A simple introduction to baccarat
Online baccarat games
are a blast and a major part of this is due to their simplicity and how the gameplay unfolds. Whereas with blackjack and roulette, you have to make a range of decisions and strategies, you only have to do two things when playing baccarat:
- Select a play amount for each round.
- Pick whether you think the dealer or player will win, or if they will tie.
That’s it! Everything after that is essentially automatic. But, let’s take a step back first… what is the aim of baccarat? In this game, the player and dealer both get two cards initially and the aim is to get the closest hand value to 9 as possible.
Your role in this game is to simply pick whether you think the dealer hand or your hand will be the closest to 9, or if you think the hands will have a tied value. There are some nuances to the game in terms of values though:
- 2-9 = Face Value
- Ace = 1
- 10, Jack, Queen, and King = 0
There are also instances where you or the dealer will have to draw additional cards based on the initial value of the two cards they have. For example, if your two cards are valued 0-5 in total, you have to draw another card. Unlike blackjack, the drawing is all done automatically though and the round essentially plays itself out without you needing to do anything else.
The main point with this game is that the dealer essentially does all the work for you! When you’ve entered your play amount for the round and made your selection, you can sit back and watch the cards unfold. In terms of strategy, the simplest thing to remember with this game is that the dealer has a theoretically better statistical chance of winning hands, so the simplest way to play is to always back the dealer’s hand to win.
How to play baccarat for free
So, I’ve given you a basic introduction to the game, but how can you
play baccarat on mobile
devices or desktop computers for free? Of course, you can always play a demo version of the game, but this is a little boring! Instead, I want to introduce you to sweepstakes casinos.
Sweepstakes casinos in the US have hundreds of casino-style games including baccarat that you can play for free. This is because instead of real money, they use virtual currencies for gameplay. Typically, the operator will have two virtual currencies, usually called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, and they have the following purpose:
- Gold Coins:
GC is the fun virtual currency and you can use them to play games with and have the chance of getting GC prize in return. Gold Coins have no value and cannot be redeemed for cash prizes.
- Sweeps Coins:
SC is where the real action begins. You can also use your SC to play games with and have a chance of getting SC prizes in return. Sweeps Coins have the potential to be redeemed for cash prizes, usually at a conversion rate of 1:1 USD. You typically have to meet eligibility requirements though which includes having a minimum SC balance, verifying your ID, and meeting the playthrough requirements for bonus SC.
Therefore, if you want to play baccarat online for free, all you have to do is register an account with a sweepstakes casino! These operators usually have a range of promotions where you can get free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins such as
casino login bonuses, a welcome bonus, and a special mail-in request bonus. They also have to make the games always free to play as part of their compliance with US state regulations.
Pros and cons of free online baccarat
Baccarat is one of those games you’ll either love or hate. I personally love it due to the simplicity and fast-paced action, but others may find the lack of interactivity and strategy boring. To give you an unbiased view of this game I’ve summarized its pros and cons below:
- One of the easiest card games to learn
- Fast gameplay with short rounds
- Little to no decision making needed
- Excellent RTP of 98.94% for standard rules
- No real room for strategy or tactics
- You can’t affect the outcome of hands
Six top sweepstakes casinos that offer baccarat online for free
Now that you know how to play baccarat online for free, you need to know where to play it! I’ve got six fantastic sweepstakes casino recommendations for you. Each of these sites feature baccarat, plus other table games like roulette and blackjack. I’ve listed their welcome bonuses in the below table, and then given a quick intro for each operator.
| Sweepstakes Casino | New Customer Bonus |
| RealPrize | 100,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins |
| Stake.us | 55 Stake Cash, 260,000 Gold Coins and a 5% rakeback |
| McLuck | 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins |
| Jackpota | 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins |
| WOW Vegas | 250,000 WOW Coins and 5 Sweeps Coins |
| Sidepot.us | 10,000 Fliff Coins and 1 Fliff Cash |
Real Prize - superb live dealer collection
Pros and cons of RealPrize
- Excellent Daily login bonus of 5,000 GC and 0.30 SC
- Fast gift card redemptions often within 24 hours
- Quality sweepstakes casino games from top providers like NetEnt and Pragmatic Play
- Seven-tier VIP program with increasing rewards
- PayPal supported for purchases and redemptions
- Small game library of only 200+ titles
- Live chat support limited to higher VIP tiers
- No dedicated sweepstakes casino app
Real Prize has one of the best live dealer collections available from ICONIC21 and it includes baccarat, Gravity Roulette, Gravity Blackjack, and Crash Live. They’ve also got hundreds of slots from top iGaming developers including jackpots and Hold and Win games. New customers get 100,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins for their welcome bonus, and there’s a brilliant daily login bonus of 5,000 Gold Coins and 0.30 Sweeps Coins. Make sure you check out the VIP club too as this has a range of perks for loyal players.
Stake.us - epic Stake Originals games
Stake.us: Pros & Cons
- 1200+ casino games
- Safe and legit
- Cool promo deals
- Live chat support
Visit Stake.us
Stake.us is my top sweepstakes casino and a major factor for that is their Stake Originals games. These arcade games are the stuff of legend and if you want a break from free online baccarat, I recommend giving games like Stake Pump, Stake Mines, and Stake Cases a try. They do, of course, have baccarat too, from ICONIC21, plus Gravity blackjack. When you register at Stake.us, enter the PROMOBOY code in the registration form and you’ll get a superb welcome bonus of 55 Stake Cash, 260,000 Gold Coins, and a 5% rakeback. After that, login every 24 hours and you get a massive daily login bonus of 10,000 GC and 1 SC.
McLuck - huge range of Megaways slots
Pros and cons of McLuck
- Great selection of jackpot slots, including the McJackpot progressive jackpots
- Excellent mobile app for both iOS and Android devices
- Over 700 online slots from popular providers like NetEnt and Pragmatic Play
- Live dealer games available
- Claim referral bonus of up to 100 SC
- High redemption threshold of 100 SC
- Limited table game options
McLuck is one of my go-to sites for free online baccarat and they have a range of branded live dealer games. While I regularly play card games here, I love giving the classic Megaways slots a blast too. They’ve got some of the best-known Megaways titles of all time like Madame Destiny, Pompeii, Revenge of Loki, Power of Thor, and The Dog House. If you use the PROMOGUYSOCIAL code when you create an account at McLuck, you get an exclusive welcome bonus of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins. I recommend checking out the referral bonus too, as for your first 10 referrals, you can get a total of 200,000 Gold Coins and 100 Sweeps Coins.
Jackpota - retro 3-reel slots galore
Jackpota: Pros & Cons
- Multiple ways of playing
- No purchase necessary
- Available in 49 US states
- Daily bonus
Jackpota is a brilliant site with over 1,000 casino-style games including a live dealer collection. I’ve played free baccarat here multiple times and I also enjoy the live blackjack games. Alternatively, this site has a fantastic range of retro 3-reel slots and slots that pay homage to classic slot machines from developers like Playson and Novomatic. When you click one of the links on this page and sign up to Jackpota as a new customer you’ll get a welcome bonus of 7,500 Gold Coins and 2.5 Sweeps Coins. There is also a progressive daily login bonus that increases for each consecutive day you login up until the 7th day in a row.
WOW Vegas - regular slot tournaments
WOW Vegas: Pros & Cons
- Sign-up bonus offer
- Over 1,000 casino games
- Plenty of rewards and incentives
- up to date software
I’ve been a WOW Vegas customer for years and this is easily one of my favorite sweepstakes casinos. If you register an account here you’ll get a massive welcome bonus of 250,000 WOW Coins (GC equivalent), and 5 Sweeps Coins. They also have a superb daily prize wheel which gives you a random amount of WC and SC every day. This operator features live dealer games from ICONIC21 including baccarat, and you can also enjoy Gravity Blackjack and Roulette. I also love the frequency of the slots tournaments they have and you can usually join multiple events each week.
Sidepot.us - Sidepot Originals arcade games
Sidepot.us: Pros & Cons
- Generous welcome bonus
- Modern website design
- Wide variety of games
- Responsive customer support
Sidepot.us has been recently launched and was made by the same operator who created the Fliff social sportsbook. When you sign up here using one of our links or banners, you’ll get 10,000 Fliff Coins and 1 Fliff Cash for your welcome bonus. This site has one of the better daily login bonuses too, as you get 10,000 Fliff Coins and 1 Fliff Cash every 24 hours. For gaming, developers like NetGaming, Expanse Studios, Onlyplay, and Booming Games provide 400+ titles. This includes baccarat, and there is also the magnificent Sidepot Originals games which include Crash, Dice, and When Moon Bro which I think actually rival the Stake Original arcade games in terms of action and enjoyment.
Test your card skills and give free Baccarat a try today
Out of all the
online sweepstakes casino games
you can play, I think playing baccarat online for free has to be one of the easiest. All you have to do is pick which hand you think will win - that’s it! There’s no real rules or strategies to learn, and I believe that anyone can pick this game up within a few hands once they understand the different card values and sequences.
If you fancy giving free online baccarat a try, you can click any of the links or banners on this page and sign up to one of our recommended sites. Remember that for Stake.us and McLuck you will need to enter the promo code to get your exclusive welcome bonus. For the other four sites, it’s just a case of completing the registration process and you’ll be free to start your baccarat adventure!
The best social casino bonuses in 2025
1.
625K Golden Coins + Up to 125 SC FREE + 1250 VIP Points
2.
56 Stake Cash + 560K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback
Wagering (WR): 3x
3.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Wagering (WR): 1x Bonus
4.
100% matched Purchase Offer: 40 Fliff Cash FREE + 80,000 Fliff Coins
Wagering (WR): 1x Winnings, Min. Deposit: 19.99
5.
27.5 SC FREE and 57.5K Gold Coins
Free Baccarat game FAQs
🎮 How can you play baccarat online for free?
You can enjoy this classic card game for free at sweepstakes casinos. Instead of real money, sweepstakes casinos use virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins to play the games with and you can get these for free in various ways such as a welcome bonus and daily login bonus.
💰 Can you win real money playing free baccarat?
Not directly as at sweepstakes casinos there is no real money gameplay. Instead, you have the chance to redeem your Sweeps Coins for cash prizes provided you meet the minimum SC balance requirement, and have played through any bonus SC the specified number of times.
📊 What is the best baccarat strategy?
Ultimately baccarat is a 50/50 game, but it is generally recommended that you always pick the dealer's hand to win as this should give you a statistically better chance of getting prizes.
🕹️ How do you play free baccarat online?
If you want to play free online baccarat then you need to sign up to a sweepstakes casino such as Real Prize, Stake.us, or WOW Vegas. These sites have online baccarat that you can play for free using virtual currencies.
Other popular casino games we cover
Daily picks from betting experts on odds boosts and casino promos
