To get the best experience of playing at an online sweepstakes casino, it’s important that you are at the site that best fits your needs. On the surface of things, a lot of online casino sites look much the same, in both design and game portfolios. With so many platforms available and choices to make over which to play at, does it ultimately matter which gets selected?
The answer to that is a solid yes, because while things may seem similar on the surface, it doesn’t mean that under the hood, all things are equal. Finding the right online sweepstakes casino is an important step for a positive user experience, and doing so could save some considerable time and frustration down the line.
What is a sweepstakes casino?
The difference between sweepstakes casinos and traditional online ones is that they don’t accept real money for stake. Instead, they use virtual coins as currency. Players can get started easily and bank a lump sum of virtual Gold Coins when they sign up, so it’s possible to have extended play on a sweeps casino without the need for any real money input.
Packages of Gold Coins can be purchased for players who want to top up, but it’s not a necessary part of the process. The appeal of sweepstakes casinos, therefore, is getting a gaming experience on features like jackpot slots and live dealer blackjack without the financial risk. Expert review site Sweepstakescasino.net has a fantastic list of highly reputable social casinos, and provides in-depth reviews of individual sites that provide top quality gaming.
Where to start
Review sites are extremely useful in pinpointing a small selection of the best platforms to play at. A search engine could churn out results, but you’d then have to wade through promoted links and sites that have done a better job with search engine optimization over anything else. The results at the top of a sweeps casino search in no way guarantees good ones will be listed.
Instead, by looking at review sites that have had experts test out different platforms, it can provide a good picture of what to look for. If you see a particular sweepstakes casino pop up time and again with good ratings, then that’s a good indicator of it being a platform to pay attention to.
What to look for
Again, many sweepstakes casinos will look the same on the surface, and that’s because a lot of operators use the same software engines to run their sites. In many instances, you’ll also find these sweeps casinos linked with social media platforms. It’s beneath the surface that the quality of a sweeps casino starts to shine through, and here are some key areas that you will want to check for:
Regulated sites
Although they operate under different rules to traditional online casino sites, sweeps casinos still have to be regulated. Stick to regulated platforms within your geographical region.
Welcome bonus
It’s not the be-all and end-all of things, but you will want a substantial package of Gold Coins in your account when you sign up. Unlike at real casino sites, bigger is better in this particular area.
Game variety
The next thing to look for is a variety of games. Many players have a particular type of slot machine that they gravitate towards. For some it’s Megaways, for others it’s video slots with engaging bonus rounds, or games that are based on a particular series like the Buffalo slots from developer Aristocrat. Ensure that you can find plenty of variety for the type of game that you are looking for.
Speed and navigation
The last thing you want to hinder your playing session is slow loading times and glitchy gaming. Pay attention to how easy a site is to navigate, and look for small details like a search tool and the ability to save your favourite games to the menu.
Before betting big with your Gold Coins balance, start small to test the speed and playability of games. This also goes for mobile compatibility on your favourite browser, as it’s not common for sweeps casinos to have a dedicated app.
Account management
There may come a point where you want to purchase coins, or cash in a bonus reward that’s hit your account. Account management on the backend of things should be easy to manage. Look for what payment options are available and any potential charges that could be incurred.
Customer service
You may never need to reach out to customer service, but it’s good to know that a reliable service is there should you need it. Check out the hours when you can contact them.
Why not just jump in?
It is possible just to jump in and randomly try different sites under your own steam. However, to get a good, safe user experience, you would have to sign up with each site and then test them out, which would be a hassle, so a bit of forward planning can help out. Gather some names of good, reputable sweeps casinos from review sites and then go and test drive those first and see how you get along with them, using the checklist above as a guide.
