
Sweepstakes casinos and social casinos in Canada are on the rise. And with their no-purchase necessary model, hundreds of casino-style games, and many promotions for new and existing users, we completely understand the hype.
These two varieties of gaming sites let you play the slots, table games, live dealer titles, and even instant-wins without you having to spend anything. In just moments, we’ll talk about the difference between these types of sites, where to find reputable gaming sites to join, and how to make the most of your virtual currency gameplay.
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Before explaining the key differences, let’s focus on a few similarities of both types. Most importantly, they are not traditional online casinos where real-money play is allowed. At sweepstakes and social casinos in Canada, deposits and withdrawals are not available as well. That said, both types of platforms offer casino-style games to players for free.
Note that many people use these terms interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Read on to learn how to differentiate between them below:
Instead of using real money to play the casino-style games on this site, you use a virtual currency that’s usually referred to as Gold Coins (GC). Social casinos with real money do not exist, as these sites are purely for fun and entertainment purposes. In addition, you cannot get or redeem any real prizes on these sites. Aside from the fact that you’re using virtual currency on these sites, you’ll be playing casino-style games after creating an account. Some of the same gaming providers who create games for traditional online casinos also create them for social casinos, so you’re likely to find many of your favourite games on these sites.
There are quite a few sweepstakes casinos in Canada that offer an online casino-style experience without real-money gameplay. The difference between this type of gaming site uses dual virtual currencies: Gold Coins (GC) and Sweeps Coins (SC). Just as with social casinos, you’ll use the Gold Coins to play the games purely for fun and entertainment. When you’re ready for a chance to get cash prizes or gift cards, you can use Sweeps Coins to play and with your eligible SC winnings, you can request an SC redemption for your prize.
What eligible SC winnings mean is that the SC have been played through enough times based on the requirement of the site, and you have enough of the minimum SC threshold. For example, some sites have a 100 SC minimum threshold that has been played through once in order to request a prize redemption.
Note that all sweepstakes casinos are technically also social casinos, as you can play the games solely using Gold Coins for fun and entertainment, if you choose to do so. That’s likely the reason why these terms are used interchangeably at times.
The good news is that you’re currently viewing the best place for finding social and/or sweepstakes casinos. You see, we started with a big list of gaming sites, and then spent hours researching every single one to determine which sites are legit, and which ones to avoid. The sites you see listed here, including the banners on this page, are the sites that passed our stringent review. Your choices include both established and new sweepstakes casinos and/or social casinos.
In just a few moments, you’ll get a review of five of our favourite sites. You can skip right down to the list if you’d like, or you can read on to find out what types of research we completed to create this curated list. Our list saves you plenty of time because you don’t need to do the research yourself. However, if you’d rather do the research, then you can take the same steps we did by researching sites based on the following:
Reviewing the site’s security is a fairly simple process, as we check for a valid security certificate, and double check the entire site encrypts any data you transmit to the site. In addition, we check that the site’s third-party providers – such as gaming studios and payment processors – are all reputable and secure as well.
The next thing we research is the company itself, to be sure that it’s legit and operating within the law. For example, if a sweepstakes casino tries to pass itself off as a real-money site, such as by saying you can make deposits and withdrawals, that’s a red flag as it shows us the site isn’t operating in compliance with sweepstakes rules. To that end, we review the terms and conditions thoroughly, as we’re looking for transparent, compliant, and fair policies.
Finally, we like to contact customer service to be sure the company has a live support feature (either chat or phone) with a real human answering questions. There’s no problem if the live support offers an AI agent at first, as long as you can get a human on the line as soon as you ask for one.
When we’re researching a social casino, we look for a generous welcome bonus of Gold Coins. When we’re researching sweepstakes casinos, we want to see both free SC and GC as a signup bonus. By generous, we mean at least 50,000 to 100,000 GC and 2-3 SC. We’ll accept lower bonus amounts if the site otherwise provides a great experience, and/or if there are plenty of other ways to pick up virtual currency.
Here we’re interested in seeing multiple opportunities to pick up extra virtual currencies through login bonuses, free wheel spins, referral bonuses, missions, contests, challenges and similar types of activities. These sites should also offer good deals on GC purchases, such as welcome offers with discounted rates. (Note that a GC purchase is never required, but it is a fast way to load up on virtual currencies, as you can get free SC as a bonus with every GC purchase.)
We also like to see a rewards program if possible, where players get experience points for engagement, and then climb through the loyalty tiers as they collect points. As they climb, they should get bigger and better rewards including bonuses (daily, weekly, monthly and/or birthday bonuses), coinback rewards, custom rewards, priority support, faster SC redemptions, and other benefits of interest to players.
Next, we turn our attention to the site’s gaming catalog. This isn’t so much about the quantity of the games as the quality of the games. Of course we like a site with a big gaming catalog, as it gives us plenty of entertainment to explore with our virtual currencies. But even a small gaming catalog of a couple hundred games is acceptable if they’re high-quality games. The catalog should include a variety of slots, scratchcards, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and similar games, and having a live dealer game section is a nice touch too.
When we’re talking about high-quality games, we’re referring to games that are created and distributed by well-known gaming studios with great reputations. This includes games from Hacksaw, 3 Oaks Gaming, BetSoft, BGaming, Evolution, Playson, and other top-tier studios. Take note that some of these are the same providers and games you can find at traditional online casinos, with the difference being you’re using virtual currency rather than real money to play the games.
Next, we want to see player-friendly policies at sweepstakes casinos, specifically with regards to bonuses (Sweeps Coins) and SC redemptions for sweepstakes casinos. All sweepstakes casinos will require players to play through any Sweeps Coins a certain number of times before they become eligible for SC redemption.
Player-friendly sites have a 1x playthrough requirement, whereas other sites may have a 2x or 3x requirement. In some cases, you may find sites that have different requirements depending on how you acquired the SC, such as 1x for all SC that came as a bonus alongside a GC purchase, and a 3x playthrough requirement for Sweeps Coins acquired through welcome bonuses.
The second player-friendly policy we look for are fast and free SC redemptions, preferably with a low minimum SC redemption amount. Requiring 100 eligible SC for cash prize redemptions is pretty standard, but we do like seeing it lower. Redeeming gift cards often come with a lower minimum, such as 30-50 redeemable SC.
We also look for sites that ideally complete these requests within two or three days, though sometimes it takes longer to actually receive the prize (such as if you do a bank transfer). Most sweepstakes casinos state that SC redemptions should take no longer than seven to ten days, so that’s the outer limits but still within an acceptable range.
While the above items are the must-have features we look for when reviewing social and sweepstakes casinos, of course there are other features that individual players may prefer, while other players don’t care one way or another. For example:
So now you know how we compiled our list of the best sites, plus you know what to look for if you’re doing the research yourself, let’s take a look at a handful of our favourites.
Below you’ll find a quick review of five of the better sweepstakes and social casino sites. These aren’t the only reputable and fun sites at which you can play casino-style games, but they do offer the exact security and fun features we just talked about a few moments ago. Let’s start with an overview of the welcome bonuses, games, and SC redemption speeds offered by these brands, and then we’ll take a closer look at each site.
Here’s the overview:
| Brand | Welcome bonus | Games | SC Redemption speed |
| McLuck | 7500 GC + 2.5 SC | 1500+ | 48 hours (gift card) to 10 days (bank transfer) |
| WOW Vegas | 250,000 + 5 SC | 2000+ | 48 hours (gift cards), 2-5 days for Trustly and Skrill |
| LuckySlots.us | 300,000 GC + 3 SC | 1000+ | 24-48 hours (gift cards), up to seven days for bank transfers |
| Lavish Luck | 20,000 GC + 0.3 SC | 200+ | 3-7 days (bank transfer) |
| Gambino Slots | 500,000 G-Coins + 200 G-Spins | 150+ | N/A |
And now let’s take a closer look at each site…
Players who are looking for a Vegas-style experience will want to check this site out with its big gaming catalog of 1500+ games from top gaming providers. One of the most attractive features on this site are the “McLuck Jackpots,” where you can trigger a progressive jackpot on any slot game. In addition to carrying a wide variety of slot games, this site also features a live casino where you can play blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and other table games, which all work well on the mobile-optimized website or dedicated app.
As shown in the table, the welcome bonus for Gold Coins is relatively small for a sweepstake casino, as you only get 7500 GC to try out the games. However, you also get 2.5 SC, which is average if not slightly above average for Sweeps Coins. Fortunately, there are other ways to collect virtual currency, including through referral bonuses, daily bonuses, loyalty club bonuses, GC purchase bonuses, and more. SC redemptions are pretty fast for gift cards, and you only need 10 eligible SC to redeem gift cards, which is an exceptionally good policy. If you enjoy a live casino and a site with a player-friendly SC redemption policy, McLuck might be a good site to explore first.
Here’s another brand that offers a big gaming catalog with over 2000 games. Here you’ll find mostly slots from top providers such as Hacksaw Gaming, 3 Oaks Gaming, Betsoft and many more. There’s enough entertainment to keep you engaged for the long run, plus players appreciate that the brand adds even more games on a regular basis. There’s also a growing live-casino section that features blackjack, roulette, and other table games.
One of the main draws for players is the constant stream of bonus opportunities. You’ll get 250,000 GC and 5 SC for signing up, which is very generous and well above average. You’ll then get daily chances to claim additional virtual currency, including through VIP rewards as you climb through the loyalty tiers, referral bonuses for inviting friends, GC purchase bonuses when you optionally buy Gold Coins, and more. SC redemptions are fast – just 48 hours if you choose a gift card – and you only need 25 eligible SC to redeem gift cards.
If your top priorities include plenty of bonuses and a plethora of games to explore with all those bonuses, sign up and claim the welcome offer of WOW Vegas to get you started.
Heads up, slot players – as you can tell by the name of this site, this brand’s 1000+ gaming catalog focuses mainly on slots from top providers. It’s easy to find what you’re looking for on this site, as the games are organized by gaming provider, type of game (such as Hold and Win), popular games, and so on. There’s also a small live-casino section, but this really isn’t the site for those who want to play table games. Regardless of which games you play, you’ll appreciate how well-optimized the site is for mobile use, and that it’s a particularly stable platform for those who’re using older mobile devices.
Another big draw on this site is the welcome bonus, where you get 300,000 GC and 3 SC, which is above average for both virtual currencies. The site also features daily bonuses, referral bonuses, GC purchase bonuses, tournaments with prize pools, loyalty club bonuses, and more. You’ll almost always find something entertaining in the “Promotions” section of the website, such as the chance to share in a big SC prize pool by playing a specific slot game. When you’re ready to redeem your eligible SC, you only need 50 SC to redeem a gift card.
LuckySlots.us has gaming variety, reliable SC redemptions, and a stable gaming platform for smooth gameplay most players would want from a platform that they’ll constantly come back to.
This site doesn’t have the overwhelming gaming catalog of its competitors, or the big and flashy features that get everyone talking. Instead, this site offers a small-but-growing gaming catalog that focuses on offering high-quality games rather than focusing on the quantity. In addition, you’ll find a site that loads fast and performs well for smooth gameplay. If you look around the web, Lavish Luck gets great player reviews due to offering a reliable and fun experience for its players.
Where this brand could use some improvement is with its bonus offerings. New players get 20,000 GC and just 0.3 SC, which is disappointing. However, the brand does offer additional ways for you to collect bonuses, including through a daily login bonus, daily missions, referral bonuses, GC purchase bonuses and more. Unfortunately, this site doesn’t yet have a loyalty program, so you won’t collect any bonuses for your activity on the site. SC redemptions are reliable, but they do require a minimum of 100 eligible SC, which is on the high side, and the brand processes the SC redemptions more slowly than other sites.
All in all, this brand does have areas where it could use some improvement, but we expect those changes will happen in time. For now, the games are entertaining and SC redemptions are reliable, so we found Lavish Luck to be a fun and safe place to play.
If you’re primarily interested in social casinos in Canada as opposed to sweepstakes casinos, then this is the site for you. This well-established brand features over 150 games that are primarily slots. While we usually look for games from top gaming studios, we make an exception for this brand since they are established and trusted. This brand provides many inhouse slots with engaging storylines. If you like playing familiar favourites, you probably won’t find it here. But if you’re interested in exploring new games, this is the site for you.
The site welcomes new players with half a million G-Coins plus 200 free spins. There’s a VIP program in place for frequent players, which will enable you to pick up additional bonus G-Coins. If you want even more virtual currency to play the games, you can purchase G-Coins to keep the fun going. Since this is 100% a social casino, there are no Sweeps Coins offered as bonuses, nor can you redeem any virtual currency for real prizes.
If your primary purpose is to kick back and play slot games for fun, then you’ll want to check out the Gambino Slots banners on this page.
As you discovered, both social and sweepstakes casinos are good types of platforms that don’t require spending on your part. Whether you’re just looking for some lighthearted fun and entertainment or interested in how prize redemptions work, you can’t go wrong by choosing to play on these types of sites.
Here on this page we’ve created a nice collection of the best sweepstakes casinos, as well as both established and new social casinos in Canada. Check the banners on this page to learn more about what types of bonuses are available to you, and click on any that interest you.
No, there is no real-money gameplay involved at social casinos. Instead, you’ll use Gold Coins to play all the casino-style games on the site purely for fun and entertainment. Alternatively, you can play at sweepstakes casinos, where you’ll have the opportunity to redeem your SC winnings for real prizes. Check the banners on this page to find both reputable social and sweepstakes casinos.
Whenever you get bonus Sweeps Coins, you can’t redeem them until you’ve completed the playthrough requirements. Brands with player-friendly policies will have a 1x playthrough requirement, though some brands go up to 3x. For example, if you receive 3 SC as a bonus, you’ll need to play 9 SC on the games to meet a 3x playthrough requirement. Once you’ve finished with the playthrough, you’ll need to collect a minimum number of eligible SC before you can initiate an SC redemption request. We like sites where you can redeem a gift card for as little as 10 SC to 20 SC.
Reputable and compliant sweepstakes casinos will require all players to complete the KYC (Know Your Customer) identity verification process before you can redeem any SC winnings, and in some cases you may need to complete this process before you can make an SC redemption. The process requires you to upload your identification, a selfie, and documents such as a bank statement or utility bill to show that you live where you say you live. This is a regulatory measure that’s in place to help reduce money laundering and other criminal activity, and you’ll find the practice in place at all compliant sweepstakes casinos, but it’s not required at social casinos.