Sadly, I can’t offer you guidance on the best online casinos in Texas, as the state hasn’t legalized online gambling. Therefore, casino sites can’t operate legally within its borders. The good news? There are still some fantastic alternatives.
Sweepstakes casinos offer a free and legal alternative to online casinos. As you’ll play with virtual currencies, typically Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, instead of real money, they comply with Texas law. Sweepstakes casinos let you play thousands of online casino games for free, including slots, live dealers, virtual tables, and more.
Exclusive offer here
Real money casinos remain illegal under Section 47.02 of the Texas Penal Code, which makes it an offense to wager money or anything of value on games of chance. However, this is not unusual; in fact, it’s the norm, as the vast majority of US states do not allow online gambling if real money is being used. For example, you also will not find any online casinos in Washington or various other states.
But this doesn’t mean that you cannot enjoy your favorite casino games in Texas. Sweepstakes casinos provide a free-to-play and legally accessible alternative. Instead of playing with real money, you’ll use virtual currencies, such as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. Since no purchase is required to play, these sites comply with Texas law and offer a lawful way for Texans to enjoy casino-style games online.
Sweepstakes casinos provide the best-known alternative to top online casinos in the US. These sites operate using virtual currencies, instead of real money, as I’ve touched on briefly already. But how do these different virtual currencies work? And how do they let you enjoy your favorite casino games for free? Let’s take a closer look:
If you’re in a state where online gambling is not legal, your best alternative will be sweepstakes casinos. This is also true for the best online casinos in California, Texas, and various other states. But where do you find these sweepstakes casino alternatives? If you turn your attention to the promotional banners on this page, you will find a long list of trusted sweepstakes casino brands.
Our banners highlight some of the best sweepstakes casinos available in the Lone Star State, which have been independently reviewed here at Sports Gambler. These casinos all offer generous bonuses, high-quality game collections, excellent security, and a range of other important features. You can click the link in any of the promotional banners to start the sign up process or read the in-depth casino review if you need more information.
No deposit online casinos are a way for players to play for free at real money casinos. But since these casinos are not legal, and sweepstakes casinos do not allow deposits of any kind, this term has no real meaning in Texas. Instead, online sweepstakes casino players can claim a wide variety of no-cost bonuses and promotions, which can be used to explore all of the casino’s games for free.
For new players, the most obvious promotion is the sign up bonus. This awards a sizable amount of free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, allowing you to start exploring the games immediately. However, as an existing player, you will find there is a much wider selection of promotions to keep your account consistently topped up. Some examples include daily reloads, referral offers, social media giveaways, and more, which can be seen broken down in the table below:
| Bonus Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Sign up bonus | Receive free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins immediately upon registration. |
| Daily reload | Log in every 24 hours to claim free virtual currencies. |
| Referral offers | Share a referral link or code. When your friend signs up and meets the terms, you earn free virtual currencies. |
| Social media giveaways | Follow the casino on platforms like Instagram or Twitter to enter contests and win free virtual currencies. |
| Tournaments | Climb the leaderboard by competing with others; top finishers win a share of the prize pool. |
| Mail-in request | Send a handwritten postcard to the casino’s address to receive free Sweeps Coins. |
For the most part, there are very few differences in the quality or variety of casino games offered at a sweepstakes casino when compared to an online casino. You should find large game collections, usually with several hundred individual titles. Additionally, this should cover a wide range of categories, such as slots, virtual tables, live dealers, original games, instant wins, scratch cards, and more.
Furthermore, these online sweeps casinos in Texas maintain high-quality gaming experiences by using the top software providers to supply their games. This includes big names like Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, BetSoft, Playson, Evolution, ICONIC21, and several other respected game studios. While there are many individual casino categories, slot and table games stand out as the most popular options. Let’s take a closer look at both:
The top online sweepstakes casinos in the US provide several hundred slot games to explore. These games offer simple but engaging gameplay mechanics, impressive graphics, immersive soundtracks, and generous bonus features, keeping you on the edge of your seat at all times. However, they can often be broken down into various subcategories, such as jackpots, megaways, classic, and more.
Here are some of my top slot game recommendations from different categories:
Most sweepstakes casinos offer a wide variety of classic table games, such as roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, craps and more. These games are typically offered in two formats, which are virtual tables and live casino tables. Virtual tables are played in a virtual setting, where you’ll compete directly against the computer or other players. These virtual games have been around since the beginning of internet casinos. However, live casino tables are the more modern option, where you’ll play via a live stream hosted by a live dealer.
Both formats have unique benefits and drawbacks. Live casino typically provides a more interactive and immersive experience, making you feel as if you’re at the casino table, experiencing the different games for real. Virtual tables offer a more laid-back gaming experience, where you can relax and focus on the actual gameplay without the additional noise.
There’s no denying that real money gaming is one of the main reasons why so many people flock to new online casinos. Sweepstakes casinos do not provide a direct substitute for this, since no real money gaming is allowed. However, it is possible to use your Sweeps Coins winnings to redeem real prizes, which could include real money, gift cards, and various other prizes.
But if you want to make this a reality during your online sweepstakes gaming experience, you’ll need to meet all of the casino’s eligibility requirements. Here’s how some of the most important requirements work:
When you think you’ve met all of the necessary requirements, you can usually find a Redeem button in the main navigation menu. This will take you to the main interface where prize redemptions take place. You’ll find most casinos offer a 1:1 redemption rate, which means for every 1 Sweeps Coin you redeem, you’ll receive a prize equal to $1.
Online gift card prize redemptions are typically sent electronically to your registered email address within 24 and 72 hours. If you’ve redeemed a cash prize, it will usually be processed via bank transfer, although some providers offer e-wallet and crypto alternatives. Depending on your payment method, expect to receive cash prizes in between 2 to 7 business days.
One thing that online casinos in the US and sweepstakes casinos share in common is that they require KYC (Know Your Customer) verification procedures. If you do not complete these steps, you will not gain access to all of the casino’s features, including Sweeps Coin redemptions. The purpose of the verification is to ensure you meet the requirements to play (age & location) and to prevent fraud or misuse.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how the process goes:
The review process varies at every casino, but can take anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days. For this reason, it’s a good idea to submit your documents as early as possible and to ensure you’ve double-checked the quality of your uploads. This will prevent any potential delays, ensuring you get quick access to features like prize redemptions.
Struggling to find a sweepstakes casino that meets your needs? Here are some of the main things I look for when finding a new casino to play:
Generous bonuses and promotions can be a make-or-break when playing new sweeps casinos. You want to see large promotions that offer a significant amount of coins for free. Additionally, you’ll want to see a good variety of others, whether it be sign up bonuses, referral offers, social media giveaways, daily login bonuses, or mail-in requests. A casino with a broad range of offers ensures you’ve always got a way to access free virtual currencies.
Trusted casino sites offer helpful support teams that are available through channels such as live chat, telephone, email, and social media. The good thing about this is, you don’t have to wait until there’s an issue. Before you sign up, you can test these services. Try emailing the support to see how fast they reply, or ask the agents at the live chat about a few different topics. You should also be able to find a help center or FAQ page that provides solutions to common queries.
Most online sweeps casinos in Texas will allow you to browse the game collection before registering your account. This gives you the perfect opportunity to see what the site has to offer. If you’ve got a few favorite games you like to play, use the search bar to try and track them down. You should also be able to see the different casino categories the site offers.
A casino may look good on the surface, but getting some opinions from real players is a good way to see if the casino is as good as it looks. To do this, you can head to trusted review sites like the Sports Gambler, where we regularly review all of the top brands. You can also check trusted user feedback platforms like Trustpilot or ask your friends if they’ve played the site. If the casino has a mobile app, you can also check reviews in the relevant application store.
Gold Coin purchases are not mandatory, but if you want to use these optional purchases, it’s a good idea to check what payment methods are available. Ensure that the casino has an option that meets your needs, whether it’s a Debit/Credit Card, E-wallet, Bank Transfer, or any other secure method. The same can be applied to cash prize redemptions. Additionally, when researching how the casino processes Sweeps Coin redemptions, be sure to check the requirements. This will include factors such as playthrough requirements and minimum redemption amounts.
Online casinos in Texas are not legal, as they involve gambling with real money. But that’s where sweepstakes casinos provide a viable alternative, offering a free-to-play and legally accessible gaming environment. Since these sites use Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins for gameplay, which can be obtained for free, they meet the requirements set by Texas lawmakers. The best sweepstakes casinos offer generous bonuses, expansive game collections, and a variety of other features. Ready to test them out? Choose from any of the brands in the promotional banners on this page to get started.
No, Texas law still prohibits real-money casino gambling online. Any site taking direct wagers is operating illegally, and you should avoid these sites at all costs. However, viable alternatives such as sweepstakes casinos provide a free and legal alternative for Texas residents.
Reputable sweepstakes casinos use SSL encryption and publish audited RNG reports. However, there’s no single Texas regulator overseeing them, so stick with well-known brands and read user reviews. The brands listed in the promotional banners on this page are good examples of trusted casino sites.
If you’re looking for the best free spin casinos, just look for the sweepstakes casinos that offer the most generous bonuses. As there are very few that specifically offer free spin bonuses. Instead, you can claim Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins through regular promotions. These coins can then be used to play any of the casino’s slot games for free.
Exclusive offer here
Exclusive offer here
