Sweepstakes Casinos in Canada

Sweeps casinos are not licensed by provincial regulators like the AGCO or Loto-Québec. Still, these sites are allowed to operate as they position themselves as “social gaming” platforms. Here are a few regulatory considerations important for the sweepstakes casino space in the country:

• No Purchase Necessary: Under the Criminal Code of Canada, an online casino game is considered to be illegal if it includes these elements: Prize, Chance, and Consideration (payment) unless authorized. Online sweepstakes casinos eliminate Consideration to stay legal.
• No-Buy Barrier: To stay legal, sweepstakes casinos offer players the chance to earn sweeps coins through daily login bonuses or mail-in requests. Direct purchases are not allowed.
• The Skill Element: Again, per the Criminal Code, companies aren’t allowed to award prizes based on chance (unless authorized). A workaround by most sweepstakes casinos is that they require winners from Canada to answer a math question before they can get their prize. This switches sweepstakes gaming to a blend of chance and skill.
• Provincial Differences: Sweepstakes casinos are still not welcome in all provinces. With Ontario having regulated traditional online casinos, it has a bit of an antagonistic approach to sweeps cash casinos. Quebec, on the other hand, requires all sites to adhere to the Charter of the French Language. Sweeps sites find it too expensive to translate all their sites and rules to French, so they don’t operate in that province.

Although the branding may sometimes differ, most sweepstakes casinos operate with a dual currency system that contains gold coins and sweeps coins. Here is a bit more information on it all.

Gold Coins (GC)

Gold coins are the legal shield of a sweepstakes casino. By selling or awarding gold coins instead of directly accepting deposits, sites avoid being flagged as traditional gambling sites. Due to their nature, players cannot trade, exchange, or redeem gold coins for cash or prizes directly. Generally, there are two ways to get GC:

• Free Methods: A sweepstakes platform can offer GC as a welcome bonus for signing up. Daily login bonuses usually come in the form of GC, while following the casino on social media platforms might also yield GC codes. Referral programs are another common way to get free GC.
• Purchasing Bundles: There is also the possibility to purchase GCs if you run out of them and want to keep playing. Players can use several local payment methods to purchase, and this is the most common way to get free sweeps coins.

Gold coins are ideal for players who want to try out new sweepstakes casinos and try out their game catalogues without investing anything or risking their sweeps balance.

Sweeps Coins (SC)

Sweeps coins (also known as sweepstakes coins) can be redeemed for real prizes, often cash or gift cards. Once you win through gameplay, you can exchange them based on the rate at the casino, which is usually 1 SC = C$1. An important note here is that no sweepstakes casino in Canada allows you to buy sweeps coins directly.

You cannot redeem SCs immediately after you receive them. They are always locked with wagering requirements (usually 1x) before they become redeemable winnings. Sweepstakes casinos cautiously allow players to get SCs in various ways, avoiding being categorized as a gambling platform under the Competition Act (Section 74.06):

• Free Gifts: Upon buying GC, you will get a certain amount of “free” SC.
• Logins: Besides bundles of GC, you can get a small amount of SC every day just for logging in.
• Mail-in Requests: You can send a handwritten request on a postcard to the operator’s head office requesting SC. They will then credit the amount to your account.
• Giveaways: Social media giveaways can lead to SC rewards for players.

Before prize redemption is possible, you need to reach the site’s minimum and solve a mandatory skill question. Here is how that process typically goes:

1. Complete ID Checks: Depending on the operator, you may be asked to complete a KYC process and confirm your identity to request a prize redemption.
2. Clear the Playthrough Requirements: Similar to requirements at real money online casinos, you need to wager the SC at least once (the amount might vary depending on the site). So, if you have 20 SCs, you will typically need 20 SCs worth of games before withdrawing.
3. Note the Minimum Threshold and the Method: Platforms have a minimum threshold for redemptions. More often than not, gift cards have a lower limit than cash prizes. Select which one suits you the most.
4. Enter the Payment Details: If you go for cash redemption, select your payment method and input the required credentials, such as bank account name or card number.
5. Proceed with the Question: When you click on the redeem button, you can expect an uncomplicated math equation to come your way. You will have a limited time window in which you need to solve it.
6. Wait for Confirmation and Processing: After submitting, you should receive confirmation of your request. Some casinos may take a few hours to a few business days to complete the transaction.

Since sweepstakes casinos cannot legally ask you to deposit funds, they rely on bonuses and promotions to distribute SC. Here are a few common offers you can come across on these sites, which are quite different from the regular online casino bonuses in Canada.

Welcome Offers

A welcome bonus is the first type of offer you can expect at sweeps casinos. It usually comprises two parts. You receive the first one as soon as you verify your account; it contains a large amount of GC and a small amount of SC. Then, the operator will offer a one-time discount on your first buy. You might be offered a bundle of GC that contains SC for a big discount, for which regular players pay the full price. Some sites can also offer so-called progressive welcome bonuses that contain different missions, such as verifying an email or playing games.

Daily Login Bonuses

Daily login bonuses are the most reliable way to build your coin balance on most sites. Every 24 hours, players can get a reload that can contain a big batch of GC and a smaller one of SC (usually just 1 SC). Some sites even increase the reward for logging in multiple days in a row, but the coin meter can reset to one if you fail to log in just one day. Some platforms also offer a prize wheel, which you can spin once a day to win a prize.

Free Spins and Sweeps Coins

Sweepstakes casinos can offer free spins as ongoing promotions for users to play casino-style games like online slots for free. The primary difference between SC and free spins is that the latter are locked to one specific slot or a category of games. Any winnings you manage to generate from free spins are credited to your balance as SC, and they can have wagering requirements attached before real cash prizes are redeemable.

Loyalty Programs

Today, many sweepstakes casinos have loyalty programs designed to reward players for their frequency of play. Such systems can work on a tiered basis. As you play games with SC or GC, you can earn loyalty points. The more points players collect, the higher their VIP level will be. Higher levels unlock better VIP rewards, which can include bigger daily bonuses, personal account managers, and rakeback deals.

Game libraries at top sweepstakes casinos differ little from what you may be used to at traditional casinos. These platforms still partner with the likes of Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw, NetEnt, and Yggdrasil to deliver diverse game selections.

Slot Games

Slots are the most popular type of game at sweepstakes casinos as well. These games can come in different subcategories, which include classic 3-reel slots, video slots with bonus rounds and diverse themes, as well as Megaways titles with a dynamic reel system. The most popular titles include Sugar Rush by Pragmatic Play and Bonanza Billion Xtreme by BGaming.

Table Games

RNG versions of classic table and card games that include numerous versions of baccarat, roulette, blackjack, and poker are available at most sweepstakes casinos. Particularly, Blackjack Multihand by Gaming Corps and Blackjack Rush Elite by Iconic21 are popular titles in Canada.

Live Dealer Games

Live dealer games have only become available at sweepstakes casinos in the past couple of years. These games allow players to play against real human dealers, and the action is streamed live from a studio. Players can bet SC, and most live games include a live chat where users can directly communicate with the dealer. Playtech and Enjoy Gaming are popular providers.

Other Games

Some sweepstakes casino sites also offer arcade-style games, which are also available in traditional operators (categorized as crash games mostly). The highlight of these games is the fast pace, which includes a rising object accompanied by a multiplier, which can crash at a random interval. Players need to cash out before it does.

All in all, sweepstakes casinos are inherently different from what traditional casino sites have to offer. Since they don’t provide direct real money wagering, they aren’t considered gambling platforms. Their playing mechanism requires users to buy or receive SC and GC, the former of which can be redeemed for cash prizes or gift cards.

This format is especially quite popular in the USA and is rising in Canada as well. Many sweepstakes operators have turned their eyes towards the Canadian market and started to make their platforms available in the country. Feel free to browse our top list if you’re looking for reliable sweepstakes casinos. You can also check out our casino reviews for more detailed insights.