Sweepstakes casinos, while similar to online casinos, are not the same—and a unique vocabulary has developed to reflect that.
That’s why I’ve put together this glossary of key terms to help you navigate the world of sweepstakes casinos with ease and confidence.
Ready to make the most of your sweepstakes gaming experience?
Read on and consider bookmarking this page for easy reference as you play!
Glossary of sweeps terms
A
- Account Verification: The process of confirming your identity and ensuring you meet the requirements to play at a sweepstakes casino.
- Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE): A way to obtain Sweeps Coins for free, often by mailing in a handwritten request. This is a requirement for sweepstakes casinos to comply with sweepstakes laws.
- Auto-Play: A feature in slot games that allows the reels to spin automatically for a set number of rounds.
B
- Bonus Coins: Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins, given to players through promotions or as rewards.
- Bonus Round: A special feature in some slot games that offers additional ways to win, frequently triggered by Scatter Symbols.
- Buy-In: The amount you pay in virtual currency to play a given game.
C
- Cash Prize Redemption: The process of exchanging redeemable Sweeps Coins for real money or other prizes.
- Casino-Style Games: Games like slots, blackjack, and roulette offered at sweepstakes casinos.
- Coin Package: A bundle of virtual currency, typically Gold Coins, that can be purchased.
- Coin Value: The real money worth of a virtual coin during gameplay.
- Converted: A term used interchangeably with “redeemed,” referring to the exchange of Sweeps Coins for a cash prize.
D
- Daily Login Bonus: Virtual currency awarded to players for logging into their account each day.
- Daily Sweepstakes: Daily contests that give players have a chance to win prizes by participating every day.
E
- Enter: At sweepstakes casinos, this word means the same as play or spin.
- Entry Method: How players can enter sweepstakes contests, often through free gameplay or when purchasing virtual currency.
F
- Free Coins: Virtual currency given to players through daily bonuses or promotions.
- Free Spins: Complimentary spins in slot games, often earned through promotions or special symbols.
- Free Sweeps Coins: Promotional currency that can be used to play sweepstakes games. Can be redeemed for cash or prizes.
- Free-to-Play Mode: Games that allow you to play without spending real money or promotional currency.
G
- Game Credits: A general term for virtual currency used to play games.
- Gold Coins (GC): A type of virtual currency used for playing games for fun, without the possibility of redeeming cash prizes.
I
- Instant Win: A game feature that offers immediate prizes, similar to scratch-off tickets.
J
- Jackpot: The largest prize available in a game, often requiring specific conditions to win.
L
- Leaderboard: A system that ranks players based on their scores or performance in sweepstakes competitions. Top performers often receive bonus coins or Sweepstakes Coins.
- License: Official certification that indicates a sweepstakes casino operates legally in specific areas.
- Loyalty Program: A rewards system that provides players with perks for frequent play. These may include exclusive bonuses, coin multipliers, or early access to promotions.
M
- Multiplier: A game feature that increases winnings by a certain amount.
N
- No Deposit Bonus: A bonus given to players without requiring them to make a deposit, often when they sign up.
- No Purchase Necessary: A requirement for sweepstakes casinos, meaning players can obtain Sweeps Coins without spending money.
P
- Paylines: The lines on a slot game’s reels that determine winning combinations.
- Play: The standard term used at sweepstakes casinos for participating in games.
- Play-for-Fun: When players use Gold Coins without the chance to win real prizes.
- Playthrough Requirements: The amount you must play through Sweeps Coins before you can redeem them for cash prizes.
- Prize Draw: An event similar to a lottery, where winners are chosen randomly.
- Prizes: What you receive when you redeem Sweeps Coins, such as a gift card or cash prize.
- Promo Codes: Codes provided by sweepstakes casinos that unlock bonuses or free coins during sign-up.
- Promotional Purchase: Buying virtual coins, usually Gold Coins, often with a bonus of free Sweeps Coins.
- Promotional Sweepstakes: Special contests where players use Sweeps Coins for a chance to win prizes.
R
- RNG (Random Number Generator): A technology that ensures game outcomes are random and fair.
- Redeem: To exchange Sweeps Coins for a cash prize.
- Redeemed: When a redemption has been processed, and you’ve received your prize.
- Refer-a-Friend Bonus: Rewards given for referring new players to a sweepstakes casino.
- Reload Bonus: A bonus given for deposits made after the initial deposit.
- Responsible Gaming: Resources provided by sweepstakes casinos to encourage safe and controlled gaming.
- RTP (Return to Player): The percentage of wagers a game is designed to return to players over time. This is represented as a percentage.
S
- Scatter Symbol: Slot symbols that trigger bonus features like free spins, regardless of its position on the reels.
- SC: Abbreviation for Sweeps Coins.
- Social Casino: An online platform that focuses on social interaction and offers free-to-play games.
- Social Play: Playing casino-style games at sweepstakes casinos.
- Slots: Digital games with spinning reels and symbols.
- Sweepstake: A contest where a winner is chosen randomly.
- Sweepstakes Casino: A platform where players can enjoy casino games using virtual currency with the chance to win real prizes.
- Sweepstakes Coins (SC): A type of virtual currency used to enter sweepstakes-style games. These coins can be redeemed for cash prizes.
- Sweepstakes Laws: The regulations that govern how sweepstakes casinos operate in different regions.
- Sweepstakes Promotions: Marketing designed to award players with free Sweeps Coins.
T
- Terms and Conditions: The rules that players agree to when participating in games or promotions.
V
- Verification: The process of documenting and confirming the identity of a player.
- Verification Hold: A temporary pause on your account or redemption request while additional documents or confirmation are being reviewed.
- VIP Program: A loyalty program that uses a tier system to provide enhanced benefits to high-level players.
- VIP Tiers: The different levels within a VIP program, each offering varying rewards.
- Virtual Currency: Non-monetary coins or credits used for playing games on sweepstakes platforms.
- Virtual Wallet: An online account used to track balances and store virtual currencies.
- Void Where Prohibited: A disclaimer stating that you cannot play at a sweepstakes casino if it is illegal in your area.
W
- Wager Requirement: The number of times a bonus or coins must be played before winnings can be redeemed.
- Wild Symbol: A slot symbol that can substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations.
- Winning Spins: Game spins that result in rewards.
- Withdrawal Limits: Restrictions placed on the amount players can be redeem within a specific time period.
Let the gaming begin!
Now that this sweepstakes casino glossary has given you a basic understanding of the vocabulary, it’s time to go enjoy the sweeps casino gaming experience for yourself. Remember, though, the language is always evolving, so bookmark this page and check back often—I’ll be updating it regularly.