The free-to-play model, which many people also refer to as the freemium model, is a successful business model used on today’s safest sweepstakes casinos, which are also known as social gaming casinos, social casinos, or social gaming sites that allows people who join these sites to play games using one of two virtual currencies that have no monetary value in the real world to play games online.
Here is everything you need to know about how the free-to-play model works at sweepstakes casinos, and what players can learn from this hugely popular and successful gaming system.
What are sweepstakes casinos?
On the surface, sweepstakes casinos are just like regular online casino websites, except the major difference between the two is that sweepstakes casinos don’t involve any gambling, although you can still win some amazing prizes, such as:
Cash prizes
Luxury items
Vacation packages
Branded merchandise
Casino bonuses (e.g., free spins, prize draw ticket entries, giveaways, and more)
Online vouchers for your favourite store
They run on a two-coin virtual currency system, and have hundreds, sometimes thousands, of computer-generated and live dealer casino games to choose from, just like the games that you can play on a ‘regular’ online casino where real money gambling is involved.
Upon registering a new account on a safe sweepstakes casino and then activating that new account, you can instantly start using generous promo codes that can enhance your gameplay from the get-go to unlock the initial sign-up bonus (aka welcome bonus).
What is the free-to-play model of a sweepstakes casino, and how do the virtual currencies work?
The two different coins/virtual currencies used on sweepstakes casinos work in slightly different ways. They are typically (not always) called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins but have also been known to be called Free Coins, Fortune Coins, Gems, Rubies, Diamonds, and so on (they all mean the same thing).
The welcome bonus at all sweepstakes casinos typically includes X amount of free Gold Coins AND Sweeps Coins, and to win any of the prizes mentioned above, you must use your Sweeps Coins.
When you have won enough of these coins, you can head to the store/cashier/account section to exchange/redeem those coins for any of the rewards that are currently up for grabs on the site you have joined. If you run out of these coins, you can head to the cashier/banking section to top them up using various trusted online payment methods, such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple Pay, or cryptocurrency.
They usually come in bundles or packages that can be purchased for $/€/$5, $/€/£10 or $/€/£20 (or equivalent currency value), and then once you have purchased them, don’t forget to spend and/or redeem them within 60 to 90 days (again, each site is different) before they expire.
The best thing about sweepstakes casinos is that you will NEVER be pressured into buying more Sweeps Coins when you run out because, don’t forget, you also have your other coins, the Gold Coins.
Gold Coins, however, or whatever they are called on the site you have joined, CANNOT be used to win any of these real-world digital or physical prizes. They can only be used to play games in the ‘free-to-play’ model, but the good news is that if they ever run out, you can get them topped up FOR FREE, in several different ways.
For example, you can contact the friendly, responsive, and professionally trained player support agents via the live chat messaging feature and request more chips, plus they can also be won via daily login bonuses, loyalty programs, promotional offers and bonuses (onsite and social media promos), by subscribing to newsletters sent directly to your inbox, and so on.
Final thoughts
The key takeaway for online gamers is that gaming sites like this are completely risk-free. They have become the safest and most social way to enjoy playing online casino games from award-winning software providers.
The freemium model on sweepstakes casinos and the fantastic prizes that you can win using your coins are what give these digital entertainment platforms their unique charm.
Furthermore, there is more of a focus on growing online communities on sweepstakes casinos because they are far more player centric.
Many of the games that you can play have socially interactive chat messaging features that enable players to enjoy shared gaming experiences with other like-minded players.
The free-to-play model, transparency, risk-free nature, and social aspect of sweepstakes casinos also help with their ever-growing popularity, but before joining one, don’t forget to read the expert reviews first, just to see if that site can be trusted.
The vast majority of sweepstakes casinos are perfectly secure, but it’s always best to be sure and double-check with the experts first to see if they recommend any sites that you have been considering joining.
