Online Casinos are not legal in the US. But there is one European company which found a neat little loophole to offer real money casino games to US players. This loophole is called “Social Casino” and Sweepstakes. Here we explain how US players can sign up and play at the Chumba Casino and how they can play real casino games for real money.
What's a “Social Casino“?
If you play at a regular Online Casino you deposit money and play games with that money. If you win something you can redeem the winnings. Chumba doesn't work like that. While Chumba still offers games, the Casino uses the concept of Social Gaming.
This means, you don’t play with real money. Instead you purchase so called Gold Coins which you can use to play games. Those coins can also be accumulated in other ways, but buying them with real money is the easiest way. Those Gold Coins cannot be transferred, traded or redeemed for cash prizes at all. They’re like play money.
When purchasing Gold Coins players also receive so called Sweep Coins as bonuses. Those Sweep Coins can also be used to play games. Any winnings players make when playing Sweep Coin Games can be redeemed for real money.
Chumba uses a neat little trick here: Since players don’t actually purchase Sweep Coins for real money (they just receive them as a bonus when buying Gold Coins) the whole operation doesn’t technically count as an Online Casino, but as a simple sweepstakes. Sweepstakes are legal in the US and thus the Chumba Casino is able to operate in 50 US-States, is accepting customers and purhcases as well as paying out winnings.
Please note that currently this Casino ONLY allows purchases from the US and Canada and only pays out winnings if you’re a Canadian or American player.
How to sign up for Chumba Casino
Head over to the website by clicking PLAY HERE on this page and click ‘Sign Up’.
You can either register with your existing Facebook account or by entering your name and details.
Enter an email address and you’ll receive a confirmation email.
(Definitely check your spam folder because many email clients accidentally classify Chumba as spam – It isn’t.)You’ll start with 2,000,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweep Coins (worth $1 each) just for registering at Chumba.
Get a $30 Gold Coin Package: 3,000,000 Gold Coins & 30 Sweeps Coins Bonus for just $10 on your first purchase
Buying Gold Coins at Chumba Casino
You cannot directly deposit money at the Chumba Casino. Instead you buy Gold Coins - and you can only purchase $10 at once. You'll receive 2,000,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweep Coins as a free bonus when registering at Chumba casino. Then for $10, you'll receive a $30 Gold Coin Package - including 3,000,000 Gold Coins and 30 Sweeps Coins Bonus.
You can purchase coins using credit card (Visa, Mastercard, AmEx), Skrill, Rapid Transfer or Instant ACH. The Gold Coins are for all intents and purposes play money which isn’t worth anything. The Sweep Coins on the other hand can be redeemed later.
Winning on Chumba? Redeeming Sweep Coins
One of the most important aspects when playing in a Casino is winning and being able to redeem the winnings.
Important: Currently Chumba allows only US-Players and Canadian Players to redeem their winnings from the site. When redeeming Sweep Coins you need to have at least 100 ($100) of them in your balance.
Here’s what you need to do before you can redeem winnings from the Chumba Casino: You need to provide several legal documents:
- Photo ID
- Driver’s license or
- State ID (or National ID) or
- Passport
- Proof of address
- Utility bill or
- Bank statement
- Bank Statement (dated within the last 3 months with current address)
Chumba provides a process which guides you through uploading copies of all those documents. Scans or good snapshots of the documents are sufficient. Once those documents have been verified you can redeem your Sweep Coins.
Chumba Casino Software
Chumba Casino runs a very simple software which works directly in your browser. There is no need to download an app or install something on your desktop. Chumba currently only offers slots and the selection of slots is rather limited.
The lobby is very simple. It provides an overview of the amount of Gold Coins you have, your Sweep Coins and allows you to track you gaming and transaction history. Apart from that the lobby lists all the available games and the most recent winners.
Chumba Casino Games
Currently only slots are available at the Chumba Casino and the number of games is very limited. Players can choose from 72 slots and all slots can either be played with Gold Coins (i.e. play money) or Sweep Coins (i.e. real money).
Several games offer Grand and Minor Jackpots which range from 7,000 up to 250,000 Sweep Coins. All games are provided by 2 by 2 Gaming. The lobby and the games all look a bit dated. But the games are working just fine and what they lack in optics they make up with very immersive sound effects.
You can bet between 0.25 Sweep Coins up to 50 Sweep Coins per spin (or up to 2.5 Million Gold Coins if you want to play with play money).
Chumba Casino Mobile App
Like any modern Online Casino Chumba works perfectly fine in any modern browser on any smartphone or tablet. There is no need to install a special app. Simply browse to the Chumba homepage. You can login or even register via mobile browser and all games run smoothly on any halfway modern phone.
Chumba Casino Bonus
There's currently both a sign up bonus and first-time purchase bonus available for the Chumba Casino. New players at Chumba receive 2 Sweep Coins as a bonus, plus 2,000,000 Gold Coins - just for signing up. And each Sweep Coin is worth $1 - so effectively the Casino offers a free bonus worth $2. Then, players can get a $30 Gold Coin Package - including 3,000,000 Gold Coins and 30 Sweeps Coins Bonus for your first-time purchase of $10.
There is also no VIP Club for Chumba players. The entire Casino is very simple and this simplicity is intentional. In order to keep the legal status as a social casino with sweepstakes which can operate in the US the casino cannot offer VIP bonuses or loyalty programs.
The Company behind Chumba Casino
Chumba is operated by the Maltese Company VGW Malta Limited. The games are powered by 2 by 2 Gaming. All Games are audited and VGW Malta is fully licensed and regulated company in the European Union.
Chumba Casino Key Facts
- 📅 Established: 2014
- ⌂ Company: VGW Malta Limited
- 🗠 Traded: n/a
- 🌐 URL: play.chumbacasino.com
- ⚐ Languages: English
- 🔨 Licensed in: Malta (Malta Gaming Authority)
License & Auditors
Why casino licences are important
Every online casino needs at least one active license to operate and legally offer games in most countries. Casinos without a license are considered illegal in all European and North American countries. Casinos without a license operate without regulations and without any legal options for the players. All casinos listed on PokerListings.com operate with at least one reputable license. The four most important licensing authorities are: Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), Gibraltar Gaming License (GGL), UK Gambling Commission, and Curaçao eGaming.
- Chumba is licensed in Malta: Malta Gaming Authority (MGA): MGA/B2C/188/2010
Licenses:
Auditors ensure fairness
To ensure the fairness and integrity of the games, good online casinos use external auditors. Performing regular analysis of the Random Number Generator (RNG) and Return to Player ratios (RTP). The most reputable auditors are eCOGRA (E-Commerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), GLI (Gaming Labs International), TST (Technical Systems Testing) and iTech Labs.
All are recognised by the gaming authorities throughout Europe and North America and operate independently of the casino operators. You can find the logos of the agencies in the footer of the casino pages. As a player you should make sure that the games of a casino have been tested by at least one of these agencies.
- All Chumba Casino games are audited by GLI.
Payment Options
The Chumba Casino payment options are very limited due to the fact that it operates only in the US and Canada. You can purchase coins instantly with several credit cards, Skrill, or Rapid Transfer. But you can only have exactly $10 transactions.
Redeeming winnings are even more limited and you can only redeem if you have at least 100 Sweep Coins (i.e. $100) in your balance. The max is $10,000 and redemptions can take up to 5 days - at no extra charge.
Those are the options available:
| Operators | Purchase Options: | Redeem Options: | : |
|---|---|---|---|
 MasterCard
|
Instant
|
Not Available
|
|
 Skrill
|
Instant
|
|
|
 Visa
|
Instant
|
|
|
 Rapid Transfer
|
Instant
|
Not Available
|
|
 American Express
|
Instant
|
Not Available
|
Chumba Casino Support
Chumba offers mostly email support which you can access via a form on their help desk site. The casino has an extensive FAQ section which details how the process of purchasing and redeeming works and which explains the concept of social casinos. There's also a support phone number but it's a Maltese number and during out test we didn’t have any luck reaching someone there.
Contact Information Chumba Casino
- 📧 E-Mail: Via Online Form
- ☎ Phone: +356 99088901
Safety & Gambling
PokerListings recognizes that while most people gamble for entertainment, a small number of people can become obsessed with the potential monetary gains casinos games can offer. Even though studies suggest that only a very small percentage of the adult population encounters compulsive gambling problems, we take this matter very serious and ask you to seek help if you think you need it:
Gambling Therapy
Gambling Therapy is a global service offering free practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by problem gambling.
Gamblers Anonymous
A twelve-step program for people who have a gambling problem. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling.
Chumba Casino FAQ
-
Is the Chumba Casino legal in the US?
The Chumba Casino is one of the very few online casinos which is legal in the US. Due to the fact that this casino is run as a sweepstakes casino in which players technically do not gamble with real money but with free Sweep Coins US players can enjoy online casino action and withdraw their winnings. -
Is the Chumba Casino legit or a scam?
Chumba is a fully licensed and regulated Casino (EU license in Malta). So, yes, Chumba is a legit Casino. There are some legal caveats though. Technically players cannot deposit, but only buy Gold Coins which is nothing more but play money. The real money equivalent (Sweep Coins) are given as freebie for each transaction. The biggest hurdle for players is the cash out restriction: you can only withdraw if you have at least 100 Sweep Coins (i.e. $100) in your balance. -
How do I withdraw money from Chumba Casino?
Withdrawing Sweep Coins for real money requires you to upload several legal documents to Chumba. After that you can withdraw to your credit card or e-wallet. But keep in mind that you have to have a balance of at least 100 Sweep Coins (i.e. $100) to be able to withdraw any amount at all. -
What is VGW Malta Limited?
VGW Malta Limited is the company which operates the Chumba Casino. VGW runs the Chumba Casino since 2014 and currently this is the only casino the company operates. -
Is there a Chumba Casino Bonus?
The Chumba Casino has no bonuses except a one time bonus when signing up. Each new player receives 2 Sweep Coins (i.e. $2) for free when signing up. No other bonuses are available. -
What are those Chumba Sweepstakes?
Sweepstakes are simple trade promotions which you do not pay for with real money prizes. Chumba uses those sweepstakes to promote the sales of their product – Gold Coins. This is a rather technical work-around: Players can only buy Gold Coins (the play money) but receive some Sweep Coins for free as well. Those free Coins can be used to play and can be redeemed for real money.
