Responsible play

Sweepstakes casinos look and play like casino games: the same slots, the same table games, the same spinning reels. Decide on your limits before you start, and treat any purchase as money spent on entertainment that you won’t get back.

How sweepstakes play differs

You never pay for Sweeps Coins directly. What you buy is a Gold Coin package, and the Sweeps Coins arrive as a free bonus with it. Gold Coins are for fun only. Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for prizes once you meet the operator’s minimum and its playthrough rule. You can also get Sweeps Coins without buying anything, through sign-up and daily bonuses at many sites, or by mail-in entry where the operator offers it.

That setup makes spending easy to lose track of. A package priced in dollars turns into thousands of coins, and coin balances don’t feel like money. Keep a note of what you’ve paid for packages in dollars, not coins, and add it up at the end of each week or month.

Set your limits first

Pick a monthly amount you’re comfortable spending on Gold Coin packages, and stop when it’s gone.
Set a time limit for each session. A phone alarm works.
Never buy coins to chase losses, and never use money you need for rent, bills or debts.
Don’t play to escape stress, or when you’ve been drinking.
Don’t use a VPN or someone else’s address to get around state restrictions. Operators void prizes for it, and our state pages show where prize play is allowed.

Tools operators offer

Many operators offer tools in account settings or through support. Names and details vary from site to site, so check the operator’s own responsible gaming page. The common ones:

Purchase limits. A cap on how much you can spend on Gold Coin packages per day, week or month.
Session reminders or time limits. A prompt, or a hard stop, after a set amount of time.
Cool-off periods. A break of a set length during which you can’t log in or buy.
Self-exclusion. A longer block on your account, sometimes permanent.

If you play at more than one site, a limit at one does nothing at the others. Some operators share an owner, and our sister sites page shows which ones.

Warning signs

The National Council on Problem Gambling lists signs like these on its problem gambling FAQ. If several sound familiar, talk to someone about it.

You think about playing a lot of the time, even when you’re doing something else.
You need to buy bigger packages, or play more often, to get the same feeling.
You buy more coins to win back what you’ve lost.
You feel restless or irritable when you try to cut back.
You’ve tried to stop or play less and couldn’t.
You keep playing even after it has caused problems with money, work or people close to you.

Where to get help

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone close to you, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is free, confidential and available 24/7 in all 50 states. Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), or use the online chat. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) runs it, and its help and treatment page also lists help by state, a gambling counselor directory and a self-assessment.

Older pages and ads may still show 1-800-GAMBLER, the number NCPG used before. Some state programs still list it, so you’ll see it on a few of our state pages, but NCPG’s site now lists 1-800-MY-RESET for the national line.

Gamblers Anonymous runs peer support meetings in person, online and by phone, with no dues or fees. Use its meeting finder, or call the Gamblers Anonymous National Hotline at 855-222-5542.

We’re a comparison site, not a health service, and nothing here is medical advice. If you’re worried about your own gambling or someone else’s, contact one of the services above.