There are no real money online casinos in Kentucky, but those in KY wishing to play casino games online can do so legally on social and sweepstakes sites.
These sites feature many of the same games and features as their real money counterparts. In fact, in some cases, the sites offer chances to redeem winnings for actual cash prizes.
Read on for a complete guide to all the social and sweepstakes options available to you in the Bluegrass State.
What are social and sweepstakes sites?
Social and sweepstakes sites are legally operating sites that offer casino-style gaming. These games are largely identical to the ones you’d find at real money online casinos. However, these sites use virtual currencies rather than real money for their games, which makes them legal in most U.S. states, including Kentucky.
Sites that call themselves social casinos generally don’t offer opportunities to redeem winnings for real cash. Meanwhile, sites with the “sweepstakes” designation operate very similarly but do have ways you can redeem your winnings for cash and then withdraw the funds from your account. We use the terms interchangeably because some sites have attributes of both, and there is considerable overlap between the two categories.
Regardless, social and sweepstakes sites offer ways to play games for free. Having no participation cost is one of the key factors ensuring these sites are legal in Kentucky.
The virtual currencies or “play money” are usually referred to as “coins” of different kinds, and you can always receive coins for free with which to play the games. You can receive them as welcome bonuses or in other ways as you play. You can also get coins via the sites’ social media accounts or even by mailing the sites directly and asking for coins (something sweepstakes contests also do).
You’ll find the sites also usually sell coins, too, offering a variety of deals and purchase-related bonuses. You can buy coins on these sites, but it’s not required to play the sweepstakes casino games.
Best social & sweepstakes casino apps in KY
You have lots of options when it comes to social and sweepstakes sites. These sites offer a great way for those in Kentucky to enjoy online slots and table games. Here’s a rundown of the most popular social and sweepstakes sites for Kentucky players.
Chumba Casino
Best feature: Exclusive slot selection
Chumba Casino is a favorite online destination for fans of online casino games. Chumba offers great variety, giving players many ways to play.
One of the biggest ways that Chumba separates itself from the crowd is through its exclusive slot selection with more than 100 titles available. You have the opportunity to play slots on Chumba that you simply cannot find anywhere else.
Of course, exclusivity means nothing if the games are clunky or poorly rendered. However, each offering on Chumba, be it exclusive or otherwise, is beautiful and eye-pleasing.
Chumba is also home to a limited selection of table games, including blackjack, roulette, and video poker. While having only a few games might not seem impressive, the reality is that most social and sweepstakes casinos online focus on slot titles only, making it nice to have these other choices to mix things up.
Pulsz
Best feature: Promotions
Pulsz offers a huge selection of more than 300 slots, plus other casino games, and you should have no trouble finding something you like.
The feature that sticks out about Pulsz, however, is its comprehensive suite of bonus offers and promotions. There are multiple welcome offers that you can use to enhance your experience. These include discounts on virtual currencies, plus other ways to unlock exclusive games and scratchcards.
Pulsz has welcome offers for new sign-ups, plus lots of ongoing bonuses for existing players. There are weekend slot tournaments with major prizes in both currencies up for grabs. Pulsz even sometimes conducts special giveaways of big prizes, including a brand-new SUV.
In addition to the many slots you’ll find at Pulsz, you can take part in Multihand Blackjack or Texas Hold’em (casino-style).
WOW Vegas
Best feature: Star System VIP and Loyalty Program
WOW Vegas is a relatively new social and sweepstakes site, but it has impressed so far. At first glance, the site’s best feature is a very pleasing aesthetic with games dressed in pastels. The titles are easy to play and easy to like. There are also more than 300 slots from which to choose.
However, the actual best feature is WOW Vegas’ Star System Loyalty Program. Few online sweepstakes casinos have a more in-depth and comprehensive system for rewarding frequent players. The program involves six different service tiers, and each successive tier promises bigger daily login rewards, bigger coin deal discounts, and even VIP support and service similar to the concierge features you’d find at top real money online casinos.
WOW Vegas has a ton of different slots available, including exclusive games. Keep an eye out for other casino games, as they have appeared on WOW Vegas before and may return in the future.
Luckyland Slots
Best feature: Visual design
As you may have guessed from its name, Luckyland Slots is a slot-focused site. It is also one of the best places to play online slots for free.
The most striking aspect of Luckyland Slots is its attractive visual design. No other social casino is more beautiful or appealing than Luckyland. There are more than 100 slots available, and all have very pleasing graphics, animation and sound to rival the best real money online casinos.
There are also several ways to play the slot titles on the site. There are jackpot options and instant win games. However, the most intriguing are the tournament slots, which pay off frequently and allow you to play against other players, rather than just the house.
Funzpoints
Best feature: Unique game options
Another site we can recommend is Funzpoints, which offers genuinely entertaining games you cannot find anywhere else.
All of the 25-plus slots at Funzpoints are exclusive. Each title is homegrown, and the team is regularly adding new options.
While Funzpoints doesn’t offer table games, you can find a game called Paintball Keno, which allows you to play keno in a colorful and exciting format.
Funzpoints is also one of the more visually pleasing sites you’re going to find. The colors on each game are sharp, and the animations are crisp, so you’ll never find yourself growing tired of the visuals in front of you.
Global Poker
Best feature: Poker games
Global Poker is the most prominent social and sweepstakes site that features traditional player-versus-player poker. You can play No-limit Texas Hold’em, Omaha or even Crazy Pineapple against other players all around the U.S.
In fact, there are a multitude of ways to play poker on Global Poker. There are options for ring games, tournaments, sit-n-go tournaments, jackpot sit-n-go’s and fast-fold poker games (which Global Poker calls Surge games).
Global Poker is also home to a few other casino games. You can even play Caribbean Stud!
If you are a poker player in Kentucky, Global Poker probably needs to be at the top of your list. Since the site does enable ways to redeem prizes for cash, the games are genuinely competitive. That isn’t so much the case on most social poker sites.
Advantages of playing on social and sweepstakes sites
If you’ve gambled at retail or legal online casinos in other states, you might be wondering why you would bother with playing games on social and sweepstakes sites. You’re either playing strictly for entertainment purposes, or in those cases where you can redeem winnings for money, you have to jump through a few hoops.
In fact, the games on these sites are pretty close to the real thing. Even if you are playing on a purely social site, the games offered are going to mirror the games you find in live casinos or online casinos. If you’ve been dying to visit a gambling house but haven’t had the time to drive across state lines, a social or sweepstakes site might be just the thing to tide you over.
Secondly, as we’ve already pointed out, these sites cost nothing to play and some do provide ways to redeem your winnings for cash prizes.
Finally, these sites may serve as practice for you if you have an upcoming trip to an actual casino. Both the sweepstakes casino slots and the table games closely resemble what you’ll encounter there. Social and sweepstakes sites can provide you with a safe space to figure out the games’ pace and your strategy.
Are there any reasons not to play on social/sweepstakes sites?
Social and sweepstakes casinos are free to play, so you might think that they are harmless entertainment. For the most part, you’re correct. They are primarily an outlet for people to have fun.
However, there are a few dangers that you need to understand before you play on one of these sites. The first one is the flip side of one of the advantages described above. While you can use social and sweepstakes sites to prepare for a trip to the casino, you may do yourself harm by using high-risk strategies and getting overconfident about your chances of winning. Losses on social casinos simply don’t hit the same way, and both you and others behave differently if there’s actual money on the line.
Social and sweepstakes casinos can certainly be a bit addictive in their own way. You can easily find more time slipping away than you’d like. Don’t miss out on activities with family or friends or other obligations to play the games.
We might add as well that as good as the games are on social and sweepstakes casinos, the sites overall can be quite varied in terms of quality. We recommend the sites listed above as the best available.
