Learn how dual-currency sweepstakes and game-led platforms such as Card Crush work, what can qualify for a prize, and how to check availability in your state.
Hybrid prize gaming is the term we use for online platforms that combine play for entertainment with casino-style games and offer redeemable prizes under a structure other than a gambling license. We cover two models in this category. A dual-currency sweepstakes platform gives players separate balances for entertainment and sweepstakes play. On a game-led platform, the game has its own goals. Card Crush players, for example, collect cards for battles and use a separate coin balance for prize play.
How do the two models work?
| Model and example | What can I obtain? | What can I play? | What can qualify for a prize? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dual-currency sweepstakes · McLuck | Gold Coins for entertainment and free promotional Sweepstakes Coins | Gold Coins are used in social games. Sweepstakes Coins are used in sweepstakes games. | Sweepstakes Coins won through eligible play can qualify for cash or gift card prizes, subject to the rules and verification. |
| Game-led prize platform · Card Crush | A mystery box contains a collectible card and Mystery Coins | The card can go into a battle deck. Mystery Coins can be used in casino-style games. | Players can redeem qualifying Mystery Coins for cash or gift card prizes, subject to verification. |
Dual-currency sweepstakes
Suppose you open McLuck and see two balances, GC and SC. GC means Gold Coins. You can receive them for free or buy a package and use them for entertainment play. SC means Sweepstakes Coins, often called Sweeps Coins. McLuck distributes these free promotional coins through routes such as giveaways. Some Gold Coin packages also include them. A purchase is optional. McLuck’s guide to Sweepstakes Coins
If you are trying to work out whether a spin can count toward a prize, check which balance you selected for that game. A Gold Coin spin uses your entertainment balance. In a sweepstakes game, playing with SC gives you a chance to win SC that may qualify for redemption. McLuck checks the qualifying amount and verifies the account before approving a prize request. McLuck’s eligibility and redemption FAQ · How dual-currency sweepstakes work
Game-led prize platforms
At Card Crush, opening a mystery box gives you two things with different uses. The collectible card can take a place in a five-card battle deck. In a battle, your card faces the opposing card in the same position. Its Power and its affinity matchup help determine the round. That is why you might keep a particular card in your deck even after you collect others. Card Crush model description · Card Crush game rules
The Mystery Coins from the box have their own rules. You can use them in casino-style games. If you want to request a prize, check how many Mystery Coins qualify under the platform’s play and verification requirements. Even a rare card with high battle stats has no redemption value of its own. Card Crush terms of service, section 2.1 · Card Crush prize rules · How game-led prize platforms work
How can I tell which model I am looking at?
Three questions help when two platforms show similar-looking games.
- What do I use to play? Look at the balance or item the game uses. Two coin balances labeled for entertainment and sweepstakes play point to the dual-currency model. A collectible with its own game rules, such as a card you can put in a deck, points to the game-led model.
- Can anything I win qualify for a real prize? Look for rules that identify what a player can redeem and for what. A social casino can award coins, unlock levels and run tournaments entirely within the game. For example, Slotomania describes its slots as entertainment and says gameplay offers no opportunity to win money or real prizes. Slotomania’s publisher description
- Under what rules are prizes or payouts offered? Look for the promotion rules, the game’s prize terms or a license you can check with the regulator. A licensed online casino offers real-money games under a gaming license. A state regulator may list the authorized sites, as New Jersey’s does. In pari-mutuel horse racing, participants put money into a shared pool and the race result determines which wagers win. Those are different operating models even when a screen looks familiar. New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement · Federal definition of pari-mutuel wagering, 15 U.S.C. § 3002(13) · Compare gaming models
How do I check availability where I live?
Start with the state where you will be playing. Look for the model a state rule covers, the features it describes and the date it took effect. For example, New York’s definition of an online sweepstakes game refers to a dual-currency system, prize redemption and simulated casino-style gaming. A site’s use of the word sweepstakes or hybrid tells you less than the mechanics described in the law. New York Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 912
Then check the named operator’s current terms for your location, the activity you want to use and the minimum age. A platform may offer entertainment play in a location while restricting access to prize promotions there. Look for permission to participate in that particular activity before relying on the fact that you can open the site. McLuck’s explanation of location and promotion eligibility · Check availability in your state
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