How We Rate Casinos
Every star rating on SweepScout comes from the same eight-point checklist, applied the same way to every listing - sweepstakes and real-money alike. Here's exactly what goes into it.
What we actually check
A rating isn't a single number pulled out of thin air - it's built from eight specific factors, weighed together:
Bonus quality
Not just the headline number - how achievable the offer actually is: minimum purchase size, how it's split between Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, and whether the terms attached to it are reasonable.
Ease of depositing
How many payment methods are actually offered, how smooth the checkout flow is, and whether the advertised options (cards, Apple Pay, bank transfer, and so on) work the way the site says they do.
Ease of cashing out
Whether redemption is a straightforward, clearly-explained process or a maze of minimums, tiers, and fine print - this is where a lot of sites that look good on the surface fall apart.
Identity verification (KYC)
How reasonable the identity-check process is at redemption time - and whether it's something a normal player can clear without a headache. See our guide on verifying your KYC early for why this matters so much.
Redemption speed
How long it actually takes to get paid once a redemption is approved, based on our own tests, not just the range quoted in a site's FAQ.
Slot and game selection
The breadth and quality of the game library - slots first, since that's most players' main draw, but also table games, live dealer, and anything else that sets a site apart.
Legality
Which states a site is actually available in, and whether it's structured the way a legitimate sweepstakes promotion needs to be. See our state-by-state legal guide for the details behind this.
Trustworthiness
How the operator behaves when something goes wrong - support responsiveness, how clearly terms are written, and whether the site does what it says it will do.
Personally tested, not just copied from the operator's site
Every casino listed on SweepScout has been personally signed up for, played, and taken all the way through a real redemption - not just reviewed from the operator's own marketing page. That means an actual deposit (where one was made), actual gameplay, an actual identity check, and an actual cash-out, start to finish. If a site's redemption process doesn't work the way it claims to, that shows up in the rating, because it showed up in testing.
That's also why identity verification and redemption speed get their own line items above instead of being folded into a generic "trust" score - they're the two steps where a site's real behavior most often diverges from what its marketing promises, and the only way to catch that is to actually go through them.
What the star rating means
A 5.0 reflects a site that performed well across all eight factors with nothing notable to flag. Ratings drop from there based on specific, real issues - a confusing redemption minimum, a slow payout, a thin game library, a state restriction that catches people off guard - which is also why every listing's Pros and Cons are written from the same testing, not generated separately from the rating itself.
The honest limits of this
Bonuses, redemption terms, and game libraries change - sometimes without much notice - so a rating reflects what we found at the time we last tested a site, not a live, continuously-updated audit. We recheck listings regularly, but the operator's own current terms always take precedence over anything written here. If something looks off compared to what's listed, that's worth a second look before you sign up.
See our disclosure page for how this site is funded - referral relationships never factor into a rating.
Browse current welcome offers on the SweepScout homepage, check whether a site is available where you live in our state-by-state legal guide, and read our KYC guide before you redeem anything.