Sweepstakes and Social Casinos in Canada
Sweepstakes and social casinos are relatively new platforms that started life in the US as land-based sweepstakes cafes. If you're a new player and still uncertain about which sweepstakes casino to sign up for, read our article to compare the best in the market and have a look at our in-depth reviews by our industry experts.
Our #1 favourite this month is Fortune Coins Casino because of their vast games library which offers an average of 200% more game titles than most sweepstakes platforms. If you're still unsure about joining this operator, consider our runner-up Chumba Casino.
Comparison of the Top Sweepstakes in This Listing
We compared the best sweepstakes by testing them in 3 different categories. The categories were chosen to represent what our users are usually interested in: slot games; customer support; mobile usability
Categories | Sweepstake Casino |
---|---|
🎰 Best for online slots | Fortune Coins |
🤵 Best for support | Chumba Casino |
📋 Best for security | Global Poker |
How We Test the Sweepstakes in This Listing
We follow dedicated rating guidelines that allow us to test and rate different casino elements. If you're wondering what the most important criteria are, we give extra attention to the below 3 details:
Size of the games library - Since sweepstakes players don't have access to the full range of online games available, we look for the operators that can offer the most variety to the player.
Free Sweeps coins offer - The offer needs to be competitive and offer the most to give Canadian players the best gameplay experience.
User experience - We check to make sure the site runs smoothly and is easy to navigate.
Why Is Fortune Coins the Best Sweepstake Casino?
Our experts selected Fortune Coins as the best sweepstakes casino in 2024. If you feel that this is not the right option for you, you can try our second favourite Chumba Casino. The reason Fortune Coins was our ultimate pick of the month was that it offers a good range of high-spec free casino games and we really enjoyed using the generous welcome sweeps offer worth 100,000 gold coins and 200 free fortune coins.
It's important to remember that playing at sweepstakes and social casinos means no purchase is necessary to start playing. This is a key foundation to their legal status, and it also gives players an entirely free route to enjoy various types of casino games. Keep reading for everything you need to know.
How Can I Purchase Gold Coins at Canadian Social Casinos?
If you want to buy Gold Coins at sweepstake casinos in Canada, you'll usually find the following 6 popular payment methods:
Visa
Mastercard
Interac - currently only available at Fortune Coins
Neteller
Skrill
PayPal
Trustly
The most popular Canadian payment option is PayPal, with 233,947 websites throughout Canada offering this provider. This is also true for Canadian Sweepstakes sites.
We found that making purchases is an easy process on all sweepstakes we tested. We first navigated to our profile section and then selected the “Purchases” button which can vary from one operator to another. All we had to do next was simply enter the amount we wanted to purchase and chose Interac to make our purchase which was instant for us.
Can Canadian Players Redeeming Cash Prizes?
If the sweepstakes casino you chose offers prize redemptions, then you can select one of the following banking providers that are made available:
Visa
Mastercard
Interac
PayPal
Trustly
Skrill
Neteller
When we moved to redeem from Fortune Coins, we first checked the minimum threshold, which you'll typically find to be between 50 and 100 SC. We then submitted all the necessary documentation needed by the operator following legal obligations to run KYC Checks which guarantees more player safety. Once we were verified, we were able to click the Redemption button on our profile.
Some payment options might incur fees to have a transaction processed, always check with your Sweepstake casino's customer care if you're in doubt!
Which Are the Most Popular Social Casino & Sweepstake Games?
The 3 most popular sweepstake casino games are Swep Slots, Tabel games and Video Poker. If you think you won't find as many options on a sweepstakes site compared to other casino sites, think again! While game libraries are more limited in size, they usually offer great versatility of games. Let's have a look at what our experts found on the most popular game types:
Sweep slots - Our experts confirmed that they're identical to normal online slots. Many platforms offer slots from world-leading developers like Pragmatic Play or design their own games. For example, Fortune Coins offers inventive slots, such as Lucky Panda, Magic Castle, and Pyramids of Giza.
Table games - These can range from roulette and blackjack to baccarat and casino war.
Video poker - These free games can be a great way to test your skills against friends and evolve your strategy without spending any real money.
Other categories include Keno games, Card games, Game shows, Fish Games and Bingo.
How to Find the Best Sweepstakes Casino for Me?
Here are some quick tips by our Sweepstakes experts to keep in mind when choosing the right sweepstakes casino:
Choose a reputable site - Do your research and choose a reputable online sweepstakes casino. If you're in doubt read our extensive sweepstakes reviews.
Practice responsible gambling - Set your budget and abide by it. Only gamble what you can afford to lose and don't chase your losses.
Read user reviews - Always read user reviews before depositing money in a casino. We’ve noticed that most of the negative reviews about an operator are about the same thing.
Take advantage of bonuses - Take advantage of these bonuses to increase your chances of winning. If you're in doubt about which bonus is best for you, speak to customer support.
Understand the terms - Before you start playing, make sure you understand the terms of each game to help you make wise decisions.
Are Sweeps Casinos Legal in Canada?
Yes as long as they keep to the “No Purchase Necessary” mantra, sweeps casinos operators can operate outside of the traditional legal framework. With that being said, Quebec moved to block sweepstakes platforms.
Fortune Coins is one of the first sweeps operators to make a concrete move into the Canadian market, striking up a partnership with the popular Interac payment method for coin purchases and redemptions. We expect more platforms to make an official move into the market during 2023.
What to Remember About Sweepstakes Casinos
Sweepstakes and social casinos are relatively new platforms that started life in the US as land-based sweepstakes cafes. They take advantage of the sweepstakes mechanic to offer casino games for free using virtual currencies. There are two main coins to be aware of:
Gold Coins are the primary currency at most sweepstakes sites. Gold coins hold no inherent value and cannot be redeemed for cash prizes.
Sweepstakes coins can be redeemed for cash prizes but cannot be purchased. Sweeps operators generally offer a small number of these as gifts on top of gold coin packages or contest prizes which can be used for more gameplay.
While no purchase is necessary to play. These sites offer multiple opportunities to win free virtual currency. In most cases, you can even send a letter to a specified address requesting coins.
Sweepstakes and Social Casinos FAQs
Check below for the answer to some common sweepstakes and social casino questions:
No. Social casinos don’t offer prize redemptions. On the other hand, sweepstakes sites allow players to redeem their sweepstakes coins after they hit a specified threshold.
No purchase is necessary to enjoy sweepstakes games and you don’t need to use real money at sweepstakes casinos. Players use virtual currency instead.
Yes. Social casinos are available in all Canadian provences except for Quebec.
Fortune Coins is our experts' pick of the best social casinos accepting Canadian players.
Fact-checked by Valerie Lizotte
Reviewer