What are Gold Coins?
Gold Coins are one of the two standard virtual currencies used in sweepstakes casinos. Their use is the main difference between standard online casinos and sweepstakes casinos. The latter don’t accept deposits or withdrawals; real money play isn’t allowed at all.
As noted earlier, the virtual currencies are available in two types – Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC). Thanks to Gold Coins, you can play casino-style games for fun. On the other hand, Sweepstakes Coins are used for sweepstakes/promotional play.
Are Gold Coins redeemable?
One of the differences between GC and SC is their redemption potential. Unlike SC, Gold Coins are not redeemable. They can only be used to play casino-style games for fun. That’s one of the reasons why almost every sweepstakes casino provides bonuses consisting of significantly more GC than SC.
How to obtain Gold Coins?
You have three options to get Gold Coins and start playing at sweepstakes casinos: bonuses, gameplay, and optional GC purchases. In most cases, players receive extra GC through bonuses, which is why we’ve dedicated an entire section on this page to bonuses and promotions.
As for gameplay, you get GC every time a spin or round ends successfully. Finally, you may be surprised to learn that you can purchase GC. However, all GC purchases are optional; there will always be plenty of ways to get more GC for free. Some GC bundles may unlock free SC as a bonus.
Gold Coins vs Sweepstakes Coins
We’ve already outlined some differences between Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC), and the table below offers a concise overview.
| Point | Gold Coins | Sweepstakes Coins |
|---|---|---|
| Value | No real-world value; for entertainment only. | No real-world value; redeemable for cash or gift cards after meeting specific requirements. |
| Ways to obtain | Bonuses/promotions, gameplay, and optional GC purchases. | Bonuses/promotions and gameplay. |
| Redemption | They can't be redeemed; they stay on the platform. | Redeemable for real prizes (cash/gift cards) after meeting the relevant requirements. |
| Game access | Access to most games on the platform. | Sometimes limited to specific games. |
How to switch from GC to SC mode and vice versa
Whether you’re using California sweepstakes platforms, Texas sweepstakes casinos, or sweepstakes sites in other states where this activity is legal, the best options among them make it easy to switch between modes and play with GC or SC. Once you log into your account and claim the welcome bonus, you can start playing with Gold Coins. This is the default mode, meaning you don’t need to make any changes.
If you want to switch to playing with SC, you should look for a marked toggle or button in the game lobby. Some sweepstakes casinos let you choose the play mode for each game before starting. Finally, some platforms let their players switch the main virtual currency through their account settings.
Top Gold Coins sweepstakes casinos
Now that you know what the Gold Coins are all about, we can proceed with the best sweepstakes casinos where you can get the most out of this virtual currency. Our research covered a few dozen platforms, but the following five stood out with their features:
| Sweepstakes Casino | Established | Welcome Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Real Prize | 2023 | 100,000 GC + 2 SC |
| Crown Coins | 2023 | 100,000 CC + 2 SC |
| McLuck | 2023 | 7,500 GC + 2.5 SC |
| Stake.us | 2022 | 560,000 GC, 56 SC, and a 5% rakeback (promo code: [bonus-code operator=""2512"" section=""socialcasino""]) |
| Jackpota | 2024 | 7,500 GC + 2.5 SC |
Real Prize: Excellent referral promotion
Real Prize offers a collection of over 550 games, including slots and live dealer games. Another big plus is that this well-established platform is available in 43 states.
Of course, you can expect various bonuses, including an excellent refer-a-friend promo. With its help, you can get up to 200,000 GC and 70 free SC virtual coins for every friend who joins this site through your referral link and purchases optional GC packages costing over $500. Its welcome bonus of 100,000 GC and 2 SC is equally attractive.
We’ll also mention the Real Prize VIP club, which has seven standard tiers and one invite-only tier. This tier provides birthday gifts, GC purchase multipliers, dedicated support, and more. Finally, we’ll note that this is LoneStar Casino‘s sister site, so don’t be surprised if you find similar offers there.
Crown Coins: Best for mobile players
Crown Coins Casino is pretty popular among mobile players for a good reason. This platform features a modern mobile app that players can download from the Apple App Store, allowing them to play on the go. Android users shouldn’t expect a dedicated app, but the site is optimized for their devices.
When it comes to obtaining Gold Coins, new players can claim a welcome offer consisting of 100,000 Crown Coins and 2 Sweepstakes Coins, a daily login bonus delivering 155,000 CC and 2.8 SC for logging in seven days in a row, and more. As you may have guessed, “Crown Coins” works as the Crown Coins Casino version of GCs.
These offers are not tied to any promo codes. Its collection of games includes 450 titles from reputable providers like Pragmatic Play and RubyPlay.
McLuck: Great collection of live dealer games
One of the best places to use your Gold Coins at McLuck Casino is the live dealer page. You’ll find a few dozen blackjack, roulette, and baccarat games as well as game shows. Additionally, there are exclusive branded tables from Iconic21, such as McLuck American Roulette. Also, we like that McLuck features over 1,000 games, mainly slots.
Every new McLuck user is greeted with a welcome bonus of 7,500 GC and 2.5 SC. There are no promo codes involved in the process. Beyond the welcome bonus, you’ll find a first GC purchase bonus, a daily login bonus of 1,500 GC and 0.2 SC, a referral bonus, and a McLuck loyalty club with VIP bonuses for its most loyal players.
Stake.us: Best welcome package
If you want to get the highest amount of Gold Coins as a new player, then you should consider joining Stake.us. Remember to use our exclusive promo code GAMEDAY during signup to claim 560,000 GC, 56 SC, and 5% rakeback. The whole package can be claimed over the course of 30 days, with 250K GC and 25 SC given upon registration, 10K GC, 1 SC, and 5% rakeback if you use our exclusive bonus code, and 300K GC and 30 SC via daily login bonus after successfully logging into your Stake.us account for 30 days. That’s definitely the highest amount of Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins you can get through a welcome package.
Stake.us boasts a collection of over 2,000 games, including more than one fun crash game and Stake Originals. The latter are titles you can’t play on any other platform. Players also like this site because it has a modern, mobile-optimized design promising hassle-free navigation. On top of that, it includes unique promotions like daily races, slot battles, and challenges.
Jackpota: Best for playing jackpot games
As its name suggests, Jackpota sweepstakes casino is an excellent place for playing games with progressive jackpots. More than 15 jackpot titles await you in the “Jackpot Play" section. Most games feature four progressive jackpots, with the Grand Jackpot offering over 1.8 million GC. Let’s not forget that this platform offers over 700 games.
Once again, we have a site with a solid welcome bonus of 7,500 GC and 2.5 SC. The daily login bonus of 1,500 GC and 0.25 SC can be pretty helpful too. The same goes for the tournaments held regularly. This time, you need at least 75 qualifying SC (1x playthrough requirement) to redeem cash prizes.
Pros and cons of sweepstakes Gold Coins
Pros
- Access to all games
- Easily obtained through gameplay and bonuses
- Excellent for testing new games and strategies
Cons
- Can’t be redeemed for real prizes
Conclusion – Should you join a sweepstakes casino and use Gold Coins?
Playing with Gold Coins at sweepstakes casinos provides more than one benefit. When you join a sweepstakes platform and use Gold Coins, you get a chance to play casino-style games for free. Gold Coins can also be obtained through various bonuses, daily logins, or optional GC purchases, letting players keep the fun going. The only downside is that they cannot be redeemed for cash or gift cards.
If you want to try using Gold Coins for fun, we recommend joining Stake.us, Real Prize, McLuck, Crown Coins, or Jackpota. These sweepstakes platforms let you obtain GC through generous bonuses like Stake.us’ welcome package of 560K GC, 56 SC, and 5% rakeback (promo code: GAMEDAY) and play hundreds of high-quality games. You can use the banners on this page to join one of these sites today and see it yourself.
