Sweepstakes casinos might not see you playing for cash, but the play mechanics are the same. In this guide, we’ll help you learn more about RTP, odds and fair play so that you can improve your chances of seeing the best results once you do play your first game at a sweepstakes casino.
What Does Return to Player (RTP) Mean and How Does It Work?
Return to player, or RTP, is a statistic used to illustrate how much you can expect to receive back when you play a game at a sweepstakes casino. For example, let’s imagine that you’re interested in playing a game that has a 95 percent RTP. If you spend 100 gold coins, you would expect to get around 95 of those coins back on average.
RTP shouldn’t be the main reason why you choose a specific game or a specific sweepstakes casino, and there are a few reasons for that. Those reasons include:
- RTP isn’t something that you can expect in a single gaming session. RTP represents the average return to player over time. While you can expect to earn most of your winnings back over time, you still might lose over the short term.
- A high RTP might look good, but it could come at the cost of other gameplay elements that could see you earning more in bonuses or other fun ways. Consider what a game has to offer and whether the RTP is worth it, or whether you should take a lower percentage for better gameplay features.
- Not every casino is going to list its RTP. You might be able to find the RTP of the game by going to the developer’s website, and some sweepstakes casinos might list the RTP somewhere on their own. However, you’re not guaranteed to have all that information at your fingertips, which can make it difficult to know how much you might make back once you do start playing.
- It’s important to remember you’re not playing with real money! Unlike a real casino, you’re only earning the chance to earn back the gold coins you’re using in a game. This is still important, but don’t forget that you’re playing sweepstakes casino games for fun.
What Are Sweepstakes Casino Odds?
As with RTP, understanding the odds of winning at a specific sweepstakes casino or at any one of the games that it offers can tell you whether or not it’s the right move to start playing.
RTP is just one statistic that can tell you more about the odds of sweepstakes casinos or games. Other statistics that you’ll want to pay attention to include:
- House Edge: House edge is a statistic that reveals, on average, how much the house earns when you play a game. The lower this percentage is, the better your chances are.
- House Advantage: Somewhat similar to house edge, house advantage reveals how often the house tends to win. Higher percentages indicate that the house has a better chance of taking your money than you walking away with it.
- Payout Ratio: Payout ratios give you a better idea of how much you might actually earn rather than just what the odds are of you winning, which can be a useful statistic when you’re playing a game that might be a bit more costly.
Take care to consider all of the available data when you’re looking into sweepstakes casino odds. Another tip that may prove useful while you’re researching sweepstakes casinos and games is to look at various reviews that people have left about the casino. While anecdotal, a large number of bad reviews can tell you more about what to expect and whether a specific sweepstakes casino is right for you. The more research that you do, the better off you’ll be once it finally comes time to sign up, purchase coins, and start playing some of the games offered at your chosen sweepstakes casino.
What Does Fair Play Mean in Sweepstakes Casinos?
Nothing is more discouraging when playing a game than realizing that the odds are stacked against you, and the system is designed in such a way that you’re not supposed to win.
If you’re considering playing at any casino, you want to guarantee that the games you’re playing are fair.
So, can you expect fair play from sweepstakes casinos? The answer is, it depends.
Many casinos do have games that leverage mechanics such as random number generators to ensure that the outcome of their games is fair. Fair play may be an expectation that one should have when approaching any sweepstakes casinos.
The problem lies in the fact that sweepstakes casinos are mostly unregulated. Many states have been moving to ban sweepstakes casinos, others have aimed to heavily regulate them, and some of them are operating without oversight.
In places where regulations haven’t been put in place to require sweepstakes casinos to adhere to the same stringent requirements as physical casinos, the possibility that you might be playing at a sweepstakes casino that doesn’t offer fair play could be higher.
As with any other form of “gambling”, take care to:
- Do your research to learn more about various sweepstakes casinos and whether they’re considered fair by those who have played at them in the past or those who have researched them.
- Consider all of the statistics mentioned above, which can give you insight into what your odds look like and whether you’re going to be losing more than you win.
- Take a closer look at the various games and game mechanics being employed at the sweepstakes casinos you’re most interested in.
Playing at a sweepstakes casino comes with less risk than playing at a traditional casino, but it still uses the same mechanics. If you’re new to sweepstakes casinos, brush up on RTP, odds, fair play and other terminology that’s important to know before you begin your first game. All of this information will give you a better edge once you start playing at these casinos!
