money prizes in a secure and legal environment, and how to make sure you get the best deals available playing sweepstakes online poker.
What is Sweepstakes Poker?
Sweepstakes poker is a type of social poker app that gives players a chance to compete for real money prizes playing online poker in states that do not have traditional real money online poker sites yet. Plus, sweepstakes poker sites are in line with relevant US gaming laws, making them completely legal in nearly all US states.
Sweepstakes Poker Basics
Traditional real money online poker in the US is currently only available in a handful of states. However, social poker sites that use sweepstakes laws to offer online poker games where players can exchange their winnings for cash prizes without breaking any laws are available in almost all states.
Social poker sites that offer real money prizes have two types of tokens that can be used to play online poker, Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC).
- ✅ Can be used to play Gold Coins poker tournaments and ring games
- ✅ Can be obtained for free
- ✅ Can be purchased
- ❌Cannot be exchanged for real money prizes
- ✅ Can be used to play Sweeps Coins poker tournaments and ring games
- ✅ Can be obtained for free
- ❌ Cannot be purchased
- ✅ Can be exchanged for real money prizes
At social poker sites, players do not make deposits or withdrawals like what would be done at traditional online poker rooms. Instead, they purchase Gold Coins tokens and redeem Sweeps Coins tokens for real money prizes, or they purchase a subscription to be able to play games that award real money prizes.
When purchasing Gold Coins, you will almost always receive a number of Sweeps Coins as a free gift (you can get Sweeps Coins through a variety of different methods which are discussed in detail in the section below). You use Sweeps Coins to play Sweeps Coins poker games then you can redeem them for real money cash prizes.
Typically Sweeps Coins can be exchanged at 1:1 rate, meaning 100 Sweeps Coins can be exchanged for $100 in cash via check or bank transfer. You cannot withdraw Sweeps Coins directly, as they are just game tokens.
On sweepstakes poker sites that offer subscriptions, players pay a monthly fee which grants them access to tournaments with cash prizes and packages to live events without any further costs.
All sweepstakes poker sites also offer poker games that for for entertainment purposes only, these are typically played with Gold Coins which can never be exchanged for real money prizes.
This setup makes US sweepstakes poker sites completely legal in most states. The sweepstakes concept has been used by companies outside the gaming industry for decades to reward their customers.
Obtaining & Using Sweeps Coins
To play for real money prizes, you will need Sweeps Coins, and one of the easiest way to get these is through Gold Coin purchases. With most Gold Coin purchases, you will receive a certain number of SC. For example, you could come across an offer like:
- Buy 100,000 Gold Coins for $19.99 & receive a 20 Sweeps Coin gift
- Purchase 1,000,000 Gold Coins for $99.99 and get 100 Sweeps Coins
Perhaps the most common way of accumulating Sweeps Coins is by winning them at the poker tables, but they can also be obtained as free gifts for completing certain tasks such as logging into your account or requesting them by mailing in a post card. Some sites also award them for interacting with their accounts on social media.
At most sweepstakes poker sites, you will have two running balances, one showing your GC count and the other showing the number of available SCs. Likewise, every platform is divided into two sections — SC games and GC games.
If you want to play with SC, you will need to switch to the Sweeps Coin side of things, and then you can use your balance to enter tournaments and join ring game tables — just like you would in any poker room. So, to buy into a 0.50SC/1SC ring game, you could bring 100 SC from your balance.
Redeeming Prizes at Sweepstakes Poker Sites
You can exchange some or all of your Sweeps Coins for prizes at almost any point, provided you have the minimum required amount. Usually, it is $20 worth of SC to redeem gift cards and $50 to redeem cash, although these amounts can vary between platforms.
How to Redeem Sweeps Coins for Real Money Prizes
- Navigate to the redemption section on the website
- Enter the amount of SC you want to redeem
- Choose the redemption method (gift cards, bank transfers, PayPal)
- Confirm your request
- You can expect to receive your prize within a few days
When it comes to Sweeps Coins values, these also differ. Usually, 1 SC is redeemable for $1 at the redemption stage, but if a poker site you play on has a different setup, it will be explained. Regardless of the ratio of SC to real money, you should have no problems figuring that part out within a few minutes.
Playing for Real Money Prizes
The most important thing about sweepstakes online poker is that you can compete for real prizes, but the process may be slightly confusing for those new to these platforms. So, here is a quick and simple explanation.
We have already discussed how you obtain Sweeps Coins. Once you have an SC balance, you are ready to join the action.
First, make sure you switch to the sweeps side of the site, as this is where you will find games with real cash prizes. The other side offers games with Gold Coins, which have no redemption value outside the games.
Once inside the sweeps lobby, you will have the option to choose between different game types, namely:
- Tournaments (MTTs)
- Cash games
- Sit & Go’s
Pick based on your preference and use filters to find the kind of games you are interested in. For instance, you can filter by stakes, number of seats at the table, etc.
Now, all that is left is to join the game. Click on the table/tournament you wish to join and use your Sweeps Coins to buy in. The amount will be deducted from your balance, and you will be entered into the tournament, or chips will be added to your stack if you join a cash game.
When you are done playing, leave the table, and any money you take out will be added back to the balance to be used later or exchanged for prizes at your leisure. In the case of tournaments, you will receive SC prizes straight into your balance whenever you make it into the money.
To sum it up, playing poker for real money prizes at sweepstakes sites is not complicated. Once you get used to the platform, it is the same thing you have been doing for years at other online poker rooms, just with an extra step or two in between.
Top Games at Sweepstakes Poker Sites
Sweepstakes online poker sites offer all the games you are used to — multi-table tournaments (MTTs), cash games, and sit & go’s. You can pick and choose from different options, and there are different buy-in levels to cater to all player types.
Sweepstakes Poker Tournaments
You will find a variety of tournament options at US poker sweepstakes sites. It is not only daily events that will keep you busy, as there are frequent series with big guaranteed prize pools.
In terms of tournament entries, there are events for every budget, so whether you are a micro stakes grinder or someone with a bigger gaming bankroll, you will have no problem finding tournaments to meet your expectations.
Cash Games at Sweepstakes Poker Sites
Sweepstakes poker sites offer a good selection of ring game tables, albeit you will be limited to the two most popular variations — No-Limit Hold’em and Omaha (PLO and Hi/Lo).
In terms of stakes, you will find games at both ends of the spectrum. There are micro and low-limit games running regularly and some higher-stakes tables that may not run with the same frequency but often enough to keep you in the game.
Best Sweepstakes Poker Sites
We recommend Clubs Poker for sweepstakes poker in the US. It’s a new platform, but it runs on modern software and has features that many of its rivals either don’t have, or don’t have all. We expect it will grow to become a very popular platform for players.
Here are short descriptions for three sweepstakes poker sites that legally operate in the US:
Clubs Poker
Clubs Poker is a new online poker site that follows the “modern” sweepstakes model (described earlier). Although the poker room is new, we expect that it will be very popular with players because it offers features like bad beat jackpots, bomb pots, rabbit hunting, run it twice, and straddles.
The platform offers No-Limit Texas Hold’em (NLH), Pot Limit Omaha (PLO), Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud, HORSE, and 2-7 Draw, among other games. Recreational players will likely be attracted to the site, creating plenty of soft games. Clubs Poker is headquartered in Philadelphia.
Read our full review of Clubs Poker »
ClubWPT
ClubWPT is another poker site operating on a sweepstakes model but featuring a somewhat different setup. Here, players can pay for a monthly membership, which grants them access to a certain number of tournaments every day. These tournaments offer real money prizes and packages to live WPT events.
The site is owned by the World Poker Tour, one of the largest organizations in all of poker, which means that players don’t have to worry about the ClubWPT reputation and can rest assured that any prizes they won playing on the site will be awarded as promised.
One downside of ClubWPT is that there are no ring games where players can win real money prizes. The platform focuses exclusively on tournaments, but the daily schedule is quite rich, offering plenty of action to keep you busy.
Read our full review of ClubWPT »
Global Poker
Global Poker is another operator that follows the “modern” sweepstakes model. It offers everything you will find on traditional real money platforms and provides opportunities to play for cash prizes in both cash games and tournaments.
The site has built a pristine reputation over the years, building a top-quality online poker platform based on the sweepstakes model. As already mentioned, among other things, Global Poker hosts major tournament series with millions in guaranteed prizes.
You will have no problems obtaining Sweeps Coins on the site, giving you access to games with real money prizes across all stakes. When the time comes, redeeming your cash prizes is just as simple at Global Poker, so it is no surprise many US poker players choose this platform.
Read our full review of Global Poker »
Payment Options at US Poker Sweepstakes Sites
As mentioned earlier, the easiest way to obtain Sweeps Coins is by purchasing Gold Coin packages and collecting the attached Sweeps Coin rewards. You cannot purchase SCs directly, but once you understand the mechanics of these platforms, this does not make a big difference.
Sweeps poker sites in the US support a variety of safe and reliable payment options, such as:
- Bank transfers
- PayPal
- Visa
- MasterCard
You can use these methods to purchase Gold Coins, resulting in complementary Sweeps Coins, and also receive your prizes once you redeem them from the site’s online store.
Purchasing GC & Receiving SC
The process of purchasing Gold Coins at most US online sweeps poker sites is simple and straightforward.
How to Purchase Gold Coins and Get Sweeps Coins at a Sweepstakes Poker Site
- Select the package you want to purchase
- Choose the payment method from the list of available options
- Confirm the purchase by entering the required details
- Complete the transaction to receive your Gold Coins and complimentary Sweeps Coins
- Both types of coins will be available immediately after a successful purchase
Once coins are in your balance, you can check out and join available games following the procedure we explained earlier on this page.
Other Social Poker Options in the US: Subscription-Based Sites
If you want to play online poker for real prizes, sweeps poker sites are the most popular option, but they are not the only one. Several platforms operate on a club model, where paying a certain membership fee will give you access to games with real prizes, such as cash, merchandise, trips, and entries into various live tournaments.
A good example of this type of social poker site is Club WPT, where all members get to compete for over $100,000 worth of prizes every month. You must pay a monthly membership fee to gain access to these games, providing added benefits, such as access to valuable poker training materials.
Another popular social poker option is ClubGG, which features a platform very similar to that of Club WPT. For a monthly fee, you will get access to $200,000 worth of tournament tickets monthly, access to GGClass, and more.
Social poker clubs are a great option for fans of tournament poker. However, they do not offer any ring game action, which is probably the biggest downside of these sites.
Sweepstakes Poker FAQ
Can I win real money prizes at US sweepstakes poker sites?
Yes, you can win real money prizes at sweepstakes poker sites in the United States. You can exchange your Sweeps Coins for gift cards or cash without any problems.
Are sweepstakes online poker sites really legal in the United States?
Yes, sweepstakes poker sites are completely legal in the United States and available to players in most states (Washington, Idaho, and Michigan are a few notable exceptions). These sites are legal because the way they operate does not violate any current relevant laws and regulations.
How can I claim real money prizes at sweepstakes poker sites?
You can earn real prizes by exchanging your Sweeps Coins in your online account section. In most cases, you can redeem for gift cards or cash, depending on the total amount.
Can I play cash games at sweepstakes poker sites?
Cash games are available at sweepstakes poker sites in the US, and you will find a solid variety of stakes across the board. As for the game variations, you can play No-Limit Hold’em and Omaha (PLO and O8).
Are there any sweepstakes online poker tournaments available?
Yes, of course. There are many daily and weekly sweepstakes poker tournaments on offer. You can also compete in big series with large guarantees, such as Global Poker’s Eagle Cup.