Land-based sweepstakes casinos are an alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar casinos. Instead of traveling across the state, you can simply search for “internet sweepstakes near me” and find a cafe to play casino games without having to break the bank to simply get there.
The concept behind every internet sweepstakes cafe is the same — it offers casino-style games you can play for a chance to win real cash prizes. While your local sweepstakes casino seems like an excellent choice on the surface, these casinos are often illegitimate and indulge in shady dealings.
In this article, we’ll show you everything you need to know about land-based sweepstakes casinos and explore some of the best local internet sweepstakes. We’ll also compare land-based sweepstakes to their online counterpart and show you why we believe playing games in online sweepstakes casinos is a much better option.
What Are Land-Based Sweepstakes Casinos?
If you’ve ever searched for “sweepstakes game rooms near me,” chances are you already know that land-based sweepstakes casinos are similar to internet cafes. Each land-based sweepstakes casino or cafe has a few or hundreds of computers where you can sit and enjoy the services provided by the sweepstakes casino.
However, instead of internet access or video games, these establishments take advantage of loose interpretation of sweepstakes laws and allow users to play casino games and gamble, all while operating without a gambling license.
In most situations, sweepstakes casinos allow you to purchase internet time or long-distance minutes, which is usually the ‘prize’ the players are not interested in. In addition to the purchase, players get “entries” that allow them to play casino-style games a certain number of times. Usually, players will get 100 entries for $1.
Players can then spend their entries on a variety of games available at the land-based sweepstakes casino and find out whether they’ve won a variety of rewards or cash prizes. If not, they can simply buy additional entries and try their luck again.
In order to mask themselves as sweepstakes casinos, most local internet sweepstakes allow players to claim free entries once a day or the first time they enter the cafe. Unfortunately, land-based sweepstakes are all but legitimate — cafe owners do not have gambling licenses and are not regulated by any governing body.
On top of that, sweepstake casinos pay no gaming taxes, are not obligated to exclude underage gambling, nor are required to advocate for responsible gambling. And in most cases, they even offer pirated game software with sketchy win percentages.
Differences Between Local and Online Sweepstakes Casinos
The biggest difference between local and online sweepstakes casinos is that you can enjoy online sweepstakes casinos from the warmth of your home, while you will have to visit the physical location of a land-based casino to play the games these establishments have to offer.
The next major difference between the two is how they operate. Even though land-based sweepstakes claim to operate under the sweepstakes law, most of them allow players to purchase random goods, and in reality, players are simply buying entries or credits to play casino games.
On the other hand, credible and trustworthy online sweepstakes casinos are focused on fun and social casino games. Instead of money, players get to use gold coins and sweepstakes coins.
Players are not obligated to make any purchases and are showered with gold coins they can use to play casino games. Additionally, players also receive sweepstakes coins they can redeem for cash prizes.
While players can spend money to buy gold coins, no purchase is necessary to play casino games and join in on the fun.
Additionally, online sweepstakes casinos have much better game libraries. Local internet sweepstakes often offer pirated games or games from sketchy third-party sites. In contrast, sweepstakes casino sites offer games from reputable software providers licensed by multiple gambling authorities, all of which have been tried and tested for their fairness.
Top Sweepstakes Near Me Land-Based Locations
Finding the best land-based sweepstakes casinos is relatively easy, and you’re always a Google search or two away from having the opportunity to see for yourself what land-based sweepstakes have to offer. Simply search for “sweepstakes near me open now” or anything of a sort, and you’re basically good to go.
Even better news is that we did most of the heavy lifting for you. Just in case you don’t feel like doing all the research and comparing for yourself, we have prepared a list of some of the best sweepstakes casino locations around the country.
| 🎰Name | 📍Address | 🇺🇸 State | 🎲Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim’s Place | 403 W Kirby Ave, Champaign, IL | Illinois | Slots |
| Gamecock Sweepstakes | 1215 S Guignard Dr. Sumter, SC 29150 | South Carolina | Slots |
| River Dragon Sweepstakes | St. Andrews Dr, Victorville, CA 92395 | California | Fish Games, Slots |
| Winners Sweepstakes | 902 South McDonald Suite B, McKinney, TX | Texas | Slots |
| K&B Business Center Sweepstakes | 2406 Raleigh Rd, Henderson, NC | North Carolina | Fish Games, Slots |
| Internet Cafe and Sweepstakes | 125 Industrial Pk Rd. building 1 unit 2, Harrison, AR | Arkansas | Slots |
| Paradise Internet & Sweepstakes | 4970 Stack Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32901 | Florida | Slots |
| Lucky Buck Cafe | E Bijous St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 | Colorado | Slots |
| I95 Sweepstakes | 250 Premier Blvd, Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 | North Carolina | Slots |
| Jet Stream Casino | 2001 W Airline Rd, Pauls Valley, OK 73075 | Oklahoma | Slots |
| Vegas Style Sweepstakes & Entertainment | 5540 Atlantic Springs Rd Ste 107-106, Raleigh, NC 27616 | North Carolina | Fish Games, Slots |
| The Great Escape | 11128 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 75753 | Texas | Fish Games, Slots, Online Table Games |
| 7Sweepstakes | 2110 Santa Barbara Blvd #1, Cape Coral, FL 33991 | Florida | Fish Games, Slots, Online Games |
| Main Street Skills Sweepstakes | 5132 S Main St. Winston-Salem, NC 27107 | North Carolina | Slots |
| Lucky’s Gameroom | 210 W University Dr, McKinney, TX 75069 | Texas | Slots, Bingo |
Join Online Sweepstakes Casinos from Anywhere
As we mentioned earlier, the biggest advantage of online sweepstakes casinos is that you can join in on the fun from anywhere, any time you want. The only thing you’ll need is a stable internet connection and a computer or even a smartphone.
In addition to being more convenient, online sweepstakes have lucrative welcome bonuses and promotions and a ton more games you can enjoy!
| 🎰Casino Name | 🎲Games | ❌Restricted States |
|---|---|---|
| WOW Vegas | 400+ Slots, Table Games | Washington, Nevada, Idaho |
| Fortune Coins | 200+ Slots, Video Poker, Fish Games, Specialty Games | Washington, Idaho |
| Stake.us | 400+ Slots, Table Games, Crypto Games, Bonus Buy, Live Casino Games, Scratchcards | Washington, Nevada, Idaho, New York, Kentucky, Michigan |
| Pulsz | 700+ Slots, Scratchcards, Table Games, Jackpots, Bonus Buy | Washington, Nevada, Idaho |
| High 5 Casino | 800+ Slots, Table Games, Live Dealer Games | Washington, Idaho, Washington DC |
| McLuck Casino | 460+ Slots | Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Nevada, Washington, Idaho |
| Sweeptastic | 1,000+ Slots, Poker, Table Games | Washington, Idaho, Wyoming |
| BetRivers.net | 400+ Slots, Table Games, Live Dealer Games, Bingo, Slingo, Game Shows | None |
| Funrize | 80+ Slots, Fish Games | Washington, Idaho, Wyoming |
| Rush Games | 400+ Slots, Table Games, Game Shows, Live Dealer Games, Bingo, Slingo | None |
Do Internet Cafe Sweepstakes Casinos Offer Bonuses?
Apart from walking the thin line between legal and illegitimate, another major downside of internet cafe sweepstakes is their welcome bonuses and promotions. Or rather, the lack of.
If you search for “sweepstakes casino near me,” and head out to the nearest sweepstakes casino, you’ll be disappointed to find out that your local internet cafe sweepstakes do not offer any bonuses you would find in traditional online casinos.
Even though land-based sweepstakes cafes allow you to play the same type of games you would find in online casinos and do it online, you cannot claim any bonuses at internet cafe sweepstakes casinos.
However, keep in mind that internet cafes may offer free entries to new players, which is mostly done so that the cafe may claim they are operating under the sweepstakes model.
Additionally, while there are no bonuses that award you money or free coins, some internet cafe sweepstakes may offer food and drinks to incentivize players to play longer.
What Bonuses Can You Find in Online Sweepstakes Casinos?
Bonuses and promotions are another section where online sweepstakes casinos are a superior choice compared to their land-based counterpart. Most sweepstakes casinos offer a number of different bonuses, and you’ll always have a daily influx of gold and sweepstakes coins to play your favorite online slot games and win prizes.
Here are the bonuses you can expect to find in top-tier sweepstakes casinos.
- Welcome bonuses in online sweepstakes casinos usually come in the form of a first-purchase bonus. New players will receive a discount when they decide to purchase gold coins by buying specific gold coin packages.
- A sign-up bonus is reserved for new players. To claim the sign-up bonus, all you have to do is register at the casino and verify your account.
- The daily login bonus does precisely what it says. Simply log in every new day and claim your bonus gold coins and sweeps coins.
- With the mail-in bonus, players can send a handwritten mail and send it via post to the casino’s address. By doing so, players will receive gold coins and sweepstakes coins.
- A referral bonus is available to every sweepstakes casino player and allows you to recruit players to the casino via your unique referral link or code. Once your friend spends a qualifying amount, sweepstakes sites will usually award both you and your friend with gold coins and free sweeps coins.
- Social media contests allow players to take part in weekly contests and win real prizes. Entries are free, so make sure to follow the sweeps casino on its social media accounts and keep your eyes peeled for the next promotion.
- Races and tournaments allow players to obtain sweeps coins by simply playing games. The more you play and the more coins you spend, the higher you rank on the leaderboard and the better the rewards you’ll receive at the end of the race or a tournament.
In addition to all the recurring promotions, the best sweepstakes casino sites also have rewarding VIP programs. Every VIP tier is more rewarding than the previous, and you can get free sweeps coins, more rewarding daily login bonuses, and much more.
The best part about it is that you won’t have to go out of your way to advance through tiers since you can simply play sweepstakes games to climb the ranks.
Best Online Sweepstakes Casino Bonus Offers
We’ve mentioned earlier that online sweepstakes are a better option than sweepstakes gambling near me and local internet sweepstakes, and bonuses and promotions are one of the main reasons for it.
To back up our claims, we’ve prepared a list of some of the best sweepstakes casino sites around with all the juicy bonuses they have to offer.
| 🎰Name | ✍️Sign-Up Bonus | 🎁First Purchase Bonus | 📅Daily Login Bonus | 📧Mail-In Bonus | 🤝Referral Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOW Vegas | 8,500 WC + 4.5 SC | $9.99 for 1.5 million WC + 30 SC | 5,000 WC + 1 SC | Available | 5,000 WC + 20 SC |
| Fortune Coins | 360,000 GC + 1,200 FC | $10 for 20 million FC + 5,000 SC | 30,000 GC + 100 FC | 500 FC | 50% of referral’s first deposit |
| Stake.us | 10,000 GC + 1 SC | N/A | 10,000 GC + 1 SC | 5 SC | N/A |
| Pulsz | 5,000 GC + 2.3 SC | 200% bonus on $9.99 and $19.99 coin packages | 1 SC | 5 SC | 20 SC |
| High 5 Casino | 250 GC + 5 SC + 600 Diamonds | N/A | 1 SC | 3 SC | 200 GC + 5 SC + 200 Diamonds |
| McLuck Casino | 7,500 GC + 2.5 SC | $9.99 for 50,000 GC + 25 SC | 2,500 GC + 1 SC | 4 SC | 20 SC |
| Sweeptastic | 27,777 LC + 2 SC | $9.99 for 20,000 LC + 20 SC, $29.49 for 45,000 LC + 45 SC | 1,000 LC | 5 SC | N/A |
| Funrize | 125,000 TRN | $11.99 for 360,000 TRN + 1680 PE, $19.99 for 700,000 TRN + 3,000 PE | 225,000 TRN + 500 PE | 1,000 PE | 900,000 TRN + 2,500 PE |
| TaoFortune | 88,800 TC | $29.98 for 1,5 million TC + 4,200 SC | 250,000 TC + 500 SC | 100 SC | 900,000 TC + 2,500 SC |
| BetRivers.net | 250 VC | 100% more VC with our code PLAY200 | 20 VC every 4 hours, Daily Wheel spin, daily bingo tickets | N/A | N/A |
Pros & Cons of Land-Based vs. Online Sweepstakes Casinos
| 🏛Land-Based Sweepstakes | ⭐Feature | 🌐Online Sweepstakes |
|---|---|---|
| ❌ | Welcome Bonuses | ✅ |
| ✅ | Real Cash Prizes | ✅ |
| ❌ | Great Game Variety | ✅ |
| ❌ | Available 24/7 | ✅ |
| ✅ | Social Aspect | ✅ |
| ✅ | Land-Based Casino Atmosphere | ❌ |
| ❌ | Premium Software | ✅ |
Final Thoughts
Land-based sweepstakes are a great alternative to traditional casinos, and you shouldn’t have any difficulties finding local sweepstakes cafes. Simply search for internet sweepstakes near me, and you’re basically halfway there.
However, should you even bother, especially when online sweepstakes casinos are better in every regard? Online sweepstakes casinos are completely legitimate, far more convenient, offer lucrative bonuses and promotions, and even have far superior game libraries. And yes, you can even win cash prizes.
Instead of looking for a local sweepstakes cafe, you’re much better off enjoying your favorite casino games at some of the most reputable and trustworthy online sweepstakes casinos. Some of the best brands in the industry are casinos like WOW Vegas, Fortune Coins, Pulsz, and High 5 Casino, to name a few.
FAQs
-
What are sweepstakes casinos?Sweepstakes casinos are gambling platforms focused on entertainment. They allow you to play casino-style games for fun and exchange virtual currency to win cash prizes.
-
Which sweepstakes casinos pay out the most?There are no sweepstakes casinos that pay out the most since the outcome of every spin or hand is completely random. However, there are some sweepstakes casinos that have larger bonuses than other sweepstakes casinos, such as Fortune Coins, WOW Vegas, and Pulsz, to name a few.
-
What is the difference between sweepstakes online and internet cafe casino?Internet cafe sweepstakes require you to be physically present at the location in order to play games. Additionally, online sweepstakes casinos are focused on entertainment and allow you to play for fun, while land-based sweepstakes are sketchy and often abuse the loose interpretation of the sweepstakes law to run gambling sites without a license.
-
What are the best sweepstakes casinos near Texas?Texas is riddled with land-based sweepstakes, so you won't have to search far and wide to find the best sweepstakes games near me if you're hailing from Texas. Prime examples of that are Lucky's Gameroom and Winners Sweepstakes, both of which are located in McKinney, Texas.
-
What are the best sweepstakes casinos near California?There are plenty of land-based sweepstakes casinos around California, and one of the best ones for fish table sweepstakes near me in California is River Dragon Sweepstakes, located at St. Andrews Dr. Victorville, CA 92395.
