Sweepstakes casinos are an excellent option for Minnesota residents to experience and play exciting online casino games. Since there are no real-money casinos in Minnesota, players can play for free on sweepstakes casinos and have the opportunity to win cash prizes.
This guide provides all the essential information about sweepstakes casinos in Minnesota, including our top recommendations, an explanation of how sweepstakes casinos work, and instructions on how to claim bonuses.
Sweepstakes and social casinos allow you to play slots, table games, arcade games, and even participate in live dealer action from the comfort of your own home. It’s safe, fair, and available to anyone, as long as they are physically present within Minnesota state lines.
There are many sweepstakes casinos available to Minnesotans. We’ve tested all the casinos available in Minnesota and listed the best ones we found, along with a breakdown of what each site has to offer.
Minnesota offers access to several Native American-owned land-based casinos that operate throughout the state. These sites feature gaming floors where you can place wagers on slot machines and table games. Some offer access to high-end resorts featuring amenities such as golf courses and concert venues that attract top-name entertainers.
For horse racing fans, pari-mutuel wagering is offered at Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park. Both tracks are in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Advance deposit wagering offers Minnesotans the opportunity to wager on horse racing online at tracks worldwide. Canterbury Park also operates a legal card room.
While social gaming sites don’t offer real-money gambling, they replicate the real-money casino experience, allowing players to use virtual currency to play games. If enough coins are collected through bonuses and winnings, they can be redeemed for cash prizes.
Minnesota social casinos have a large selection of games, but most are comprised of numerous slot games. Choices include Megaways and progressive jackpot games.
Table games, including blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and video poker, are available—several online casinos in Minnesota offer live dealer games. There are plenty of table game titles to choose from, as well as game shows and arcade variety games with actual people operating as croupiers and dealers.
Which games will you want to play at Minnesota social casinos? Ultimately, that decision comes down to you and will undoubtedly be a personal choice. Of course, you’ll want to determine a game’s Return to Player percentage (RTP). This will provide you with a good idea of what your potential returns could be.
The latest up-to-date information about online gambling in Minnesota:
Minnesota lawmakers are in the process of launching another attempt to legalize and regulate online sports betting in Minnesota. The Minnesota Sports Betting Act 3.0 would permit the state’s 11 tribes to operate both mobile and in-person sports betting platforms. If passed, the bill would impose a 20% tax on sportsbook revenue.
Legal gambling options in Minnesota include parimutuel wagering on horse racing. There is also a card club at Canterbury Park racetrack, as well as tribal casinos, charitable gambling, and a state lottery. To date, the state still doesn’t allow real-money online casinos. Minnesota sweepstakes casinos are the only option for safe online casino play in the state.
Currently, Minnesotans can play online casino slots and table games on Minnesota social casino sites that are not illegal in the state, as long as they are 18 years of age or older. You can play with Gold Coins simply for the enjoyment. You can also upgrade and collect Sweepstakes Coins, which can later be redeemed for prizes such as gift cards and cash.
Spending any of your money playing at sweepstakes casinos in Minnesota is never necessary. There are numerous promotional opportunities to acquire free coins for gameplay. However, if you would like to increase the number of coins in your account, purchase plans are available. Check out all the most common payment methods at online/sweepstakes casinos in the table below:
You don’t need to be a resident of the state to play at sweepstakes casinos in Minnesota. However, you must be physically within state lines to access any of these sites. You must be at least 18 years old to play. Geolocation software is employed to verify this fact. Once you sign up and open your casino account in Minnesota, you can also use it in other states where the casino is available.
During the sign-up process to open an account with Minnesota social casinos, you must produce official documentation proving that you are of legal age to play these games. This is a requirement of state law. This documentation can be a copy of a government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or passport. Some casinos may also require proof of address (such as an electricity bill) and proof of payment method (such as a bank statement or a photo of your credit card) when purchasing coins.
The Minnesota Gambling Control Board (MGCB) provides the necessary resources and regulations to ensure the successful operation of the state’s legal gaming industry. The MGCB also ensures the integrity of operations, creates educational and outreach materials, and ensures that all sites operating in Minnesota adhere to state law.
When it comes to social casinos in Minnesota, not every site offers a native mobile app. However, all our recommended casinos have websites that are built with HTML5 technology, making them responsive and optimized for mobile web browsers. If you're looking for better connectivity, a mobile-centric interface, and features such as in-app alerts, consider one of the sites below that offers apps compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
Minnesota was relatively late to the game when it came to legalizing any form of gambling. Up until the 1980s, the only form of legalized gambling was charitable gaming, such as bingo. In 1982, Minnesota introduced legal pari-mutuel wagering, the state's first legal form of real-money gambling.
Since then, a state lottery, tribal casinos, and even a legal card room have been added, as well as advance deposit wagering on horse racing. Currently, that’s the only form of real-money online gambling that is legal in Minnesota. For instance, Minnesota social casinos are the only current option for online casino play.
Charitable gambling sites legalized in the state.
Pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is legalized.
Passage of the federal Indian Regulatory Gaming Act opens the door for tribal casinos in Minnesota.
Jackpot Junction, the first tribal casino, opens, offering bingo gaming.
Slots and table games are introduced at Jackpot Junction, marking the establishment as the first tribal casino in the state.
Minnesota launches a state lottery.
Canterbury Park Racetrack granted a license to operate a cardroom.
You’ve probably heard about so-called offshore casinos offering real money casino action. Are they accessible to Minnesota players? Yes and no. While you can open an account with any of these offshore sites, US law has ruled gambling there to be illegal.
Playing at any of these offshore sites isn’t advisable. Since no regulatory body in the US licenses or regulates these offshore sites, there is no protection in place if something goes wrong. Likewise, there would be no recourse for you if your money were to disappear from your account or your personal information were stolen.
Unregulated offshore gambling sites are an easy route for nefarious characters to launder money, and some scammers will even set up fake casino sites that take your money and are never heard from again.
Seventeen land-based tribal casinos are operating across the state of Minnesota. These sites are regulated federally by the Department of the Interior. The state has no legal jurisdiction over tribal casinos. Jackpot Junction was the state’s first tribal casino. It opened as a bingo parlor in 1984 and added slots and table games in 1988.
Minnesota’s two racetracks, Canterbury Downs and Running Aces, offer legal card rooms.
Situated just 45 minutes from the Twin Cities. Treasure Island Resort & Casino features a 150,000-square-foot gaming floor, offering a variety of gaming options, including slots, table games, and bingo. There are two entertainment venues - a 3,000-seat indoor event center and a 10,000-seat Treasure Island Amphitheater. The site offers a 788-room hotel, on-site camping, a bowling alley, and a water park.
Located on Lake Superior, the Grand Portage Lodge & Casino is a 24-hour casino with a 15,000-square-foot gaming area that includes a bingo hall. There are also over 450 slot machines, including video slots such as Keno, as well as multi-line and multi-game machines. Part of the facility is a 95-room lodge, including a pool, sauna, gift shop, meeting facilities, lounge, and lake-view dining.
The newest of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s three casinos, White Oak Casino, opened in August 2000. The name White Oak was chosen to commemorate the White Oak Point Band of Ojibwe, who have lived in the area for centuries. The casino gaming area offers some 300 slot machines, a full-service bar, a newly expanded poker room, two blackjack tables, and a snack bar.
No. While there are 17 land-based tribal casinos in the state of Minnesota, none of these sites offer online casino access, and online casino gambling has not been legalized in Minnesota. However, you can play at online sweepstakes casinos available in Minnesota, where you can either play for free or redeem winnings for cash prizes.
As social and sweepstakes casinos do not offer real-money gambling, they aren’t prohibited in Minnesota. While you don’t play with or directly win real money at these sites, the casino games are similar.
Finding the best online casino in Minnesota will depend on your preference. While some players seek a large game selection, others want convenient payment methods, generous bonuses, or a mobile app. Our experts test every new casino, and we list the best ones available to Minnesota players in this guide.
You can rest assured that your money and personal information will be safe and secure when playing at online casinos in Minnesota. While they aren’t regulated in the same manner as real-money online casinos, Minnesota social casinos are utilizing the latest SSL encryption technology to protect your personal data. All game outcomes are regulated to ensure fairness, and our recommended brands adhere to responsible gaming policies.
The bonus offers at social casinos in Minnesota are quite plentiful. Upon opening a new account, you’ll be welcomed with a no deposit signup bonus package of coins. As you continue to play, login bonuses, refer-a-friend offers, social media giveaways, and even tournament and leaderboard competitions will enable you to replenish your coin supplies.