Best sweepstakes & social casinos in South Dakota for 2024

The legal status of sweepstakes casinos in South Dakota

Sweepstakes casinos offer a casino-like experience by following the sweepstakes model. Because of that, they don’t need a gambling license and other gambling-related permits that South Dakota has in place.

These sweepstakes online casinos usually offer two virtual currencies that allow players to play games like blackjack, slots, and table games. We’ll explain the legalities of sweepstakes casinos in South Dakota in the following sections.

Illegalities in SD’s sweeps gambling

Sweepstakes casinos are legal in the US, except in a few states like Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Online casinos are and probably will continue to be illegal in South Dakota. Thus, sweepstakes casinos must differentiate from regular gambling to avoid SD classifying them as unlawful online casinos.

If a casino randomly chooses winners by chance and offers a prize, it classifies as a sweepstakes. If there’s a mandatory payment to participate in any games, it’s gambling, and it is illegal in SD. In other words, sweepstakes casinos must be free to play.

On the other hand, almost all sweepstakes casinos have options to purchase their virtual currencies for real money, which is a legal loophole in South Dakota and other states.

Nevertheless, some sweepstakes casinos are still illegal in South Dakota, such as Games.Skillz.

Sweepstakes legalities in SD and other states

Even though sweepstakes casinos resemble online casinos almost to the dot, they’re legal in South Dakota due to several factors.

First and foremost, sweepstakes casinos are legal in SD because no real-money gambling is taking place. Instead, sweep coin casinos use two virtual currencies to allow users to play their games, one of which they can usually redeem for cash prizes.

Moreover, the South Dakota Supreme Court has defined sweepstakes casino games as a “contest in which chance predominates over skill.” That means sweepstakes casinos must choose winners at random for legal reasons.

Besides the state-specific South Dakota laws, sweepstakes casinos are regulated nationally. Thus, they must follow the rules of the following organizations, regardless of the state:

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• United States Postal Service (USPS)
• United States Department of Justice (DOJ)

South Dakota finds sweepstakes casinos legal, and its neighboring states have a similar view of sweepstakes legality. For instance, North Dakota and Montana are more accepting of sweepstakes casinos than South Dakota.

On the other hand, Wyoming has banned several sweepstakes casinos, including Vegas Gems, Funrize, NoLimitCoins, TaoFortune, etc. Nebraska, Minnesota, and Iowa banned b spot with more than half the other states.

Overall, South Dakota mostly shares the stance of sweepstakes casinos being legal with its neighboring states.

South Dakota’s governing laws of sweeps gambling

Even though sweepstakes are mainly regulated nationally, it’s essential to understand the governing laws for sweepstakes in South Dakota. Before investing your time and trying your luck on certain sweepstakes casino sites, checking their legality is vital.

If the sweepstakes casino of your choice doesn’t follow the governing laws of South Dakota and breaks the rules and regulations of the SD government, you must avoid them. Try your luck at legit and trustworthy sweep coins casinos.

South Dakota Legislature (Chapters 37–32) provides users with all the laws governing the sweepstakes model and prizes. This law states that payment must not be a requirement to receive prizes. Violating the governing laws on sweepstakes casinos in South Dakota is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

These governing laws align with the general promotion law, meaning they don’t have any additional, state-specific legal requirements.

Types of games at South Dakota’s sweepstakes casinos 🎲

One of the main properties of sweepstakes casinos that attracts players is the variety of casino-like games. Sweepstakes casinos offer multiple game options to appeal to many players. Moreover, the more popular titles they add to their game categories, the more players will choose them as their favorite sweepstakes casino site.

Since many popular and rising sweep coin casinos exist in South Dakota, they must up their game and keep up with their competition. That’s why many SD sweepstakes casinos offer incredible game collections. Moreover, if their websites have neat game categories, they allow players to find their desired games quickly and become regulars.

The casino games available at South Dakota’s sweepstakes casinos include slots, blackjack, roulette, table games, live casino games, jackpots, fish games, etc.

Slot games

Slot games resemble slot machines, which are casino games that allow players to earn prizes. They win them by chance, meaning no skill is necessary to play sweepstakes slots. While slot machines in land-based casinos require a coin or a chip to run, you can play sweepstakes slot games using the virtual currencies of a specific sweepstakes casino.

Slot games are some of the most popular sweepstakes casino games in South Dakota. Thus, sweepstakes casinos often have many popular slot titles. The slot games vary in style and unique features, but the gameplay stays the same. Therefore, there are classic slots, video slots, autoplay slots, 3D slots, penny slots, etc.

All these slot games can be progressive and non-progressive. Progressive slots are worth playing as players can win incredible prizes. Non-progressive slots offer smaller but more frequent prizes. Thus, depending on your goal, both types are worth exploring.

Some of the most popular slot game titles in South Dakota include The Dark Knight, Mega Moolah, Megabucks, King Cashalot, and Gonzo’s Quest. Players from South Dakota can find these and many other slot titles at Funzpoints, SweepSlots, LuckyBird, and other casinos.

Table games

Sweepstakes table games resemble traditional table games, where players usually sit around the table and play the game of odds. Players bet on specific outcomes and get prizes according to the odds. However, if they lose, the casino wins, which means casinos have a higher chance of winning than players since the latter can only bet on one out of many outcomes.

Table games mostly rely on the percentage game, which gives players unequal chances of winning. Despite all that, table games are popular in South Dakota’s sweepstakes casinos. Some of the most famous table games in South Dakota include blackjack online, roulette, baccarat, poker online, and craps.

Some of the most popular table game titles in South Dakota include American Roulette, Gridiron Roulette, Las Vegas Craps, Pai Gow Poker, etc. You can find these immersive table games at South Dakota sweepstakes casino, such as the, Global Poker.

Fish games

At sweepstakes casinos, fish games often fall into a specialty category. They combine the casino-like experience of winning prizes with some video game elements. Many players often overlook them, but those in South Dakota immensely enjoy them and often opt for them over other game types.

The gameplay includes choosing a weapon and shooting different fish to earn prizes. The higher the prize, the trickier it is to hit the fish. Thus, players shoot fish until its health bar is gone. Fish games often have immersive layouts and special effects that make them stand out.

Sweepstakes casinos in SD offer many popular fish game titles like 4 Dragon Kings, Fishing War, Golden Dragon, and Alter World. Some top-rated sweepstakes casinos in South Dakota offering fish games are NoLimitCoins, TaoFortune, and Funrize.

Find the best legal sweepstakes casinos in SD

It’s essential to choose your sweepstakes casino wisely. While South Dakota has legalized sweepstakes casinos, players should consider several factors when picking their favorite platform. The most crucial are legality and regulation.

Thus, we suggest players check for operating licenses and regulatory bodies. A sweepstakes casino is safe for players if a reputable authority regulates it.

Other factors to consider when selecting a sweep coins casino include the following:

• Security measures – Check the desired sweepstakes casino’s security measures before playing. It’s vital to remain safe while using online platforms and avoid sharing private information.
• Game variety – Opt for a sweepstakes casino with many game options for the best casino-like experience. If a sweepstakes casino offers only one or two game types, it might bore you quickly.
• User experience – Even though sweepstakes casinos advertise themselves in the best light, checking their user reviews is critical. If other users had a negative experience with a particular sweepstakes casino, avoid it at all costs.
• Customer support – Customer support is essential for the best user experience. If your chosen sweepstakes casino doesn’t offer any customer support, you’ll be on your own, dealing with potential problems without professional assistance.

Sources

• Chapter 37-32 Sweepstake Prizes. South Dakota Legislature.
• Gambling In South Dakota: Where and How to Play. South Dakota Gambling.
• Miller, S. (2022, Apr 8). What Are Sweepstakes Casinos? A Beginner’s Guide. The GWW.