The name VGW may not immediately ring a bell if you're not familiar with the recent history of sweepstakes gaming in the US. The question is, what does VGW do, and what is its contribution to the innovative sweepstakes gaming model?
To answer this question, I'll discuss VGW's product offerings, technologies, and operations and how they are as relevant today as they were when online-based sweepstakes gaming was still very new. At the end of this article, you'll be able to properly appreciate its key role in advancing the sweepstake-style gaming model that's prevalent in the US.
If we're simply cutting to the chase in this VGW gaming review, VGW is an online entertainment company that focuses on delivering sweepstakes gaming. But in order to really answer this question, we need to go back in time for some proper background. There was once a time when casinos weren't able to operate freely in the USA.
Then in 2012, sweepstakes rules were shaping up nicely and looked like the only way for brands to get a look-in in what was a promising US market. It was a way for casinos to allow players to play for free, without real-money requirements, so it isn’t classified as gambling.
By this time, an entrepreneur named Laurence Escalante had already built a company that offered casual gaming, mostly poker with friends. Escalante quickly moved in and created Chumba Casino, one of the earliest entrants in the growing online sweepstakes gaming scene. Chumba became a big hit in the US; then came Global Poker in 2016 and Luckyland Slots three years later, all sweepstakes casinos by VGW.
Fast forward to the present day, and VGW is an established online gaming brand with three top casinos to its name and a software-making company called Golden Feather Studios. It is in direct competition with companies like B2 services OÜ and Playtika for a slice of the massive sweepstakes gaming market (read our Playtika review for more information).
If you've ever whipped out your phone for a quick game of slots at a sweepstakes casino, you have VGW to thank for it, at least to an extent. This is just one of the many highlights that VGW can boast, and there are many others. It is not all great, though. VGW is surely not without its issues, including one that many may feel is a no-brainer. Here are a few pros and cons of GW.
The sweepstakes model that many social casinos operate with today began to take shape with Chumba Casino, a VGW product, over a decade ago. So what exactly is Sweepstakes gaming? In short, it’s a way to play casino=style games under sweepstakes law, away from the restrictions of traditional gambling regulations.
Sweepstakes casinos offer gameplay using virtual currencies, as opposed to real money. They offer a range of promotional offers and bonuses that give you these virtual currencies for free, so you don't have to pay to play. This brief overview defines VGW's operational style across its three casinos. To understand it further, here's a brief look at the VGW details that define its sweepstakes operation.
Virtual currency is the bread and butter of sweepstakes gaming, and players across all three VGW casinos Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins to play. Gold Coins are used for standard play – free-to-play gaming for purely entertainment purposes. They can't be redeemed for real-life prizes as they have no real value.
On the other hand, Sweepstakes Coins are used to take part in sweepstake promotional events. They are free as well, but they can be redeemed for real-life prizes upon meeting certain conditions such as playthrough requirements and redemption thresholds.
Just like virtual currencies, bonuses and promotions are a sweepstakes casino’s favorite staple. They offer several means for players to play for free, via playing credits gotten at no cost.
Many of these freely-gotten credits come from bonuses. VGW is known to offer lots of bonuses across its casinos, from welcome bonuses to weekly raffles, daily logins, tournaments, and events that help you rack up some more of these virtual currencies.
Here's a table comparing the welcome bonuses offered by Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker.
| Casino | Welcome Bonus |
| Chumba Casino | 2,000,000 Gold Coins and 2 free Sweepstakes Coins |
| LuckyLand Slots | Nil |
| Global Poker | 100K Gold Coins and 5 Free Sweeps Coins |
Licensing is another important consideration when it comes to online gaming sites. But as you'll find in our Rush Games Interactive review, the rules for sweepstakes casinos are different from those for real-money sites.
Because they're mandated not to operate like real-money gambling sites, sweepstakes casinos do not necessarily need to hold a traditional operating license. This helps them steer clear of the regulatory framework that these other sites have to operate within.
However, it is not exactly a get-out-of-jail-free card. Security is still important to players, so social casino sites tend to put a big focus on it. Additionally, many states have very strict gaming laws that don't exclude sweepstakes casinos. So, some social casinos apply for licensing voluntarily; VGW holds a license from the Malta Gaming Commission.
A B2C Gaming service license also backs it for Type 1 and Type 3 gaming services. You can check out several VGW contact details on its website to get more information about licensing, fair play, or privacy policy as well.
VGW's role in shaping the future of sweepstakes gaming extends to its ownership of three casinos. These include Chumba, which is a sweepstakes gaming pioneer, plus LuckyLand slots and Global Poker, a site with a focus on delivering poker games. Then there's also Golden Feather Studios, VGW's very own in-house game developers. We'll briefly discuss these below in this VGW review.
Just like Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots operates the sweepstakes model. It offers free-to-play gaming over several slot games and allows for the optional purchase of Gold Coin packages, all of which throw in some extra Sweeps Coins as a bonus. With over 100 slots, it might not have the biggest gaming catalog around, but it does great stuff with the ones it offers.
I am talking about popular games like Big Bass Bonanza and Aztec Quest, replete with all the exciting jackpots and bonuses that add spice to your gaming experience. What I particularly like about LuckyLand Slots is the Lucky Duck of the Month, which is basically a top prize given to one winner each month.
Overall, LuckyLand is a good casino to enjoy some free casino-style gaming, the sweepstakes way. Its mobile-friendly site is easy to navigate as well, and the simplicity of it all is a nice touch.
Golden Feather Studios is the name behind many of the in-house and exclusive games you see at the three VGW Casinos discussed earlier. They produce games like Stampede Fury, The Last Empress, and Cascade Bead for Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker.
The games are developed in-house, so VGW is at liberty to tweak the game mechanics and features as it likes. Other games that Golden Feather is responsible for include titles like American Stacks and the Golden Cheese.
VGW started early as one of the first names in the mobile sweepstakes gaming scene. However, it has now been joined by several other players battling for top stakes in the market. Some of its biggest competitors include B2 services OÜ, the owner of top casinos like McLuck and Jackpota.
You can check out our B2 Services OÜ review for information along that line, and you'll find that it does offer some strong competition.
Another name that pops up is YSI (or Yellow Social Interactive), the company that owns and manages Pulsz and Pulsz Bingo. You'll also find a couple of YSI review articles talking about its unique offerings and how they are some of the top slot and bingo gaming destinations.
If you've ever enjoyed a game of slots or poker at Chumba Casino, Luckyland Slots, or Global Poker, you have VGW to thank. VGW is a pioneer in mobile-based sweepstakes gaming in the USA, having been around for well over a decade.
As a company deeply rooted in casino-style gaming entertainment, it has built a portfolio of three top casino gaming destinations and an in-house developer. With over a million players on its books, VGW is no small player, and we look forward to seeing what else it has in store for players in years to come.
VGW is a popular online gaming and entertainment company that is responsible for providing sweepstakes and social casino gaming via its three casinos. These three casinos owned by VGW are Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker.
Yes, it absolutely does. The casinos owned by VGW all operate under VGW Games Limited, which, in turn, is licensed and regulated in Malta by the Malta Gaming Authority.
As they operate under sweepstakes rules, the three casinos owned by VGW allow players to play their games using one of two virtual currencies – Gold Coins or Sweepstakes Coins (or Sweeps Coins). While Gold Coins offer free, no-stakes gaming, Sweepstakes Coins or Sweeps Coins help you partake in Sweepstakes promotional games and events and are redeemable for real-life prizes one you’ve met the relevant requirements.
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