Social Casinos With Cash Prizes

Slots are hot, and they’re predicted to keep growing in popularity. According to the American Gaming Association, casino gaming grew from $53 billion to $60.4 billion between 2020 and 2021. 

The slot machine market alone hit $2.6 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow by 7.5% this year. This plays a big part in why social casinos are so popular today in the U.S. and Canada. Explore the best social casinos available and see why they’re getting rave reviews.

What Are Social Casinos?

A social casino is an online or mobile casino that creates the same experience you’d have in any online casino, only you use virtual currency. If you win a game, you win more virtual currency.

Social casinos provide free virtual coins, typically referred to as Gold Coins (GC), when you sign up and more when you sign in each day. They also offer sweeps coins (SC) which can be redeemed as real prizes.

Use these coins to play casino games. If you run out, you’ll get more the next day, or you can purchase coin bundles if you want to. You never have to purchase to play a variety of casino games.

How Do Social Casinos Work?

In a traditional online casino, you deposit funds and use those to place wagers on slots, table games, scratch cards, or video poker. You never use your money in a social casino. 

Social casinos use virtual currency, and you never have to buy more unless you want to. It’s completely free to play at a social casino, but you do have to be of legal age, which is typically 18 or 21 in the U.S., and 19 in Canada.

Once you have virtual currency, you play any of the games in the casino lobby. If you win, you win more GC. The games you play work like typical casino games, only you win GC instead of cash. This helps you continually boost the amount of coins you have to use on all of the casino games.

Social Casinos Vs Sweepstakes Casinos

You may also hear about sweepstakes casinos or sweeps casinos. They’re similar to social casinos, but there are a couple of differences. 

Sweeps casinos offer sweeps coins (SC) that you can redeem for cash prizes and gift cards. Social casinos may offer SC, but not all of them do. Some only use GC and do not let you redeem anything for prizes.

Are Social Casinos Safe?

Yes. Social casinos allow you to play games for free, and you often sign up using only a username you create and a password.

With many social casinos, you never have to share your address or phone number. Plus, the casino uses security measures to ensure any information you submit is encrypted.

Where Can You Legally Play Social Online?

You can legally play in a social casino as long as you’re within the U.S. or Canada, but make sure you read the terms and conditions.

Some social casinos have exceptions that block players who are in certain states or provinces. Some of the more common exceptions are Idaho, Michigan, Montana, and Washington in the U.S., and Quebec in Canada.

Best Social Casinos

What would I pick for the best social casinos? I find myself going to Chumba Casino every day, so it tops my list. There are four others I enjoy and also recommend. Here are the reasons I recommend each of them.

Chumba Casino

Chumba Casino gets the nod due to the generous dose of 200,000 GC each day that I log in. That’s not the only reason, however. I also find the selection of games is unbeatable. Choose from 188 slots, 9 scratch cards, 8 instant win options, 6 Slingo games, and 5 table games. Plus, there’s a Bingo room with several tables to choose from.

When I want to de-stress after a busy day, Chumba Casino offers Solitaire. It’s a great game for unwinding. It costs 26,000 GC to play it, but you win 2,500 GC for each card you move to the top in sequential order, so it’s easy to win more than you wagered.

Global Poker

Global Poker is a social poker site where you receive GC to play poker against other players. If you love poker like I do, this site is a must. The range of available poker games includes:

• Bounty Tournaments
• Crazy Pineapple
• Omaha
• Omaha High/Low
• Sit-and-Go Tournaments
• Texas Hold ‘Em

Crazy Pineapple is a take on Texas Hold ‘Em that I highly recommend, and this is one of the handful of online casinos that offers it.

LuckyLand Slots

LuckyLand Slots is one of the social casinos where you get free GC every few hours, which makes me appreciate its generosity. Sign in, collect your GC and free SC, come back in another four hours, and get the next batch. Gifts of virtual currency increase each day as long as you don’t forget to log in.

The selection of slot games is adequate with 120+ games, but it’s not as good as Chumba Casino. Plus, there’s only one table game, which is why I give the nod to Chumba.

LuckyLand is a fantastic option for your play, and you can check out more sweepstakes sites like LuckyLand for even more offers and play.

MyJackpot

MyJackpot has a large catalog of slots from several developers including BGaming, NetEnt, Play’n Go, and Pragmatic Play. Some of them are locked until you purchase a bundle and unlock the +Plus Pass.

While I find it a bit frustrating that you have to purchase a bundle to access the full catalog of games, one feature makes MyJackpot stand out. Every two hours, there’s a prize wheel you spin that awards additional GC to the coins you get with your daily log-in.

Rivers Casino4Fun

Because Rivers Casino4Fun is tied to the land-based Rivers Casino in New York, you must be 21 to join this social casino. The massive selection of games puts it on my best social casinos list. Expect hundreds of slots, Blackjack options, and table games. There are also an ample number of tournaments and live dealer games.

How to Choose the Best Social Casino

Once you’re in a social casino, how do you know if it’s the best? I judge the casinos using this checklist.

What Games Are Offered? 

If the social casino doesn’t have many games, you’re going to get bored. Look for a casino that has a “New Games” section. Casinos that add new games regularly provide a better variety as you expand your favorites list. 

What Information Does the Casino Ask Me to Share?

A social casino doesn’t need a lot of information to get you started. Some ask for your name, but that’s not always necessary. Typically, you’ll share your email and set up a password. You also have to provide your date of birth to prove you’re of legal age.

Am I Enjoying Myself?

If I’m not having fun, there’s no point in returning. Something as simple as a poorly designed casino is enough to make you dislike the experience.

My advice is to give every casino a fair chance. This is another benefit social casinos offer. You can try casinos using the GC and never risk your own money. It allows you to put a casino to the test for more than a few spins as you make your decision.

Are Promotions Offered?

Social casinos offer frequent casino promotional offers and incentives to keep players happy. See what’s available for daily rewards.

Some social casinos offer GC once a day when you log in, but a few provide GC when you log in. If you play in the morning and return after dinner, you get free GC both times.

At some social casinos, like Stake.us, you’ll get a free sweeps coin every day you log-in in addition to the free gold coins.

If you plan to purchase a virtual coin bundle, look for discounted prices. Are they worth it?

Are You Okay With the Terms and Conditions?

Always read the privacy policy and terms and conditions. In a social casino, they’re not that extensive, but you still need to carefully go over them. People often overlook terms like VPNs are prohibited. Make sure you’re allowed to join the social casino, as some location restrictions are common.

How Easy Is It to Access Casino Help?

The final thing to check is how accessible the casino support team is. If you can’t get answers to questions within an hour or two, it’s going to become frustrating. Live chat is best, so I prefer casinos that offer chat support.

Should You Play at Social Casinos?

Social casinos provide an outstanding way to try a casino while strictly using virtual currency. Some people use casinos for entertainment and know their limits, and others have a harder time. With a social casino, you can play for hours using GC, which makes it more appealing to some.

I prefer social casinos as I love card games like Baccarat and Texas Hold ‘Em. I can play them when I want and not have to leave my home or spend money. I recommend social casinos to everyone for those reasons. 

How to Sign Up to a Social Casino

When you sign up, the typical steps are to:

• Click this link or the “Claim Offer” button to access the registration page
• Enter your email.
• Create a secure password.
• Share your date of birth.
• Submit that and go to your inbox.
• Verify your email address from the link within the welcome email.

Once you verify your email, you receive your sweepstakes casino no-deposit bonuses with GC bundles that in some social casinos add sweeps coins (SC) as a gift. It varies from one casino to another.

Some social casinos do as for a phone number, but it’s less common to have to share your address or provide things that an online real money casino requires, such as a bank statement or photo ID.

After creating your account and receiving the free GC, you’re welcome to play any of the games on the social casino. Instead of risking real money, you use virtual currency. Enjoy all of the games that you’d find in a real money casino, playing them for entertainment rather than profit.

Banking Methods at Social Casinos

Social casinos provide you with plenty of GC to use on the variety of games, but you may decide to purchase a coin bundle if you run out or want to boost your balances. If you decide to buy a bundle, the banking options at social casinos usually include:

• Credit Cards – American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa
• Crypto
• PayPal
• PaySafeCard
• Skrill Wallet
• Trustly – Online Banking

When you make a purchase, you might need to verify your identity online with your passport, driver’s license, or other government-issued photo ID. You also may have to give your name and legal address. Rules for purchases depend on the casino and payment method.

Mobile vs Desktop Experience

Few social casinos offer individual apps, but they do allow mobile play through your browser. And some sweepstakes casinos have a dedicated app.

In either case, load the casino on Chrome, Firefox, or Safari, depending on your phone, and play casino games in a streamlined mobile version that way.

In my experience both mobile and online (desktop) play are similar. I prefer online play as the screen is larger and doesn’t strain my eyes, but that’s a personal choice for you to make.

Casino Game Types

The games available in social casinos are the same as the games you’d find in a real money online casino you’d find in states where online casinos are legal, such as Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Enjoy a variety of these games.

Slots

Social casinos offer a variety of video slots that usually include 3-reel, 5-reel, 6-reel, and grid-based games. Sites usually allow you to filter your options by the number of reels, game developer, or theme. Chumba Casino and MyJackpot selections include.

• Cluster Tumble
• Expandasaurus With Win Win Big Spin
• Great Rhino Megaways

Table Games

When the social casino offers table games, it typically includes Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, and sometimes other card games like Pai Gow or War. For example, Global Poker has:

• Blackjack
• Caribbean Poker
• Casino Hold ‘Em

Video Poker

Video poker games are poker games where you try to get the highest possible hand by holding or swapping cards after the first deal. It’s a quick game but it’s harder to find in social casinos, though you will find Jacks or Better at Chumba Casino.

Online Poker

Sign up at Global Poker to play online poker against real players. You play with virtual currency, however, so it’s low-stress as you don’t worry about losing a lot of your own money. Focus on the fun you have playing poker against others.

The games at Global Poker include the immensely popular Texas Hold ‘Em as well as Omaha, Omaha High/Low, and Crazy Pineapple.

Bingo

Some social casinos offer Keno, but you will find a variety of Bingo games at Chumba. There are different rooms where you can play standard Bingo games where you complete a line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Others have patterns or you fill the four corners. 

Games may have 75 balls called before the game ends, while others have 90 balls. I find I prefer the longer games, but it does come down to your preferences.

Use GC to purchase one or more Bingo cards and let the computer do the work dabbing the matching spots after a ball is called. If you win, the Bingo is called automatically by the computer, so you just have to sit back and see how it goes. If you win, you receive free tickets for future games.

Live Dealer Games

Finally, a handful of social casinos, including Rivers Casino4Fun and High 5 Casino, offer live dealer casino games. This is newer to social casinos, and it’s exciting to see casinos adding them. The selection of live dealer games includes;

• Baccarat
• Mega Ball 100x
• Roulette
• Sic Bo

Pros and Cons of Social Casinos

Pros:

• It’s a lot of fun to play and even chat with other players if that feature is allowed.
• You don’t have to spend money to play the games.
• The games offered usually come from leading game developers and include exclusive titles that are not available anywhere else.
• You’re gifted GC when you sign in.

Cons:

• You only win virtual currency.
• The range of games may not top the thousands that some real money casinos offer.
• If you use all of your GC, you have to wait until the next day or purchase a coin bundle to keep playing.

Why to Avoid Illegal Offshore Casinos

Sometimes, casinos are operated from a country outside of the U.S. They’re not always regulated by a U.S. governing body, which can make them risky to access and use.

• U.S.-based social casinos pay tax revenues that benefit Americans.
• U.S.-based social casinos follow local, state, and federal laws.
• You’re not at risk of illegal gambling when you stick to U.S. casinos.
• U.S.-based social casinos follow U.S. security rules and regulations.

Avoid offshore social casinos. It’s the safest way to enjoy casino games.

Choose More Than One Social Casino

My advice is to join more than one social casino to enjoy the largest selection of games available. Plus, you’ll take advantage of multiple sign-in rewards, which maximizes how much time you can spend playing games during your downtime.