Are sweepstakes legal in California? Golden State social casinos
SOCIAL CASINOS or sweepstakes are sites are totally free to join and play at, very widely available around the country, including California.
In the case of sweepstakes games - they can also provide real cash prizes for players.
I will explain exactly how social gambling works in sunny California right here.
The state of gambling in California
There have been efforts made to introduce legal gambling in the state, notably two separate sports betting ballots in 2022, but both were voted down by a fairly significant margin at the polls. As someone who enjoys a little flutter now and then, it's disappointing to see these initiatives fail, especially when the possibility of legal online gambling could offer so much convenience.
California also has dozens of tribal casinos dotted around the stake, and any move to legislate for legal online gambling has been met with significant opposition from the tribes. The situation doesn’t look like it’s changing any time soon.
However, California residents do have another option: they can play online at the many social casinos and sweepstakes casinos that are available to residents of the Golden State.
Are sweepstakes legal in California?
Yes, they are. Sweepstakes are not legally considered a form of gambling, but rather simply a kind of promotional tool. This is how the games operate at social and sweeps casinos.
The games at social casinos do not fall into the category of regular, real money gambling, and therefore the sites don’t require a gambling license to operate.
Instead, they are simple, free-to-play games on the internet.
When you’re playing in sweepstakes mode - which I explain below - the sites offer the games using pre-existing laws designed for sweepstakes contests. It means that even though you aren’t playing with real money, you can still win real cash prizes and other prizes.
This is the model that has meant that social casinos are legally allowed to accept players from almost every single state in the US. The fact that California doesn’t allow real money gambling has no impact on the availability of sweepstakes casinos.
In my experience, even though the format is totally different from a legal point of view, social casinos can feel quite similar to traditional real money casino games.
In some cases, you can even play sweepstakes versions of the exact same games you might not know from real money sites, designed by the same software providers.
The best social casinos in California
California residents have access to some of the best social casinos in the US. Check out my list of favorite sites you can join right now:
- Fortune Coins - 1,250,000 GC + 4,300 SC
- Stake.us - 25 Stake Cash + 250,000 Gold Coins
- High 5 Casino - Get 5 Free Sweeps Coins + 250 GC + 600 Diamonds
- WOW Vegas - 1.5 million WOW Coins + 34.5 Free Sweepstake Coins
- Sportzino - Up to 220,000 GC + 10 SC
- Chumba Casino - 2,000,000 free GC + 2 free SC
- Luckyland Slots - 7777 gold coins + 10 sweeps coins free
- Zula Casino - 100,000 GC + 10 SC
- McLuck - 57,500 Gold Coins + up to 27.5 free Sweepstakes Coins
- Global Poker - Use code PLAYPOKER for exclusive Gold Coin offer
- Pulsz - up to 367,000 Gold Coins + 32.3 Free Sweepstakes Coins
- Funrize - 125,000 FREE Gold Coins
Fortune Coins welcome bonus
1,250,000 GC + 4,300 SC
18+ Available in all US states except MI, WA, NV, ID. Terms apply. Please play responsibly.
Can I win real money at social casinos in California?
Not exactly. You can’t win real money, but you can redeem prizes when you play in sweepstakes mode - including cash prizes that get sent directly to your bank account. Here I will explain you how it works.
All the games at social casinos can be played for free, using two different types of tokens or coins. Normally, these are called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.
In Gold Coin mode, it’s a little like playing with play money. Gold Coins’ sole function is to play games at the social casino. No matter how many you win, you won't be able to cash them in or redeem them for prizes.
You’ll get Gold Coins for free when you sign up, and you can top up your free supply in lots of different ways, including daily login bonuses, social media giveaways and more.
You also have the option of purchasing more Gold Coins if you want, although it’s not compulsory.
Sweeps Coins are similar, but with some key differences. First of all, you can never purchase Sweeps Coins, only ever receive them for free through various bonuses. This is important - it’s part of the sweepstakes laws that mean you can redeem cash prizes from sweepstakes casinos.
You can normally receive free Sweeps Coins in all the same ways as Gold Coins, with the exception of purchasing them. However, if you do purchase Gold Coins, you often receive some free Sweeps Coins as a bonus.
Sweeps Coins are used to play in sweepstakes mode. If you win additional Sweeps Coins, they can be redeemed for prizes, including gift cards and cash prizes. It varies depending on the site, but normally SC1 is worth $1 in prizes. You can only redeem Sweeps Coins you win through playing the games (as opposed to ones you got as a free bonus), and you also normally need to have a minimum number of eligible Sweeps Coins to request a redemption - often SC50 or SC100.
Social casinos and sweepstakes games in California are the perfect option for fans of casino-style games like myself. Legal online gambling looks like it’s still a fairly long way off, but social casinos are ready and waiting.
Find more social casino reviews
- High 5 review
- Global Poker review
- Pulsz casino review
- Wow Vegas Casino review
- Chumba Casino review
- Stake.us review
About the author
Archie Williamson
Archie has been involved with the casino space for 5 years, having formerly worked as a Research Analyst for a cybersecurity agency. His favorite casino game is live dealer blackjack.
When not testing the latest in casino games, he loves long walks in the countryside he grew up in, and hunting down new craft breweries.
Responsible sweepstakes and social playing
Remember to play responsibly at social and sweepstakes casinos
A responsible player is someone who:
- Establishes time limits before playing
- Never chases their losses
- Doesn’t play if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- National Council on Problem Gambling – https://www.ncpgambling.org/
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700 or go to ncpgambling.org/chat
