Sweeping Across the Nation
The American Gaming Association on July 31 released a new study regarding the motivations and perceptions of sweepstakes casino players, and how they compare and contrast to those of iGaming players and free-to-play social casino players.
Sweepstakes sites, which are largely unregulated and feature both non-monetary “gold coins” and “sweeps coins” that can be redeemed for real-money prizes, have come under increased scrutiny from the regulated industry.
According to the AGA study, more than half (59 percent) of sweeps players surveyed said that playing casino-style games on sweeps sites is “definitely gambling,” compared to just 10 percent who said that it was “probably/definitely not gambling.” The remaining 31 percent indicated that sweeps sites “probably” constitute real-money gambling.
Additionally, over two-thirds (69 percent) of sweeps respondents indicated that the phrase “wager real money” is a more accurate depiction of the sites instead of “wager virtual coins.” Sixty-two percent indicated that “winning real money” was the most important goal of playing, instead of “having fun.” The study, which was conducted June 11-14, included a national sample of 750 sweeps players, both spenders and non-spenders.
