Chumba Casino Review: Still Standing, but Your State May Not Be
Chumba Casino is the original sweepstakes casino, but six states are blocked and ten more are Gold Coin only. We checked the coin rules, the 100 SC cash floor and the rivals.
Our verdict
An established sweepstakes casino with plain redemption rules, around 250 games and a live dealer section. But Chumba has left six states and offers only Gold Coin play in ten more, the 100 SC cash minimum is steep, and the app is a cut-down version. Worth joining if your state is still served.
Best for: Slot fans in a still-served state who want free daily play
- Price
- Free to play; optional Gold Coin packages
What we liked
- No purchase needed: 2M Gold Coins plus 2 Sweeps Coins on sign-up
- Redemptions reported at 1 to 5 days once verified
- Gift card redemptions start at only 10 SC
- Operating since 2012 with a clear 1x playthrough rule
- Around 250 games, including live dealer and Slingo
What held it back
- Six states blocked and ten more limited to Gold Coin play
- Cash prizes need at least 100 SC
- The mobile app carries only part of the game library
Start with the map, because with Chumba Casino the first question is not about games, it is whether you are allowed in. The operator's own block page says it all: six states are shut out completely, and ten more can play for fun with Gold Coins but cannot win prizes. Everything below assumes you live somewhere Chumba still serves.
The block page is the real product description
When a visitor is outside the permitted areas, Chumba shows a "Thank you for your interest" page. It lists Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Montana, Nevada and Washington as currently not available. It then lists California, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and West Virginia as Gold Coin free-to-play only, meaning Sweepstakes play is not offered there. Third-party reviews disagree about the exact list (one adds Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and more), and the sweepstakes map has moved before, so go by the operator's page and Chumba's terms for your address, not by any article, including ours.
The newer rivals look attractive for exactly this reason: they often serve states Chumba has left. That is the strongest argument for looking elsewhere, and it is a fact about law, not about quality.
How the two-coin system works
Chumba, run by VGW Malta Limited and launched in 2012, uses two currencies. Gold Coins are for play only and carry no cash value. Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for prizes. No purchase is necessary: sign up and you receive 2 million Gold Coins plus 2 free Sweeps Coins. The paid route, per Casinos.com, is a first-purchase pack of 10 million Gold Coins plus 30 Sweeps Coins for $10, down from a $30 list price. Sweepsy quotes a slightly different pack, which tells you the numbers shift often.
