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Sweepstakes casino games: Weighing skill against chance

Jerard V. • Last updated on 28 October 2024

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The sweepstakes casino experience may be one of the most exciting free activities you can do online. You can access all the classic casino games without having to pay the price and touch upon the financial topic. As is the case with traditional casinos, sweepstakes institutions also provide games based on skills and chance so that you can choose titles depending on your gaming preferences and style.

However, the sweepstakes experience may be a bit different regarding the regulations, challenges, and player satisfaction, which is the topic of today’s guide.

We’ll dive into these aspects to help you understand the differences and learn more about the general sweepstakes journey through these two game types.

Regulations of skill and chance games

Sweepstakes casinos are defined as promotional activities by the law, which implies that these giveaway promotions should only be based on luck and chance, and no other aspects should impact the game’s outcome. If other aspects interfere with the fairness and randomness of game results, the casino will be pronounced illegal and unsafe to use in the US.

That’s why all the games you’ll find on sweepstakes platforms are based on chance and luck. Whether it be sweepstakes slots, bingo, or other games, you’ll rely on chance more than on luck. But what happens to the games that require some skill, such as poker or blackjack?

Well, these games are, in practice, also based on chance rather than skill. Yes, you may trick your opponents into thinking you have a better hand, and that’s a skill by itself, but the game’s systems and algorithms have nothing to do with the skills part. All titles are fair and random, but you can still rely on some of your skills to get to the final prize.

Regulatory bodies will determine whether the casino is legitimate by following some of these practices:

  • The possibility of winning without skills – if the game provides winning strategies without relying on skills, it’s legitimate.
  • The level of skills needed – if the game requires superb skills and doesn’t allow amateurs and beginners to compete, it won’t be legit.

How the balance of skill and chance influences the player’s experience

The balance between skills and chance in sweepstakes casino games can significantly impact and improve the player experience. We’ll present a couple of examples below to demonstrate the effects.

  • Transparency and trustworthiness – games that combine both skills and luck will always be a trustworthy source of entertainment. You know you can rely on your skills to turn the game in your favor, but you cannot influence the outcome. Sweepstakes casinos are entirely transparent about their games, which strengthens their trustworthiness. 
  • The feeling of control – luck-based games may not give the users the feeling of control many seek on their gaming journey. By combining the two gaming styles, the players will feel like they can influence the outcome and turn the odds in their favor. From this stems the feeling of satisfaction and excitement crucial for the complete sweepstakes experience. 
  • Satisfying player preferences – not all players seek the same game experiences. But what if you could create the most universal solution to this issue? By combining skills and chance, a sweepstakes casino will meet the needs of all players, creating the most welcoming and inclusive environments. 
  • Engagement effects – skills will take time to master, and many people will seek opportunities to improve their capabilities and show what they’ve learned. Thus, offering the players a chance to use their skills will significantly increase engagement and boost the traffic on a sweepstakes platform. 

Game design: how chance and skill challenge the game development

Game developers will encounter numerous issues and challenges before they get the most impressive final results. The first challenge is to develop a game that can use both skills and luck without harming the player experience or causing doubt for the players.

Therefore, the development journey is more complex than other game types since the developers must develop unique themes, strategies, and game mechanics to meet the complex requirements.

Below, we’ll represent a couple more game design and development issues.

  • Defining the games – the sweepstakes industry got used to defining the games as either luck-based or skill-based. Thus, once the provider develops a balanced game, it may be difficult to define it and present a proper description to the audience. Moreover, the descriptions may come across as incomplete, instantly leading to trustworthiness issues. 
  • Fairness perception – when players see that a game has anything to do with skills, they may think it isn’t fair and accessible to everyone. However, as mentioned above, the game must welcome players of all skill levels, and it may be difficult to present that to the audience. 
  • The complete equilibrium – creating a game that will balance both skills and luck is extremely challenging, and some providers may put months into developing a single game with the ideal balance ratio. Thus, some sweepstakes institutions simply give up on the idea due to its complexity. 
  • Adhering to the regulations – as previously mentioned, sweepstakes regulations state that the outcome of the game must be based on chance and luck, which is why incorporating skill elements into the game will be an overwhelming task. The developer must consider the regulations for the ultimate experience. 

Since the development journey is filled with difficulties and challenges, you can only sometimes find such games in sweepstakes casinos.

The future of sweepstakes game development

Even though we currently live in an era filled with technological developments and achievements, they’re still not enough to create the most amazing balanced sweepstakes casino games. However, it’ll all change shortly since the technological predictions state that we’ll have advanced tools at our disposal.

For instance, sweepstakes game developers will have access to balancing algorithms that help them create equilibrium while adhering to the general rules, requirements, and sweepstakes regulations.

Moreover, blockchain technology may also play a significant role in game development and distribution. These systems will contain verified records, proving to the players that the game results are random and that the sweepstakes casino is legitimate. It will fix one of the most common issues regarding the game development journey.

Although this future may seem far, we expect it to change within a year or two, thanks to the systems we’ve covered. We hope we’ll get to enjoy more balanced games and have the ultimate sweepstakes gaming experience. The future holds a lot for sweepstakes game development, and we cannot wait to see what it’ll bring to the table.

Jerard Villena Author Profile Picture

Author: Jerard V.

Content Writer

Meet Jerard, an experienced content creator and all-around technician. One review at a time, he's here to help you navigate the maze of sweepstakes casino gambling. Always at the forefront of Jerard's efforts is his dedication to producing quality content that's useful to his readers. As a lifelong gamer, he has the ability to quickly discern which games in a casino's library are good or bad, and ultimately give you the best recommendations. Outside of work, Jerard loves to travel around his home country, the Philippines. It's a country of thousands of islands with a very rich culture where there's always something new to learn or explore.

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