Key Points
Find out how a Reddit user was able to secure real-life prizes at sweepstakes casinos
You can collect virtual currencies for free at the best sweepstakes casinos
Sidepot and Real Prize are our two top recommended sweepstakes brands
Today I will explain how a Reddit user made money from social casinos. Or, to be more accurate, how they managed to redeem cash prizes by collecting and playing with Sweeps Coins (SC).
For those unaware, sweepstakes casinos are sites where you can play casino-style games using virtual currency only. One of these virtual currencies – Sweeps Coins, can be redeemed for real prizes if you win more SC and meet certain requirements. More importantly in this context, all US sweepstakes casinos are obliged to give you free SC to play with.
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What are sweepstakes casinos?
Before I go any further, let me first give you a quick explanation of how sweepstakes casinos work.
Sweepstakes, or “social”, casinos are sites where you can play casino-style games for fun and for free. The games they feature are just like those at traditional casinos, except that you play the games with virtual currency only.
Another key component is that sweepstakes casinos are free to play. All sites offer a free welcome offer as well as free daily reloads, and other no-cost promotions. To remain compliant with US sweepstakes laws, each sweeps site must let you play its games without needing to make a any purchases.
Gold Coins (GC) vs Sweeps Coins (SC)
Most sweepstakes casinos operate using a dual virtual currency system:
- Gold Coins (GC): These can only be used to play games for fun and have no monetary or real-world value. You can collect GC through free promotions and can purchase them in bundles using your credit/debit card, but that is entirely optional.
- Sweepstakes Coins (SC): This is a promotional virtual currency that acts as your sweepstakes entries. If you win when playing with SC, meet the playthrough conditions, and the minimum balance requirement, your eligible SCs can be redeemed for real prizes. More importantly, you can never buy SCs – they can only be collected through free promotions.
How this Reddit user redeemed real prizes at sweepstakes casinos
Now that you understand how a sweepstakes casino works, here’s how Reddit user r/frugalspins managed to collect and redeem Sweeps Coins at various sweepstakes casino sites:
The Reddit user in question began by claiming as many free Sweeps Coin offers as possible from various sweepstakes casinos:
- Free sign-up offers: Firstly, they claimed free SCs through the signup offer, something that’s available at most sweepstakes casinos (for example at Sidepot you can get up to 5 SC free when you register).
- Daily reloads: Most sweepstakes casinos give you a small amount of free SCs every day for logging into your account (e.g. Sidepot gives you 1 SC free every 24 hours).
- Purchase promotions: This user looked for special Gold Coin purchase promotions that gave them free SCs as a bonus (e.g. at Real Prize you can get 70 SC free with your first $35 GC purchase).
Play slots with SCs
Most sweepstakes casinos, including Sidepot and Real Prize, have a 1x playthrough requirement for bonus Sweeps Coins, which must be met to make them redeemable.
This user met the requirement by playing 0.10 to 0.20 SC minimum limit games, then didn’t touch their SC winnings until they had enough to make them redeemable. Of course, there are no surefire ways
to win at sweepstakes casinos
but sticking to slot games only is often a good strategy.
Personally, alongside the Reddit user’s approach of low limits, I also play high-RTP games to reduce the variance. This, on average, gives you smaller wins but more frequently, which can help keep your SC balance steady. The industry average RTP is 96%, so keep your eyes open for slots that exceed that figure.
Redeeming Sweeps Coin winnings for real prizes
Once the 1x playthrough and minimum balance thresholds are met, you can make a request to redeem your SC winnings for real money prizes. At most sweepstakes casinos, the redemption ratio is 1 SC = $1.00 in prize value.
To give you an idea of the minimum balance thresholds, here are the requirements at Sidepot and Real Prize:
| Prize Type |
Sidepot |
Real Prize |
| Cash Prize Redemption Minimum |
100 FC |
100 SC |
| Gift Card Redemption Minimum |
N/A |
45 SC |
Try it out for yourself with these two sweepstakes casinos
I should point out that you cannot win real money directly from gameplay at any sweepstakes casino. Moreover, sweepstakes are, by definition, games of chance. That being said, if you fancy giving it a try, here are my two picks for the best US sweepstakes casino promotions currently available.
| Sweepstakes Casino |
Free Signup Offer |
Daily Reload |
First-Purchase Promotion |
| Sidepot |
10,000 Fliff Coins + 5 Fliff Cash |
10,000 Fliff Coins + 1 Fliff Cash |
80,000 Fliff Coins + 40 Fliff Cash free for $19.99 |
| Real Prize |
100,000 GC + 2 SC |
5,000 GC + 0.3 SC |
350,000 GC + 70 SC free for $35 |
Sidepot – 10,000 Fliff Coins + 5 Fliff Cash
Sidepot.us Sweepstakes Experience
- Intuitive interface boosts the gaming experience
- Wide variety of sweepstakes options available
- Mobile compatibility allows access from any device
- Efficient customer support
Visit Sidepot
First up, we have Sidepot, the sweepstakes casino sister site to the famed Fliff social betting app. When you register here, you can get up to 5 Fliff Cash free, which is this brand’s equivalent of Sweeps Coins. On top of that, you can claim 1 Fliff Cash daily and get 40 free Fliff Cash as a bonus with your first $19.99 Fliff Coin purchase (100% extra).
You can use the Fliff Cash you get from these promotions to play a great selection of casino-style games. Some of my favorites include the originals, like Crash, Dice, and HiLo.
RealPrize – 70 SC free with your first Gold Coin purchase
RealPrize Casino: Pros & Cons
- Generous Bonus Offer
- Intuitive User Interface
- Variety of Purchase Options
- Comprehensive Customer Support
- Mobile App Convenience
- Limited Live Support Options
- Restricted in Some States
Visit Real Prize
As the name suggests, this is a sweepstakes casino where you can indeed redeem real prizes if you play and win with Sweeps Coins. To get you on your way, there’s a 100,000 GC and 2 SC welcome offer, followed by a 5,000 GC and 0.30 SC daily reload bonus.
On top of that, you get a choice between two Gold Coin purchase promotions as a new player. If the 350,000 GC package is too pricey for you at $35, you can instead opt for the $25 pack. This gets you 250,000 GC and comes with a 50 SC free bonus.
You can potentially redeem SC winnings for cash prizes
Although this Reddit user was boasting a little in his post, the basis of what he said is true. If you play at sweepstakes casinos using Sweeps Coins, or the branded alternative, your SC winnings can potentially be redeemed for cash prizes. However you need to be aware that it is not entirely that simple.
You must first collect free SC through bonuses, then use them at least once to play games. If you win more Sweeps Coins, they become eligible for redemption. But I’m not done yet – you will also need to collect a minimum amount of eligible SC, typically 100. Lastly, you will need to have a fully-verified account before you can even put in a redemption request. So now you know exactly how this all works and if you still fancy having a go for yourself, then our two recommended sweepstakes sites are a great place to get started.
