Sweepstakes casinos come with their own jargon. This glossary explains the terms you will meet most often.
- Gold Coins (GC)
- Virtual currency for entertainment only. It has no cash value and cannot be redeemed for prizes.
- Sweeps Coins (SC)
- Redeemable virtual currency. At most casinos 1 SC redeems for $1.00 once you meet the casino's requirements.
- Sweepstakes casino
- A casino-style platform that uses virtual currencies and offers free entry, under sweepstakes law, instead of taking cash wagers.
- Real-money online casino
- A state-licensed casino where you deposit cash and wager it directly. It is regulated as gambling.
- Dual-currency
- The two-coin model, Gold Coins plus Sweeps Coins, used by sweepstakes casinos and targeted by several state bans.
- AMOE
- Alternative method of entry: a free way to get Sweeps Coins without buying anything, such as a mail-in request.
- Mail-in request
- A handwritten request sent by post to receive free Sweeps Coins. It is the classic AMOE.
- No deposit bonus
- Free coins credited when you sign up, with no purchase required.
- Sign-up bonus
- The welcome offer credited when you create an account. Also called a welcome bonus.
- First purchase bonus
- Extra coins offered with your first coin package, often as a percentage or a set number of Sweeps Coins.
- Daily login bonus
- A free reward for logging in each day, often with a streak that grows and resets if you miss a day.
- Referral bonus
- Free coins for inviting a friend who signs up and meets the casino's conditions.
- Coinback
- A loyalty reward that returns a share of the coins you play through or lose over a period.
- VIP program
- A tiered loyalty scheme with perks such as bonus coins, faster redemptions and higher limits.
- Free spins (FS)
- Free plays on a specific slot, often included in a welcome offer.
- Promo code
- A code entered at sign-up or in the cashier to unlock a specific offer.
- Redemption
- Exchanging Sweeps Coins for a prize, usually cash by bank transfer, gift card, e-wallet or crypto.
- Minimum redemption
- The smallest Sweeps Coins balance, or dollar amount, a casino allows you to redeem at one time.
- Play-through
- The number of times Sweeps Coins must be wagered before they become redeemable. Also called a wagering requirement.
- 1x play-through
- A requirement to wager the Sweeps Coins amount once before redeeming. It is the most common and friendliest rule.
- Payout time
- How long a casino takes to deliver a prize after a redemption request is approved.
- KYC
- Know your customer: identity verification, usually a photo ID and sometimes proof of address, required before a first redemption.
- AML
- Anti-money laundering checks that casinos and payment providers run on accounts and payments.
- Geolocation
- Technology that checks where you are when you play, used to block states where a casino is not allowed to operate.
- VPN
- A tool that hides your location. Using one to bypass location checks breaks casino terms and can void your account.
- Official rules
- The legal document for a sweepstakes promotion that explains entry methods, eligibility and prizes.
- Terms and conditions
- The casino's rules on bonuses, redemptions, accounts and disputes. Always read them before you buy coins.
- Sister casino
- A casino run by the same operator as another, with a separate site and account.
- Operator
- The company that runs a casino, which may run several brands.
- Game provider
- The studio that makes the games, such as slot developers. Also called a game studio.
- Slot
- A reel-based game where symbols must line up to win. Slots make up most sweepstakes casino lobbies.
- Reel
- A vertical column of symbols on a slot.
- Payline
- A line across the reels on which matching symbols must land to pay.
- RTP
- Return to player: the percentage of wagers a game pays back over a very long time. 96% RTP means 96 coins per 100 wagered on average.
- House edge
- The percentage the casino keeps over time. It is 100% minus the RTP.
- Volatility
- How often and how large wins tend to be. Low volatility pays small wins often; high volatility pays less often but bigger.
- Hit frequency
- How often a spin returns a win of any size.
- Wild
- A slot symbol that substitutes for others to complete a winning line.
- Scatter
- A slot symbol that pays or triggers a feature wherever it lands.
- Multiplier
- A feature that multiplies a win, such as 2x or 10x.
- Bonus round
- A special feature within a game, often triggered by scatters.
- Bonus buy
- A feature that lets you pay to enter a bonus round directly.
- Megaways
- A slot mechanic where the number of symbols per reel changes each spin, creating many ways to win.
- Progressive jackpot
- A jackpot that grows as players wager, and is paid to a single winner.
- Bet size
- The amount wagered per spin or round.
- Autoplay
- A setting that plays a set number of spins automatically.
- Fish games
- Skill-style arcade shooting games offered at some sweepstakes casinos.
- Crash game
- A fast game where a multiplier rises until it crashes, and you cash out before it does.
- Plinko
- A game where a ball drops through pegs to land on a multiplier.
- Originals
- Games built in-house by a casino, such as Plinko or Dice.
- Live dealer
- Table games hosted by a real dealer through video.
- Instant win
- Simple games such as scratch cards where the result is immediate.
- Tournament
- A timed competition where players climb a leaderboard for coin prizes.
- Leaderboard
- A ranking of players in a tournament or promotion.
- Payout method
- How a prize is delivered: bank transfer, ACH, gift card, e-wallet or crypto.
- ACH
- An electronic bank transfer used for many redemptions in the US.
- E-wallet
- A digital wallet such as Skrill or PayPal that can receive payouts.
- Gift card redemption
- Redeeming Sweeps Coins as a gift card instead of cash.
- Crypto redemption
- Receiving a prize in cryptocurrency, which can be faster than a bank transfer.
- Prepaid card
- A card loaded with a fixed amount, sometimes used to cap spending.
- Chargeback
- A reversal of a card payment through your bank. Casinos treat unjustified chargebacks as a breach of terms.
- Purchase limit
- A cap on how much you can spend on coins in a period, set by you or the casino.
- Session limit
- A cap on how long you can play in one session.
- Self-exclusion
- A tool that blocks you from an account for a period of time or permanently.
- Responsible gaming
- Practices and tools that help players stay in control, such as limits, breaks and self-exclusion.
- Cease-and-desist
- A formal demand from a regulator to stop an activity. Several states have sent them to sweepstakes casino operators.
- Sweepstakes ban
- A state law that prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes casinos. Twelve states ban them as of late 2026.
- Affiliate link
- A tracked link that pays the referring site a commission when you sign up. Sweepstake.gg links are marked as sponsored.
General information only, not legal, tax or financial advice. 18+/21+ depending on state. No purchase necessary. Play responsibly.