Is Chumba Casino Legit?
Chumba Casino is a self-acclaimed #1 America social casino, offering players a selection of over 100 games, including online slots, roulette, blackjack, and video poker. While the site is free to play and allows players to redeem sweeps coins for a chance to win real money, it is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, a body with no legal standing in the United States. Additionally, the site has several in-house games that lack information about their fairness.
Given these red flags, we decided to investigate whether Chumba Casino is a legitimate option for players looking to win real money for free in the US or Canada. Unfortunately, our findings indicate that this may not be the case. As the saying goes, “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
If you’re looking for a safer, more reliable, legit online casino with fair games and frequent payouts, there are several Chumba Casino alternatives worth considering, and below are a few other options you should consider:
Don’t get us wrong, though. We don’t say you should consider Chumba a scam or rigged. It falls in a gray area, and you can learn more from the following review of its features, approached critically and honestly by our experts.
Chumba Casino Review Findings
| Chumba Casino | |
|---|---|
| ️Operating Company | Virtual Gaming Worlds |
| iGaming License | Malta Gaming Authority |
| Does Chumba accept players from the USA? | ✅Yes |
| Is Chumba legal in the USA? | ✅Yes |
| Payment Options | Online Banking, Credit/Debit Card, Paysafecard, Skrill |
| Welcome Bonuses | 2 million gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins |
| Games | Online Slots, Blackjack, Roulette, Video Poker, and Jackpots |
| Software Vendors | Playtech, NetEnt, Reel Play, Red Tiger, Rarestone, VGW proprietary games |
| Chumba Sister Sites | LuckyLand Slots, Global Poker, Scratch Carnival |
| Other Legit Options Like Chumba | Fortune Coins, Stake.us, Pulsz Bingo, Pulsz Casino, WOW Vegas, BetRivers.net |
Chumba is a social casino founded in 2012 by Virtual Gaming Worlds, a pioneer in the iGaming industry. The site offers players access to more than 100 casino-style games, such as online slots, roulette, and blackjack, through gold and sweeps coins. Even though the games are free, players can still earn cash prizes by redeeming their sweeps coins. However, there have been several reports of players not receiving their payout or having their accounts deleted after meeting the minimum requirements.
Chumba Casino is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, an offshore regulatory body. The site offers some games powered by real gaming studios like NetEnt, Playtech, and Reel Play, among others. However, other titles like Stampede Fury 2 are in-house built with no proven RTP, variance, or tested RNG results, raising the possibility that the games may be rigged.
It’s evident that Chumba Casino has several issues that could make it difficult for players to have a satisfying gaming experience or to receive their winnings. Fortunately, there are several legitimate online casino Chumba alternatives that are safer, offer a more comprehensive range of games, and provide better payouts than Chumba Casino.
Legal Social Casino Alternatives
One such casino is Pulsz, which features over 200 free casino games, including slots, video poker, blackjack, and scratchcards. The site offers players payouts when they accumulate enough sweeps coins, and the casino app has over 500,000 downloads on Google Play and App Store.
Fortune Coins is another excellent sweepstakes site, especially if you prefer to play jackpot slots, keno, cards, and fish games. With over 1.5 million users in the US and Canada, Fortune Coins is a high-paying casino where you can play for free and win real money. The site uses advanced data encryption to safeguard users and has paid out over $6.9 million in jackpots in less than one year since its launch.
Are Chumba Casino Bonuses Real?
Chumba Casino operates using the sweepstakes model, so having several promotions that offer free gold coins and sweeps is essential. The available sweepstakes promotions are one of the easiest to claim in the industry as you do not need a Chumba promo code, meaning the chances of missing out are very low. At the time of writing, Chumba still lacks a referral bonus.
- No Deposit Bonus: Get 2 million gold coins and 2 free sweeps coins to play slot games or any Chumba games of your choice immediately after signing up.
- Daily Login Bonus: 200,000 gold coins and 1 free sweeps coin are added daily to your Chumba account when you log in.
- Social Media Bonus: Follow Chumba Casino’s social media account to know when a contest offers more free sweeps coins or gold coins. There have been time-limited promos like the 100 free play on Chumba and the bet $1 win $60 for Chumba games.
- Mail-in Bonus: Get free sweeps coins whenever you send a hand-written postal request to Chumba Casino.
Bonus Rules and Conditions
You wouldn’t be the only one to think the number of available Chumba casino promotions is subpar to some other social casino sites like WOW Vegas, but that’s not the only downside to the free coins you’d get.
The first thing that really caught our eyes when perusing is what was written in 7.3 in its terms and conditions.
What this means in simpler terms is that Chumba social casino can withdraw a bonus at any time that it wishes without telling you. A real-life example of how this could go bad was when the $1 for $60 and $100 free play bonuses was discontinued. Players who unknowingly followed the due process didn’t get the promotions, and others who had claimed them before it was stopped had it removed from their balance.
Also, sweeps coins – the only currency you can use to play casino games and win cash prizes – have a 60-day expiration date from your last log in. Given that you have to log in once every two months, the free sweeps coins might be less beneficial for casual players.
Does Chumba Casino Payout?
Chumba Casino doesn’t leave players wanting with its extensive payment methods. The social casino offers the typical card methods and more modern and faster options like traditional online casinos. To purchase gold coins at Chumba you can use:
- Online Banking
- Chumba prepaid Mastercard
- Credit/Debit Card
- Skrill
- Instant ACH
- Paysafecard
The above purchase options are fast, and Chumba Casino doesn’t charge you any fee for your transactions. Chumba Casino’s banking methods are perfect for any players who want to purchase gold coins, although the inclusion of cryptocurrency would make it better. The issue only starts rearing its ugly head when you want to redeem cash prizes.
There are only three ways of redeeming real money from the social casino – online banking, Skrill, and gift card, which is standard for most social casinos. However, the method you can use to redeem cash prizes heavily depends on how you purchase coins.
For example, if you use instant ACH, Paysafecard, cards, or online banking, the only two options you can use to trade your sweeps coins for money is through your bank account. To use Skrill, you’d have to first use the method to buy gold coins. The only other universal redemption option is through e-giftcard, which doesn’t offer the same flexibility as real cash.
Are Chumba Games Fair?
Chumba Casino offers a relatively small selection of games compared to other online casinos, with only around 100 options available. However, they offer a variety of online slots and a few roulette and blackjack games. Some games are provided by third-party game software developers, such as NetEnt, Reel Play, Playtech, Red Tiger, and so much more. Popular games like the classic Starburst and Tundra Wolf allow you to enjoy the same quality as a real money online casino.
Aside from externally sourced games, you’d also find proprietary games developed in-house by Virtual Gaming Worlds, which means they cannot be found anywhere else. Fireshot jackpot games like Stampede Fury 2 is one of the most popular in this category, as it has earned about two players over 3 million dollars in real money.
One potential drawback of the Chumba Casino game selection is limited information about the games, especially the in-house games. While players can learn how to play each game, no information is provided about the games’ volatility, RTP (return to player), or whether it uses a true random number generator (RNG). Additionally, while the games are said to be certified by iTech Labs, there is no visible certification logo or link to the certificate on the Chumba Casino website, making us question its validity.
Is Chumba Casino Legal?
Chumba Casino is a sweepstakes casino operating under a legal loophole in the US and Canada, except for Idaho, Washington, and Quebec. The sweepstakes model used, offers games through virtual currencies permitting users 18 and above to play and win cash prizes without breaking the gambling laws of any legal states. Playing with these in-app currencies – gold and sweeps coins – makes a total difference as it differs from online gambling in real money casinos.
Chumba is licensed by Malta Gaming Authority – a reputable gambling authority and allows players aged 18 and above to legally create accounts, play games for free, and win real cash prizes.
Although Chumba Casino is legal in the US because it is a social gaming site, it holds an offshore license, making it less safe for players in the US and Canada.
Is Chumba Casino Safe and Secure?
The Chumba Casino website boasts top-notch cybersecurity measures, including SSL encryption, which protects players’ data and financial information from external threats. However, the casino lacks effective responsible gaming features, leaving players to their own devices and exposing them to gambling addiction and overspending. The casino’s parent company, Virtual Gaming Worlds, has been involved in several lawsuits, further highlighting the risks of playing at Chumba Casino.
One notable lawsuit to buttress this point was the class action lawsuit against Virtual Gaming Worlds in Kentucky. Jo Armstead filed a lawsuit in September 2022, claiming she lost over $7,000 playing at the Chumba Casino and Luckyland Slots. The lawsuit ended after Virtual Gaming Worlds agreed to pay $11.75 million, highlighting the severity of the issue and the potential risks to players.
If players encounter issues or need support, they can first check the FAQ section on the website. This section contains answers on creating an account, purchasing gold coins, redeeming cash prizes, and so much more. If this doesn’t help, the only alternative would be to fill out a contact form to create a ticket. One perk of this support channel is that you don’t have to be logged in to fill one.
However, the customer support team is notoriously unresponsive, with a high volume of tickets leading to delayed responses or unresolved complaints. There is also a live chat option, but it is only available during purchases, indicating a lack of prioritization for player support.
While Chumba Casino has strong cybersecurity measures in place, the lack of efficient responsible gaming features, responsive support, and past lawsuits can pose significant risks to players.
Chumba Casino Complaints
Players are torn when it comes to whether Chumba pays out real money, as while some could redeem real cash prizes, others didn’t. Notably, some players like Donnalyn K and Cindy B made $1.88 and $1.12 million from Chumba progressive jackpot slots, respectively. However, this doesn’t occur often. Hundreds of players’ reviews on Trustpilot and Facebook complain about not getting their winnings.
Another review we came across on Avvo – a lawyer directory website in the US – shows a player seeking legal assistance to sue Chumba Casino for not paying out their $75,000 jackpot after 6 months of winning it.
In a nutshell, Chumba Casino claims that players could win real money prizes by redeeming sweeps coins, but this doesn’t occur often. This means you could waste your time or, worse, lose money when playing Chumba Casino games.
Is Chumba Casino Legit? Reddit Reports
There have been mixed reports on Reddit regarding the legitimacy of Chumba Casino, so here is what we have found.
While some Redditors, particularly those on r/chumbacasino, have been impressed and pleased with the casino’s games and payout in general. There have been a few instances where players did not receive their payouts. Howe7ver, these have not been too alarming.
Upon looking further, we found that the negative reviews of Chumba Casino more than doubled when we searched other subreddits, and most of them confirmed our suspicions.
Firstly, some players have claimed that the games are rigged, as they could not land any significant winnings even after reaching the required minimum to redeem sweeps coins.
Secondly, a significant number of players have complained of not receiving their winnings even after fulfilling all the requirements. This issue received a substantial response from people who have also experienced not receiving their won money.
Should You Trust Chumba Casino?
We’ve assessed Chumba Casino based on several criteria like effective customer service, fair games, security, payout, and licensing, and we couldn’t find a part where it excels. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t play at the sweepstakes casino, but we’d advise that you exercise caution and don’t get your hopes high of winning cash prizes.
We’ll be the first to admit that playing at Chumba Casino can be tedious and filled with uncertainty, but it doesn’t have to be so. There are several better alternative sweepstakes sites with free play on casino games and allow sweeps coins winnings to be redeemed for real money. Some of the best alternatives you can signup at are Stake.us, WOW Vegas, Pulsz Bingo, and many more.
You can check our banners above to read more on these social casinos, how to join, and the kind of games they offer.
FAQ’s
- Is Chumba Casino legal for Americans?
While Chumba is a free casino site available in US and Canada except for Washington, Idaho, and Quebec, it has an offshore license which means you wouldn’t have the same protection as you should. You might also find issues.
- Can I win real money from playing Chumba Casino games?
Technically, yes, you can. However, there have been several reports of players not getting their winnings.
- Are Chumba Casino games fair?
You can find casino games from reputable software providers like NetEnt and Playtech at Chumba Casino, and there are also in-house games. However, these in-house games lack transparency and accountability, increasing the chance and likelihood of being rigged in favor of the social casino.
