Sweepstakes casinos have hit the jackpot.
They’re one of the biggest gaming trends of the past decade, exploding into a $4bn market that players just can’t get enough of.
In the US alone, sites like the player-favorite Chumba Casino and Drake-backed Stake.us are raking in millions of dollars every year, stealing players away from traditional casinos in the process.
You’d expect it to be the same story in Canada, too, but this new type of casino site has yet to take off north of the US.
Sweepstakes Casinos Are Legal in Canada, But You Can’t Buy Sweeps Coins
Players living in Canada can access and play inside online sweepstakes casinos. That’s not a problem. The difference in Canada is that they can’t purchase Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins coins, making it more difficult to win prizes (which, of course, is a big part of the sweepstakes experience).
For those not in the know, any sweepstakes or prize contest in Canada must provide free entry under Canadian law. It’s called the “No Purchase Necessary” (NPN) rule and it’s existed there for decades. This is why sweepstakes casinos legally can’t let Canadian players buy Sweeps Coins.
Players can, instead, still get Sweeps Coins for free, which is possible through things like sign up offers, mail-in requests, and free giveaways. The only downside to this is that it means they can’t play with as many coins as US players.
How Sweepstakes Casinos Work
In any sweepstakes casino, players have two types of virtual coins they can play with:
- Gold Coins
- Sweeps Coins
With Gold Coins, you can play any of the available games you like for free, such as slots, roulette, or poker. Essentially, it’s just for fun.
Sweeps Coins are a little more serious, because they have genuine on-site value and if you collect enough of them it’s possible to redeem prizes.
In the US, what most players do is purchase Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins packages so that they have more coins to play with. Of course, this isn’t possible in Canada, which is a bit of a headache and one of the major reasons why the market is much smaller here.
So, if you’re a Canadian sweepstakes player, such as in Ontario, the best strategy is to collect as many free Sweeps Coins as possible and simply play with those. It’s more difficult to win prizes due to having fewer coins, but it’s still a fun experience nonetheless.
Outside of competing for prizes, you can also take part in tournaments, interact with other players, and climb leaderboards, so there’s plenty to enjoy.
Sweepstakes Giant VGW Pulls Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, and Global Poker Out of Canada
The sweepstakes casino market in Canada has recently been dealt a huge blow, as Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) has announced it will be pulling all of its sweepstakes casinos out of the country.
In a statement, VGW had this to say:
“Ultimately, this is a difficult but strategic, isolated decision. Our Canadian business is relatively small, as the vast majority of our players reside in the larger US market, where we will concentrate our management focus, resources and investment going forward.”
It is, sadly, a major blow for Canadian sweepstakes fans, as Chumba Casino and Global Poker in particular are two of the most popular sweepstakes gaming sites around. And by October 23rd 2025, they’ll have officially left Canada. However, Canadian players will still be able to access the sweepstakes casinos reported via sweepskings.com, so the Canadian market is far from dead.
Canada Won’t Outright Ban Sweepstakes Casinos, At Least for Now
With VGW making the strategic move to leave Canada, it’s left many wondering what the future is for sweepstakes casinos in The Great White North.
The past year has seen Connecticut, Montana, and California all officially outlaw sweepstakes casinos, so the general feeling is that Canada itself might opt to copy the movement taking place in the US.
But as of right now, there’s no word from Canada’s government or provincial authorities about them wanting to do this, so players don’t need to panic.
Players will, indeed, still be able to access existing sweepstakes casino sites, minus the highly popular Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, and Global Poker.
And as for the wider sweepstakes casino market in Canada, it’s unlikely to grow that much over the coming years, especially now that VGW has pulled out.
Canada’s no buy-in sweepstakes laws have, effectively, capped sweepstakes casinos from growing in the country, but there’s every chance that this could change in the future.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for entertainment purposes only. Online gambling carries risks, so you should only play within your means. If you’re struggling with a gambling addiction, reach out for help from a professional at the National Gambling Helpline through this phone line: 1-626-960-3500. All gambling websites and guides on this website are 19+. Check your local laws to ensure online gambling is legal in your area. Not valid in Ontario.
Check these websites for free gambling addiction resources.
https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga
https://www.responsiblegambling.org/
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