Responsible gambling

If you need help now

• Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). The National Problem Gambling Helpline is free, confidential, and staffed around the clock. It routes you to help in your own state, so one number works everywhere in the US.
• National Council on Problem Gambling: screening tools, treatment finders, and each state's own helpline and programs.
• Gamblers Anonymous: free peer-support meetings, in person and online.
• GamTalk: a moderated online community for anyone thinking about their gambling.

Self-exclusion at sweepstakes casinos

Sweepstakes casinos sit outside most state self-exclusion registries, so excluding yourself works differently than at a licensed casino:

• At the operator. Most sweepstakes casinos will close or suspend your account on request. Email support, say you are self-excluding, and ask them to confirm in writing that the account will not be reopened. Their terms usually cover this under responsible-play or account-closure sections.
• At the device. Blocking software covers every site at once: BetBlocker is free and charity-run; Gamban is a paid alternative. Both cover sweepstakes casinos, which ad-hoc browser blockers often miss.
• At the payment layer. Some banks and card apps let you block gambling-coded transactions. Sweepstakes purchases are not always coded as gambling, so treat this as a backstop, not a wall.

Guardrails that actually work

• You never have to buy. Every legitimate sweepstakes casino must offer a free entry route. Our no-purchase (AMOE) directory documents each operator's free route. If you only ever play free coins, the money risk is zero.
• Decide the number before you play. A monthly spend cap set outside the app, written down, beats any in-the-moment judgment. Our own testing logs every dollar in and out for exactly this reason: the payout study leads with what we lost, not what we won.
• Pending is not paid. Never spend against a redemption that has not landed. Redemptions stall, get denied on terms grounds, or take longer than advertised; our redemption-time data shows how often.
• Chasing losses is the flag. Buying another package to win back the last one is the single clearest sign the play has turned into a problem. That is the moment for the helpline above.

Age and availability

Sweepstakes casinos are for adults: most operators set 18+ or 21+ minimums in their terms, and some states set their own floors. This site is written for readers 21 and older. Availability also varies by state, and several states have banned or restricted sweepstakes play entirely; the state legality tracker has the current status for yours.