Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer - Published: 04/22/25
Chance-based gaming is banned in some US states
Video poker, poker, blackjack, chess and spades are eligible skill-based gaming options
RealPrize, PlayFame, Stake.us and WOW Vegas offer top tier skill-based sweepstakes gaming
We’re all bored of watching people blame bad luck when they lose but claim skillfulness when they win. So what if there were games where luck wasn’t even part of the equation? No rituals. Just your skills and the game.
Sweepstakes casinos have plenty of subpar, partially luck-based options, but only a handful let you take full control of your sweepstakes gaming. If you’d rather outthink, outplay, and outmaneuver instead of just keeping your fingers crossed and hoping your plays and spins are worth it, these five skill-based casino games are exactly what you need to be playing.
Gaming on sweepstakes casinos offers so much fun and often allows players to redeem gaming coins for cash prizes. However, casino games are mostly luck-based, making them illegal in some locations, especially in certain U.S. states. For example, the Idaho Constitution, Article III, Section 20, prohibits luck-based gaming.
This has led to the rise of skill-based sweepstakes games. After reviewing numerous sweepstakes games, here are some of the best skill-based options I found.
I enjoyed video poker games at two sweepstakes casinos, RealPrize and PlayFame, and it was worth it. Unlike the usual poker games, video poker is a solo game played against a machine.
At first, I thought it was just about getting lucky with the right hand, but through playing the game, I realized that skill made a huge difference. While the cards you’re dealt might influence what your video poker gaming will be like, knowing when to hold strong cards and when to discard weaker ones for a better draw is for the experience in the game.
If video poker didn’t exist, blackjack would have topped my list. I’m not a fan of anything luck-based, so I get really excited whenever I get to actually prove my gaming proficiency with blackjack. It’s one of the few games where making smart decisions actually matters, unlike most slots, where the only strategy that might work is pressing a button and hoping for a miracle.
Even if you’ve never tried out poker, but only seen the movie with Daniel Craig playing a traditional poker game, you should already know poker is a skill-based game. Like Traditional poker games in movies, well, sweepstakes casino poker games are also just as skill-based and as exciting.
Popular sweepstakes casino poker variants like Texas Hold’em and Omaha often have the smartest player at the table, and not just the luckiest winning.
While you won’t find chess in most sweepstakes casinos, I had a blast playing it on PlayFame – easily one of my favorite sites. Anyone who has ever touched a pawn piece knows chess isn’t about luck; it’s about thinking five steps ahead and hoping your opponent isn’t thinking six.
Every chess match I played felt like a mental workout, with some games ending in triumph and others in really embarrassing checkmates I wish I saw coming.
Spades is one of the few sweepstakes games where skill actually determines how well you do. The key is estimating your tricks, which requires more skill than it seems.
Before the round starts, I have to place a cin entry on how many tricks I think I’ll win, and my score depends on how close I get, which is where the real strategy comes in.
What’s the fun in gaming if it’s not based on your efforts? At the same time, most sweepstakes casinos focus on luck-based games; a few stand out by offering real skill-based options where strategy and experience actually matter.
From the availability of exciting bonuses to poker and blackjack and even chess offerings, here are some of the best sweepstakes sites I discovered for top-of-the-shelf skill-based sweepstakes games.
RealPrize was launched in 2023 and has become one of the most popular sweepstakes casinos with its mix of exciting games and generous bonuses. Besides its free spins on slot and other casino offerings, RealPrize is a top site for skill-based gaming, offering games like poker and video poker.
While gaming on RealPrize, I tried the Teen Patti poker variant, and RealPrize’s 100,000 GC and 2 SC welcome bonus was a major headboost for me, allowing me to play the games with no initial purchase. Aside from RealPrize’s welcome bonus offer, the site also includes other promotions like the first purchase bonus, RealPrize daily login bonus and a VIP program.
Among the over 800 games on PlayFame, I noticed the casino offers one of the best full selections of skill-based games available on most sweepstakes casinos. Through trying out your strategy in poker, playing blackjack and even chess, PlayFame gives players plenty of opportunities to put their skills to the test. It’s the perfect place to enjoy competitive gameplay while improving your abilities and having fun.
Besides PlayFame’s complete selection skill based games, the brand also offers a welcome bonus of 10,000 Gold Coins and 3 Sweepstakes Coins to make your gaming enjoyable.
Stake.us is a top site for skill-based sweepstakes gaming, offering poker, video poker, blackjack, and even esports gaming among its 1,000+ games. Unlike typical casino games, these particular Stake.us games reward your experience and not just chance.
Another standout feature was the sweepstakes casino’s live dealer games, including Gravity Blackjack Live and Live Roulette, bringing real-time gaming strategy into play. Upon signing up for an account on Stake.us, using the promo code, SPORTSGRID, I received a welcome bonus of 55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback, making it easy to get to my gaming.
While WOW Vegas offered mostly slots, it has recently expanded its offerings to include live dealer games, providing players with interactive experiences that blend skill with its gaming excitement. Checking through WOW Vegas’ sweepstakes site, I noticed Gravity Blackjack, a game that is popular for its strategy over chance system.
Additionally, WOW Vegas offers new players a generous no-deposit bonus of 250,000 WOW Coins and 5 Sweepstakes Coins upon registration. This allows you to explore the site’s vast selection of over 1,000 games without any initial WOW Coin package purchase.
If you’re looking for more than just probability gaming, these sweepstakes casinos offer some of the best skill-based games out there. With generous bonuses and a variety of gameplay options, these casinos make skill-based gaming more exciting than ever, so hurry over to test your skills at these sweepstakes casinos and see if those past wins were actually based on your skillfulness.
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