Best sweepstakes & social casinos in Utah for 2024

Are sweepstakes casinos in Utah legal?

While almost none of the gambling types are legal in Utah, there’s a loophole in the law that allows people in UT to enjoy the casino-like experience. This loophole involves sweepstakes casinos.

Sweepstakes gambling usually involves two virtual currencies that players can use to enter and play casino-like games for free. These currencies are often coins that players can obtain for free through bonuses and promotions.

Sweepstakes casinos are legal in Utah because they follow the sweepstakes model. That allows players in UT to play blackjack, slots, craps, and poker without the need to spend money. We’ll explain the legalities and illegalities of sweepstakes gambling in Utah and which laws govern it.

Utah sweeps gambling illegalities

The factor that affects the legality of sweeps gambling is its free-to-play model. Many states, including Utah, allow sweepstakes gambling because it doesn’t require any payments and purchases.

Gambling and online gambling consist of payment, chance, and prize. In other words, you pay to enter the game, the casino chooses a winner by chance, and they receive a reward.

However, Utah prohibits this model. Instead, the sweepstakes model must check two requirements: chance and prize. If the gambling involves randomly picking the winner who gets the prize, it’s sweepstakes gambling.

Sweepstakes casinos must not require players to pay or wager something of value to participate in the games. To avoid real-life money, sweepstakes casinos offer virtual currencies that players use to play the games. Most sweepstakes casinos offer one virtual currency to redeem for cash prizes.

However, even though sweepstakes gambling is legal in UT, some sweepstakes casinos, like b spot, are illegal.

Utah vs. other states: legalities of sweepstakes

The Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, United States Postal Service, and United States Department of Justice regulate the legality of sweepstakes gambling nationally. However, each state can set its own gambling and sweepstakes laws. Thus, Utah legalizes sweepstakes casinos as long as they stay free.

Of course, there are options to purchase virtual coins at online sweepstakes casinos, but they aren’t mandatory. Players can play all games for free with the coins they obtained through signup and daily login bonuses.

However, not all neighboring states share the same sweepstakes laws as Utah. Since the beginning of 2024, Idaho and Nevada have made sweepstakes casinos illegal. On the other hand, Arizona has legalized sweepstakes gambling and additional types of gambling, including the lottery, bingo, online casinos, poker, sportsbooks, racing, fantasy sports, etc.

However, Arizona also requires players to be at least 21 years old, while Utah and Wyoming have a minimum age limit of 18. New Mexico and Colorado follow the common promotion law and have no state-specific requirements regarding sweepstakes casinos. Thus, they haven’t banned any sweepstakes casinos in their states.

Utah’s sweeps gambling governing laws

As mentioned, the FCC, FTC, USPS, and DOJ govern the nationwide sweepstakes gambling laws. However, almost all states have exercised their right to set state-specific laws regarding sweeps casinos. Thus, Utah defines sweepstakes as a game or promotion that allows players to enter with or without any payment and chooses a winner who will get a prize according to chance.

Since gambling is illegal in Utah, sweepstakes gambling is an excellent substitute. Gambling is a class B misdemeanor that can become a class A misdemeanor if repeated, as per the Utah Criminal Code.

Naturally, as players must follow the law, so do the sweepstakes casinos. Thus, before entering any sweepstakes games, check the legality of the sweepstakes casino site. If a sweep coins casino breaks the rules of the Utah State Legislature, avoid it at all costs. Therefore, staying on the tested, trustworthy sweepstakes casino sites is wise.

UT sweepstakes casinos game categories 🎰

One of the essential factors players consider when picking their favorite sweepstakes platform is the casino game variety. Utah’s sweepstakes casinos offer different game options, including blackjack, roulette, poker, slots, craps, fish games, baccarat, and lottery-style games.

Blackjack games

One of the most played games in Utah is Blackjack online. It’s a card game where the players must beat the dealer by having cards that sum up closer to 21. If they exceed 21, they lose. Kings, queens, and jacks are worth ten points, and aces are worth one or 11. The goal is to have a closer sum to 21 than the dealer.

Many sweepstakes casinos in Utah offer exciting blackjack game titles, such as Match the Dealer Blackjack, Spanish 21, 777 Blazing Blackjack, etc. You can find these fantastic game titles on many of Utah’s sweepstakes casino sites, including Funrize, Rush Games, and LuckyBird.

Baccarat

Baccarat is another popular sweepstakes gambling game in UT. This card game deals with two hands: the player and the banker. Players should guess and bet on a hand they assume will have a higher value. Kings, queens, and jacks in baccarat are worth ten points, while 10s are worth 0 points.

Some popular baccarat titles in Utah include 3D Baccarat, Wall Street Baccarat, and Punto Banco. You can find these and many other baccarat titles in Utah sweepstakes casinos like BetRivers.net casino and Stake.us.

Poker Games

Another one of the most popular card games in Utah and the rest of the US is Poker online. It has many variations, but players usually bet on their hands being “stronger” than their opponents’. Players combine their dealt cards with the shared cards on the table to get the best possible combinations.

Many poker games are available to sweepstakes players in Utah, including Texas Hold’em, Card Stud, Card Omaha, and Flush. You can find poker titles in most Utah sweepstakes casinos, such as Riversweeps, PENN Play casino, and Global Poker.

Select the best legal sweepstakes casinos in Utah

Finding the right sweepstakes casino in Utah can be demanding, considering the sheer number of them online. Investing your time in shady and unverified casino sites can cause more damage than good. It’s dangerous if you intend to make payments on your sweepstakes casino account. Therefore, consider several factors before applying for a specific sweepstakes casino.

The first and most critical factor in determining whether you visit a certain sweepstakes casino is its legality and regulation. It’s crucial to verify the site’s legality in your jurisdiction.

Check its terms and conditions, operating licenses, and regulatory bodies. If you find information that reputable authorities in Utah regulate the sweepstakes casino business, it’s much safer for you to play its games.

Other factors in selecting the best sweepstakes casino in UT include:

• Security measures – Signing up at sweepstakes casinos requires users to create personal accounts. These accounts usually require personal information like email, date of birth, password, etc. Ensure your sweepstakes casino has excellent security measures to protect your privacy.
• Responsible gaming policies – Responsible gaming regulations help players avoid addiction. They let players set their limits regarding games, payments, and other standards and practices to prevent falling into a rabbit hole. 
• Game variety – Sweepstakes casinos provide players with a casino-like experience. If they don’t offer enough game options, the experience could suffer, and players can lose interest. 
• Bonus quality – Bonuses are a massive part of sweepstakes casinos. While players can win coins while playing games, they need them to enter the games in the first place. Moreover, bonuses are essential if you don’t want to purchase additional coins. To keep the fun going, players need bigger bonuses that allow them to keep playing their favorite games. 
• Payment options – If you want to purchase coins on a sweepstakes casino site, ensure the payment options aren’t shady. You don’t want to give your credit card details to nefarious and unsecured sites. Thus, you are good to go if the payment methods are legit. However, be wary of sharing your payment information. 
• Customer support – Lastly, customer support is of great value for sweepstakes casinos. If you face any issues with prizes, payments, or bonuses, it’s good to have someone help you fix them. The more customer support channels the casino has, the better. If the casino offers live chat or call support, that’s a plus. 

Sources

• Utah State Legislature.
• Utah Gambling Defense Lawyers. Intermountain Legal.
• Sweepstakes and Promotions. ABS.utah.