Three models in one table
| Social casino | Sweepstakes casino | Licensed real-money casino | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is staked | Play money with no cash value | Two virtual currencies: one bought, one redeemable | Real money deposited with the operator |
| What can be won | More play money, no prize | A prize, redeemed through a sweepstakes entry currency | Cash, paid out from the player's balance |
| Who regulates it | No gambling regulator; general consumer law applies | No gambling regulator; sweepstakes and consumer law, and state attorneys general | A state gaming regulator, a lottery or a commission |
| License status | No gambling license is needed or held | No state gambling license exists | A state license, shown on the regulator's own list |
| How to check | The operator's rules state that coins have no value | The official rules name the sponsor and the free entry route | Match the holder and the website against the regulator list |
Everything in the table is a description of the model, not of any single brand. Operators vary, and where a state has acted against a model, the state's own page on this site says so.
Sweepstakes casinos: two currencies and a prize
A sweepstakes casino sells a bundle of Gold Coins, described as entertainment with no cash value, and attaches Sweeps Coins, which can be redeemed for a prize. Industry trackers report that Sweeps Coins usually arrive free alongside a coin purchase rather than being sold by themselves. The operators rely on the legal idea that no purchase is necessary, and offer an alternative method of entry such as a daily login, a mailed request or a social promotion.
These sites hold no state gambling license, and no register of them exists at the state level. What can be checked is the operating company named in the official rules, the states the operator excludes, and the record of any state action. Some regulators and attorneys general have acted against the dual currency model, and industry trackers count ten states that have written bans into statute. The legal arguments are laid out in are sweepstakes casinos legal and the mechanics in how sweepstakes casinos work.
Licensed real-money casinos: a state license and a regulator list
A licensed casino takes real deposits and pays real winnings, and it may do so only inside a state that has authorized online casino gaming. Industry trackers count seven such states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia, with Maine legalized but not yet live.
The license is a public fact. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement publishes a list of internet gaming permit holders dated September 22, 2026, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board publishes its own list of certificateholders and authorized websites. The Delaware Lottery names three casino sites on its iGaming pages, on a single lottery platform. In each state the regulator, not the operator, is the authority on who is licensed.
How the stakes and the risk differ
The three models differ most in what a player can lose and recover. In a social casino, the money spent on coins is gone and returns nothing. In a sweepstakes casino, the money spent on coins is gone too, and the redeemable currency may be exchanged for a prize only after the operator's own conditions, such as identity checks and minimum amounts, are met. In a licensed casino, the regulator's rules apply to payouts, identity checks and complaints, and a player with a dispute can write to the regulator.
The harm from play can be the same in all three. Problem gambling support applies whether or not a site holds a license, and the national helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
How to tell which model a site is
- Read the rules or terms for the words "no cash value" and "sweepstakes". Two currencies and a prize redemption mean a sweepstakes model.
- Look for a license number or a regulator logo, then confirm it on the regulator's own list. A logo on a page proves nothing until the list agrees.
- Check the state. A licensed real-money casino is available only in the seven live states, so an offer of real-money casino play in any other state has no state license behind it.
Frequently asked questions
Is a social casino regulated as gambling?
Not as gambling, because no prize is awarded. Consumer protection and advertising law still apply, and app stores set their own rules.
Does a sweepstakes casino hold a license?
No. No state issues a gambling license to a sweepstakes casino, which is why the register shows a company and an enforcement record in place of a license.
Where is the list of licensed real-money operators?
Each state regulator publishes its own list, in different formats. The state status table links each live state, and how to check a license walks through a match.
Social casinos: play money and no prize
A social casino uses virtual coins that cannot be turned into cash, goods or gift cards. Players may buy more coins, but the coins buy only more play. Because nothing of value can be won, there is no prize, and the law of gambling generally has nothing to attach to. Regulators of gambling do not keep a list of social casinos, since none holds a gambling license.
The test that matters is whether anything leaves the platform. When a coin can be exchanged for money, a voucher or a gift card, the product is no longer a social casino in this sense.