The words this market uses
31 terms that decide whether a balance can leave an account, whether a state is open, and whether a claim is documented. Each entry links to the page that uses it in context.
Glossary
- Terms
- 31
- Groups
- 4
- Rankings published
- 0
- Rule: the clause wins
- 1
A definition is not a substitute for the clause. Where a term has a legal effect (AMOE, state list, play-through), the entry points to the page that quotes the document, because the operator's wording decides the outcome, not this glossary.
The two currencies
The model that makes a sweepstakes casino a promotion rather than a casino.
- Sweepstakes casino
- A casino-style promotion that uses two currencies and a free entry route instead of a gambling licence. It sells Gold Coins for play and grants Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed, which is why the terms and the state list matter more than a licence that does not exist.The state-by-state reference
- Consideration
- The thing of value a player gives up to enter. A sweepstakes removes it through the free entry route; if the only route requires a purchase, the promotion starts to look like a lottery. That is why the AMOE is legally load-bearing.AMOE explained
- Promotion
- The legal shape of the product: a prize, a chance and a free route, run under the operator's terms. It is not a licence, and it does not make the operator a regulated casino.
- Sweeps Coins (SC)
- The promotional currency that can be redeemed for a prize. It is granted free, sometimes with a purchase, and it is the only balance with cash value. The rate is set by the operator and stated in its terms.How the free route works
- Gold Coins (GC)
- The purchasable currency. It has no prize value and cannot be redeemed; it exists so a player can buy more play without buying a chance to win. A bundle usually includes both currencies.
- Dual currency
- The two-balance structure: Gold Coins bought, Sweeps Coins granted. It is the feature that separates a sweepstakes casino from a licensed casino and the reason the free entry route exists.Read the terms
- AMOE
- Alternative means of entry: the free route into a promotion, usually a postal request. It is what removes consideration and keeps the product outside gambling law in most states. A closed state closes the free route with the product.AMOE explained
- Play-through
- The amount that must be wagered before a grant becomes redeemable. A 3× requirement on 10 Sweeps Coins means 30 coins of qualifying play. It is a condition of the bonus, not a fee.Bonus conditions
The cashier
The words that decide whether a balance can leave the account.
- Redemption
- The request to convert Sweeps Coins into a prize. It is a contractual request under the operator's terms, not a regulated withdrawal. The terms set the minimum, window, method and verification.Redemption and KYC
- Pending period
- The internal hold between a request and processing. It is not the same as the payment window and is rarely published. Ask support which stage a request is in rather than for a date.
- Minimum redemption
- The smallest amount an operator will pay out. It is a threshold, not a promise; a grant below the floor has to be combined with a purchase or a win before it can leave.Every brand's floor
- Cap
- The maximum that can be redeemed from a bonus, regardless of its size. A large grant with a low cap is worth less than a smaller grant without one.
- KYC
- Know-your-customer verification: identity, address and payment ownership. The documents usually have to match the account name exactly; a mismatch is the most common reason a redemption stalls.The document set
- Verification depth
- This site's label for how much of a brand file is documented: terms audited, first-party, two sources, one source or listing only. It describes the evidence, not the brand's quality.How the labels work
The state layer
The words that decide whether the product is offered where you are.
- Operator
- The company that runs the brand and holds the terms. It can be a different legal entity from the brand name, which is why a group decision at one brand often shows up at its siblings.
- Void where prohibited
- The clause that makes a promotion unavailable where a state forbids it. It is not a state list; a specific list with dates is stronger, because it tells a reader which states the operator has actually assessed.
- State list
- The operator's own list of states where it offers the product. It is the document that decides a sign-up, and it can lag a statute or move before one passes.Which brands publish a list
- Geo-block
- An operator-side restriction based on location. It is enforced at sign-up and again at redemption; a VPN changes the address the operator sees, not the eligibility rule.
- Open
- This site's tier for a state with no ban and no majority of the 20 documented lists excluding it. It describes the market, not a permission for a specific brand.The state map
- Restricted
- A mixed market: some operators remain, some exclude the state, or enforcement is active. The brand list decides more than the tier does.Restricted states
- Closed
- A state where a statute, an enforcement action or an operator exit removes the product. The reason differs; the result at the cashier is the same.The ban tracker
- Statute ban
- A law that reaches the product, with a signature date and an effective date. The effective date is when the cashier closes; the signature date is when operators start moving their lists.
- Enforcement action
- A regulator's order or letter rather than a statute. It can close a market without a new law and is often aimed at unlicensed operators rather than the model itself.
- Operator exit
- A commercial decision to leave a state. It looks like a ban to a reader, but the state has not necessarily changed its law; the brand's list has.
The paperwork
The clauses, labels and commercial arrangements around the product.
- Licence
- A permission from a gaming regulator. A sweepstakes casino does not hold one in most states, which is why a complaint has no regulator to hear it. A foreign licence does not change the position in a US state.Why no licence is claimed
- Terms version
- The dated version of the operator's terms. A claim without a version cannot be checked against the day you signed up; an audit quotes the version it read.
- Bonus drop
- A promotional grant, usually time-limited. It can be a login bonus, a social code, a signup code or a reload offer; the conditions, not the headline, decide its value.Bonus drops explained
- Promo code
- Usually an attribution code for the standard welcome offer, not a secret bonus. A list of 'working codes' without dates is recycled affiliate content.How to check a code
- Affiliate link
- A link that pays this site if a reader opens an account. It is labelled as a partner link, never hides the destination, and does not change the price a reader pays.The disclosure
- RTP
- Return to player: the long-run percentage a game pays back. It is a property of the game, not a promise for a session, and it is not the same as the chance of a redemption.
Four marketing words that mean less than they seem
- “Instant”: describes when processing starts, not when money arrives. The pending period and the rail settlement are separate and usually unpublished.
- “No wagering”: may mean no play-through on a cash prize while the promotional grant that produced it still carries conditions. Ask which balance the phrase applies to.
- “Free play”: can require a purchase, a code or a postal request. Free is a price claim; the terms say which route is actually free.
- “Guaranteed”: no redemption is guaranteed in a market with no regulator. A term can promise a process; it cannot promise an outcome.
These are not lies by definition. They are claims that need a clause beside them, and the clause is what this glossary points to. A marketing word without a definition is a question, not a fact.
Where the definitions come from
The entries are drawn from the operator terms, state statutes and regulator pages cited on the linked pages, not from a dictionary. If a term is used differently by an operator, the operator's definition wins for that account; this page describes the common usage and points to the clause.
Missing a term? Send it to editorial@casinotrustcenter.com with the page where it appears, and it will be added if it changes how a reader checks a brand.
Glossary: common questions
Is a sweepstakes casino the same as a lottery?
No. A lottery has a prize, a chance and consideration; a sweepstakes keeps the first two and removes consideration through a free entry route. That is why the AMOE is the load-bearing clause rather than a footnote.
Why does the site use two different currencies?
Gold Coins are the purchasable play currency with no prize value; Sweeps Coins are granted free and are the only redeemable balance. The split is what lets the operator sell play without selling a chance to win.
What does 'documented' mean on a brand file?
It means the page records what a dated source said, not that the brand was tested end to end. The label above the file says whether the evidence is a terms audit, first-party, two sources, one source or listing only.