Poker is undoubtedly one of the most popular card games worldwide. From casinos to sleepovers with friends, the game is played everywhere and loved by most. Over the decades, this popular card game has transcended the traditional table-chair setting and is now played online by millions.
According to Global Brands Magazine, there are over 100 million online poker players, and 60 million of them are from the United States alone. The game’s growing online popularity has led to the development of thousands of online poker sites. Players can play against computers or even other players in a live casino setting.
While poker’s popularity is undeniable, many people still find it risky, mostly because of how much money one can lose in this game. Recently, Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar had to deal with a similar situation.
As per Goal.com, the Brazilian and PSG forward lost $1.08 million playing online poker. Of course, Neymar’s net worth is around $200 million right now, so losing a few million dollars is unlikely to affect him much. But the same isn’t true for ordinary poker players.
That doesn’t mean people who enjoy poker should refrain from playing. There are ways to enjoy poker without breaking the bank, and the best way to do so is through sweepstakes poker.
What Is Sweepstakes Poker?
Sweepstakes poker is a type of sweepstakes-style gaming where people can enter without paying anything while still being able to redeem cash or win prizes later on. A sweepstakes casino – often referred to as a social casino – has a luck-based system. That means the winners of different sweepstakes casino games, including poker, are chosen at random.
When it comes to sweepstakes casinos, the rules vary from state to state in the US. However, no matter which states you play these games in, they all enforce a no-purchase-necessary policy.
According to OddsSeeker, apart from Washington, sweepstakes casinos are completely legal in most other states of the US. States like Idaho, New York, and Florida do allow these types of casinos but have some restrictions. For instance, in Idaho, no prize redemption is allowed from sweepstakes casinos, while in New York and Florida, the cash prize redemption is limited to $10,000.
How Sweepstakes Gaming Works and Lets You Enjoy Poker
The first thing you need to know about sweepstakes gaming is that it runs on virtual coins or tokens. Unlike traditional online casinos, social casino games don’t require you to spend real money. You can play these games anywhere on your phone or laptop as long as you have an active internet connection.
Although sweepstakes casinos are different from real money online casinos, they still have several similarities, especially when it comes to receiving bonuses. That means you can still enjoy perks like welcome bonuses, free spins, and deposit bonuses. While all of these bonuses come in the form of virtual coins or tokens, you can always redeem them for real money and other prizes.
Having said that, let us now tell you how sweepstakes gaming allows you to enjoy poker without spending a ton of money.
Free-to-Play Poker
There are two different game modes available on all sweepstakes gaming sites.
The first is the standard mode. This one is like your typical traditional online poker game, where you have to pay to participate. You’ll have an unlimited selection of poker games to choose from and can play against a wide range of players from across the world.
Then there’s the promotional mode, which is free to play. Here, you can enter a poker match without paying an entry fee. Compared to the standard mode, the free-to-play or promotional mode has a limited number of options when it comes to poker or any other type of game. However, if you do win anything in the promotional mode, you get to keep it and redeem your winnings for real money or in-game prizes.
What’s more interesting is that you can always keep playing sweepstakes poker for free in the promotional mode. You don’t have to worry about a limited trial period.
Playing with Virtual Coins
When you play poker on a traditional online platform, you usually have to share your credit or debit card information. Every time you want to place a bet on a game, you let the casino charge your card.
This is rather irresponsible, not to mention, poor decision-making on the financial side of things. Having your card pay for your losses continuously will mean you might lose count of how much you’re actually spending on the games.
However, in sweepstakes gaming, you play with virtual coins that are limited in number, and you have to purchase them every time you run out. This is beneficial. For instance, if you’re willing to spend $500 a day on poker, you buy tokens worth $500 in the standard mode. Once those tokens are all used up, you might be tempted to play or bet again, but you’ll have to buy more tokens.
That means here, you have the option to not keep using your credit or debit card repeatedly without keeping track of how much you’re spending.
Opportunity to Win More Bonuses
One major financial plus point of sweepstakes gaming is that you get to enjoy more bonuses than traditional online casino games. You have your typical welcome bonus and free spins. You also get to enjoy deposit bonuses for standard mode.
However, the biggest advantage here is that you can enjoy many of the bonuses without paying a single penny. Most traditional casino games require a deposit first, even if it’s a small amount. This is possible in the promotional mode. Here, you simply enter the poker game and try out your luck. If luck does favor you, you not only get to win the bonuses but also any other winnings from the game.
Enjoy Online Poker With the Pocket Pinch
According to The Jerusalem Post, the US suffers over $100 billion in gambling losses every year. Many of these losses are from online poker games, which is indeed a worrying statistic for anyone who likes to play this popular card game.
However, with sweepstakes gaming, poker can be made financially friendly, especially if you think you have a spending problem when it comes to online gambling. If you want to spend even less, you can always buy fewer tokens to play with. As long as you can keep up with these small habits, sweepstakes gaming is, without a doubt, the best way to enjoy poker without spending all your hard-earned money.
