On the time of writing this text, 38 completely different states have legalised sports activities betting in some type – be it retail, on-line, or each.
And it’s fairly attainable that a number of of Georgia, Minnesota, and Nebraska will be a part of the social gathering in 2026 too, with severe legislative efforts to that impact.
In the meantime, sweepstakes casinos are additionally growing in recognition. They’re authorized in additional than 30 states, on the time of writing, together with some the place different types of playing are prohibited.
That is creating a singular crossover: so will sweepstakes casinos or sportsbooks go on to take pleasure in a stronger 2026?
What are Sweepstakes Casinos?
A sweepstakes on line casino is a playing web site that gives gamers a variety of video games, together with slots, blackjack, roulette, and poker.
Quite a lot of sweepstakes casinos additionally provide sports activities betting odds, making a hybrid platform that appeals to a variety of gamers.
What separates sweepstakes casinos from their extra conventional on-line counterparts is how participant accounts are funded.
Sometimes, sweepstakes casinos provide two types of foreign money: gold cash, that are worthless for staking and used for leisure functions solely, and sweeps cash, which have actual cash worth.
After assembly sure standards and playthrough necessities, gamers can redeem their sweeps cash for present vouchers and even USD, which may then be withdrawn utilizing strategies like ACH or PayPal.
Gamers should purchase coin packages for actual cash, which is the place sweepstakes casinos turn out to be a authorized gray space – if gamers can deposit and withdraw, ought to they be handled the identical as conventional on-line casinos?
For now, at the least, the reply is not any.
Sweepstakes on line casino operators don’t want to use for a licence to have the ability to open their digital doorways; in distinction to on-line casinos, which have solely been legalised in a small handful of states, with a sturdy licence utility to be made.
However plenty of state governors imagine that that is merely a loophole that’s being exploited by playing suppliers, particularly in areas the place different types of betting are prohibited.
Now, dozens of states try to ban sweepstakes and dual-currency casinos, together with New York, the place the Legal professional Basic, Letitia James, introduced in 2025 that she had stopped sweepstakes casinos from working on state soil. New York’s Governor, Kathy Hochul, signed off on Invoice S5935A in December.
In dozens of different states, sweepstakes casinos are nonetheless legally working.
What are Sportsbooks?
Whereas sweepstakes casinos are comparatively new, on-line sportsbooks have been round for the reason that digital revolution of the 2000s.
After all, they had been solely obtainable in just a few states – till the PASPA Act was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom in 2018. That call was left to every particular person to resolve whether or not to legalise sports activities betting, with many selecting to take action within the years which have handed.
Sportsbooks provide betting odds for all kinds of sports activities, whereas additionally branching out into areas like TV and films (betting strains for the Oscars, for instance).
Their clients can guess on markets corresponding to moneylines, level spreads, totals, crew and participant props, and futures throughout the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and lots of different skilled and school sports activities.
Casinos, in the meantime, provide their very own vary of video games to guess on – roulette, blackjack, and so forth., whereas each day fantasy sports activities (DFS) asks gamers to draft a roster of gamers, who then rating factors primarily based upon their performances.
However if you wish to wager on sports activities? Authorized sportsbooks are your finest guess. And also you’ll be in good firm: greater than $1.3 billion was gambled on the Tremendous Bowl alone in 2025, with an enormous chunk of that coming within the type of increasingly-popular Tremendous Bowl props.
Evaluating Sweepstakes Casinos vs Sportsbooks
In principle, sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks are fully completely different entities. However with some sweepstakes websites additionally providing sports activities betting odds, the strains have blurred.
The important thing distinction is in how they’re funded. If you wish to guess with a sportsbook, you’ll deposit cash into your account utilizing a debit/bank card, e-wallet, financial institution switch, and so forth. You wager USD quantities, e.g. $5 on the Seattle Seahawks to win the Tremendous Bowl.
In case your guess wins, you receives a commission out in USD, which you’ll money out to your checking account, typically inside 12 hours.
With sweepstakes casinos, the currencies used are digital – though, as talked about, you should buy coin packages and, in some instances, redeem these for actual cash later down the road.
There are similarities, too. Each kinds of playing platforms are typically mobile-friendly, with optimised cell browser websites or devoted apps that ship intuitive layouts and an optimum person expertise.
As talked about, the authorized place on sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks is particular person… and altering by the month. However, for now, plenty of prime sweepstakes casinos proceed to function legally on American soil.
Key Advantages for US Sports activities Followers
Each sweepstakes casinos and sportsbooks provide particular person advantages to their gamers.
You may entry a sweepstakes on line casino free of charge, with many websites providing quite a few methods to say batches of gold cash. So, there’s no monetary price – decreasing danger and obstacles to entry. These are video games designed with leisure at their core.
Sports activities betting requires you to place actual cash on the road. That may be low- or high-stakes motion, with pre-event and dwell betting strains obtainable throughout an enormous A-Z of sports activities. Whereas all bettors ought to bear in mind to gamble responsibly, there’s the chance to win actual money prizes with sportsbooks like BetMGM.
These are video games designed with leisure at their core.In order for you a concrete instance of how sweepstakes-style promotions are framed (coin packages, bonus drops, and redemption expectations), see The Playoffs’ Stake.US promotions information.
Well-liked Sports activities for Betting in 2026
The most well-liked sports activities for betting in 2026 would be the identical as they ever had been!
American soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey stay the ‘huge 4’, though new developments are rising in school sports activities, girls’s sports activities – primarily soccer and basketball – and esports betting.
Sweepstakes casinos will proceed to supply wagering in 2026, too, with digital sports activities – video game-style replications of sports activities ruled by random quantity mills – and each day fantasy sports activities.
The Way forward for Betting: What’s Subsequent for US Sports activities Followers?
So what is going to 2026 maintain in retailer for sports activities betting and sweepstakes gaming?
The fact is that we simply don’t know, given the regulatory panorama that adjustments from one week to the subsequent.
As talked about, there’s scope for regulated sports activities betting to develop into new states – the good cash is on Georgia legalising sports activities wagering this 12 months.
As for sweepstakes casinos, it appears state governors are decided to ban their operations – possibly 2026 would be the 12 months this area of interest retracts moderately than expands.
Cellular expertise might advance to the purpose that now we have next-gen betting apps to take pleasure in this 12 months – with AI and augmented actuality simply two of the attainable new developments on that entrance.
In line with main economists, the business could possibly be value $256 billion by 2030 – up from $155 billion in 2025.
Conclusion
The longer term seems brilliant for sportsbooks within the US… whereas sweepstakes casinos might thrive too in the event that they move by way of these uneven regulatory waters.
Bettors in most states have choices lately, whether or not it’s free sweepstakes gaming or the real-money pleasure of sports activities betting.
And selection is all the time a very good factor in any thriving market…
Do you agree?
