Chumba Casino Review | Assessment of Chumba’s Legit Sweepstakes Games

Other real player views & evaluations

If you’ve already had some experience reading reviews of Chumba Casino, you’ll already know that there is a mixture of positive and negative appraisals.

We’ll analyze some of those here with comments on what might be behind them. In the main, these reviewers are real players who have spent time on the platform playing the games, but we should also recognize the possibility that some may be fake.

We’ll start with Trustpilot:

Trustpilot critical analysis from Chumba Casino reviewers

From the Trustpilot reviews and rating summary of Chumba Casino, we can see that it has over 3000 individual reviews, so we have a good representation to work with. Of these 3000-plus reviews, 65% are excellent, and 20% are bad. The rest are spread somewhere in between.

Now, on the face of it, this looks like a good number of positive reported experiences. And it is. Many businesses listed on Trustpilot attract far more negative appraisals than Chumba does.

The good news is that many positive comments appear to be legitimate postings. So really, we can jump over them and analyze some of the negative feedback.

When looking at negative views of a product or service on the internet, it’s always worth remembering that it’s often human nature to complain rather than heap praise. Indeed, this propensity towards denigrating a service makes that number of positive comments all the more remarkable.

If we analyze the first negative review, we’ll see a common thread that runs through many casino or gambling site reviews. That first negative is from Trustpilot user MR, who says:

“Hello, Chumba Casino is a scam. They don’t pay you after you send in your verification. They make excuses for you to send in more documents just so they don’t pay you the real money that you won playing online games, slot machines, or casino table games. They said they didn’t have to pay real money when I spoke to them. That’s exactly what they did to me. They keep giving me excuse after excuse. So, for right now, I haven’t received anything, and I give them a one-star rating.”

Now, we don’t know what was happening here. But often, when you see complaints about a verification not working, it’s often because the player hasn’t followed the process correctly. This is almost confirmed with the comment that further documents were requested.

And they’re right; if a player hasn’t been verified, various rules and regulations prevent a cash out until they are correctly verified.

Running through other bad reviews, we see another couple of common problems:

Issues with a bonus award  – players often encounter these types of problems in online casinos because they haven’t fully understood the rules attached to the bonus award.

Unable to win anything – a player that complains of being unable to win anything often does not understand how casino games work. The odds or the house edge are always in favor of the casino.

Some players will win, but on average many won’t, or at a minimum, they’ll lose more times than they win through sheer bad luck.

The bottom line is that you can never be quite sure about Trustpilot reviews, and you need to think deeply about what you’re reading before deciding based on it.

Reddit users’ critical assessment of Chumba Casino

You can generally assume that members of Reddit are often highly credible reviewers of any product or service.

Chumba Casino is mentioned in an exceptionally high number of Reddit threads across various subreddits.

In fact, Chumba has its own subreddit, which contains many examples of feedback from real players.

If you study the posts deeply enough, you’ll see similar types of comments to those on Trustpilot, but generally, there are even more positives that counteract the negatives. Probably the best way to get a handle on Reddit users’ criticism and experiences is to make your own judgment on Chumba based on Reddit user comments in something like this thread on the gambling subreddit.

Other Chumba Casino reviews

We’ll be replicating some of the feedback we’ve already seen if we go into detail on other review sites, but for completeness, here are others you can read:

• Reviews at BBB Business Listings
• PissedConsumer reviews
• TrustIndex Chumba user ratings and reviews 
• Complaintsboard

Chumba Casino payout reviews

It’s worth breaking out and looking at payout reviews separately since the subject of Chumba payouts is one that constantly throws up a lot of questions, complaints, and misunderstandings.

You’ll find plenty of comments on payouts in the player experiences noted above, but an ideal place to go for payment-related views and discussions is Reddit.

Reported complaints

Complaints are often incorporated into the online reviews left by players, but it’s always worth seeking whether there are any apparent complaints published elsewhere.

For a social casino operator that’s been running for a few years, there are surprisingly few complaints listed online. I’ve found one Facebook page with about 20 likes and a couple of comments on casino forums that do not paint Chumba in a good light.

The well-known Askgamblers site has a record of a handful of complaints and their resolution details.

You have to note, though, that these are meagre numbers compared to the numbers of people that use the site. If anything is a scam or a service that’s just plain poor, you’ll typically be able to find many complaints about it quickly.

So the fact that there are so few nasty comments suggests there are many happy users.

I haven’t spoken to any disgruntled users, but I would guess that some of those have either misused the site or were expecting too much. It’s probably best to view Chumba Casino as what it is – a straightforward way of enjoying social casino games, with the option of taking part in contests for pretty low amounts of money prizes and the rare chance of a more significant amount.

If you’re worried about being scammed, don’t take my word for it. It’s easy to run a ‘chumba complaints’ search and run through the results.

Be sure to let me know if you find anything concrete, and I’ll happily publish it here for others to take note of.

Chumba’s social presence

Chumba Casino maintains an extensive social media presence across several platforms, most notably Facebook. With over 725,000 Facebook likes and multiple posts daily, Chumba has cultivated an engaged community.

Posts highlight signup bonuses, jackpot alerts, and daily promotional offers. Actively responding to user comments fosters interactivity.

Chumba’s Instagram also connects with 27,000+ followers through consistent posting of relevant content.

While smaller than Facebook and Instagram, Chumba’s Twitter uniquely provides a more conversational tone. The 6,000+ Twitter followers enjoy direct interaction with Chumba’s team.

By coordinating complementary content across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Chumba Casino delivers a multifaceted social media experience.

Players can choose their preferred platform to connect, stay updated on offers, and interact directly with the brand and community.

Chumba’s expansive and strategic social media presence minimizes geographic barriers, allowing engagement with its casino platform through integrated digital channels.

Games library

The Chumba Casino library holds a variety of games that totals over 90 different options, including 3D slot machines, jackpot slots, blackjack, baccarat, American or European Roulette, keno, Jacks or Better video poker, and many more.

It’s not the extensive selection of games you’d find in a real money online casino with hundreds of options, but it’s reasonably comprehensive.

VGW created the majority of games themselves, but there is a limited number provided by software developers such as 2BY2 Gaming and Pear Fiction Studios.

The main benefit of in-house development is that many games are originals and unique to the platform. That’s great news if you’ve played in casinos regularly and are looking for something new. They are not only unique but perfectly engineered to give the best quality gaming experience.

You can play all of the games with a choice of Gold Coin or Sweeps Coins that you’ve bought or were given as a bonus.

Blackjack

Probably the most well-known casino game is blackjack. The objective of this card game is to beat the dealer by holding the closest hand to 21. Land a 21 on your first two dealt cards, and you have Blackjack, but many other combinations and sequences of follow-up cards will help earn the prize.

With Chumba blackjack, you can test strategies, switch to Sweep Coins, and try to beat the dealer.

Video slots with progressive jackpots

The list of video slot machines in the Chumba lobby is quite impressive. Many of them were developed in-house by Chumba’s teams, which ensures many of them can’t be found anywhere else.

This approach has paid off and resulted in a good selection of themed titles that are playable in varying layouts and with exciting bonus features. Some are even progressive games with jackpots.

It’s the progressive games that offer the chances for the biggest wins. Progressives are those where the jackpots build up over time until there is a pot winner.

More than 1 million Sweep Coins have been won by registered players in the FireShot Jackpot series of progressive slots.

As the name suggests, the series is a collection of different slot titles; Bombshell Jackpots, Stampede Fury, Reelin ’n’ Rockin’, and Triple Double Fever. Most are based on Betsoft, Quickfire, or Microgaming software, widely recognized as three of the leaders in the casino software field.

Betsoft in particular is a name you’ll want to watch out for, especially for their range of 3D video slots and table games and their highly recommended collection of HTML5 mobile games.

Video Poker

Online poker players can visit Chumba’s sister site GlobalPoker for true competitive poker gaming. But for many players, video poker games present a valid alternative.

The Chumba Casino video poker lineup is limited, with only Jacks or Better making an appearance. You can play with either Gold Coin or Sweep Coins. As with all other games, you can switch between fun play and sweepstakes at the press of a button.

Sadly, the Chumba Jacks or Better has some failings you don’t see in other versions. Inspecting the paytable will show that payouts are reduced from those you’ll typically see. For example, getting a full house will only win you seven times your stake, while a flush only pays five times. In real money casinos, these payouts are customarily set at 9x and 6x.

Expert video poker players will avoid this game at Chumba, given the return-to-player drops from an expected 99.54% elsewhere to 96.15%.

Roulette

Roulette is a classic game in any online casino, and Chumba players can take advantage of two versions of the American derivative. American Roulette has zero and double-zero pockets, where the player cannot win. This appearance of two zero pockets increases the odds in favor of the house.

These two versions are identical except that there’s an added bet for one of them where – after each wheel spin – four dice are rolled, and if they all show the same die face, the win for the player is doubled.

Bingo

One of the newest additions to the games portfolio is a version of bingo known as Flambingo. It’s the Chumba version of the standard 75-ball online bingo game that’s played at a fast pace using a numbered 5×5 grid.

You’ll enter a room with other Flamingo players and can get up to 10 cards for each game. You choose whether to mark off the numbers yourself before the game or have it done automatically.

With lots of luck, you can enjoy plenty of good wins playing Flambingo.

Complete rules can be found at Flambingo.co.

Countries allowed + player restrictions

The Chumba Sweepstake/Prize Promotion is open to legal residents of the US and Canada aged 18 and over, except for those that reside in Washington, Idaho, or Quebec. So, players from USA states, including Colorado, New Jersey, and Michigan, right through to Pennsylvania or California and its Los Angeles residents are welcome. Pretty much every U.S. state.

Players from other countries can register, but not for SweepsCash or sweepstakes coins, and they won’t be able to play for cash prizes.

Website design and usability

It’ll be no surprise that a social casino gaming site that’s been running for nearly ten years is well-versed in delivering a neatly designed website and apps with easy-to-use interfaces.

Chumba has learned from its many years in existence that users need interfaces that offer usability and functionality that will meet the needs of the majority of players and deliver a superior user experience. 

User experience

Via the website, accessing the games is easy, with a simple interface that helps players navigate suitably positively.

When logged in, the main site links are displayed in a menu across the top of the page: Home, Game Lobby, Casino Strategy, About Us, Contact.

Your account balance is also clearly displayed, plus quick options to either buy additional Gold Coin amounts or place a request to redeem any coins you’ve won or collected in your account.

Other menu headings cover all the different types of games. You click on the game icon and wait for it to load. A list of all recently played games will be shown along with a “Top Games” selection and several other game categories.

Website performance testing

The performance of Chumba Casino regarding gaming, buying a Gold Coin, and using Sweeps Coins for sweepstakes entries or redemption is as you would expect, given this is their core proposition to players. But the overall playing experience can heavily rely on the technical-level performance of the website.

You can use your own eyes to gauge any website’s technical capabilities, but various tools can help identify any potential problems that may arise.

We employed a few of these speed-testing tools in some testing of the Chumba site:

The Playchumba/Chumbacasino.com desktop home page doesn’t get perfect loading speed and responsiveness scores, but they’re not bad compared to many other websites. Poor page loading speed scores don’t necessarily translate to poor user experience.

Tests with GTmetrix returned results indicating a grade A when tested from a server in Vancouver, Canada. That’s a great score and way better than many similar sites.

Similar tests on the ChumbaCasino.com home page run with Google Page Speed Insights resulted in a mobile page load score of 58, which conflicts with the GTMetrix result to some extent. A page score of 58 is in no way bad, though, and some variables could affect different tests.

Overall, either of these tests shows evidence that most users would experience trouble-free loading and gaming.

When accessing Chumba multiple times using a smartphone in the UK on a good quality broadband connection, pages on the site were seen to load speedily and without any apparent errors.

Anyone using a significantly aged mobile device might notice some slow rendering times, but it would be unlikely to interrupt the overall experience.

Unsurprisingly, given these perfectly adequate page-loading experiences, the transition speeds between different pages on the site and the levels of presentation and readability were all tested satisfactorily. We didn’t encounter any noticeable technical issues on any tests. 

Chumba Casino website safety & security

Chumba uses the most common online security-related technologies to protect its operation and players. These security measures include using 128-bit SSL encryption to ensure that all data exchanges are managed privately.

You’ll find a robust and easily accessible privacy policy on the site that specifies how the personal details of any account-holders are kept securely.

An excellent tool to test for safe browsing and connectivity on websites is the Google Safe Browsing site status tool. On a safe browsing test that was run against Chumba, it showed no signs of any unsafe content, and an additional test at ssltrust.com confirmed the protected status.

Other security protection features employed by Chumba include using two-factor authentication, captchas, and PINs. 

Platform software

The software used in running a social casino with all the myriad facets of how all the elements work is complex. Different software can run the games, the payment processing, and the user data management.

Much of this is outside the scope of a formal review, even an in-depth one. What’s important, though, is to know which software runs the games.

In the late summer of 2020, Chumba announced a partnership with the leading B2B marketing platform provider BlueRibbon Software. This partnership allowed the implementation of software solutions designed by BlueRibbons to bring Chumba up to a gaming standard where it could compete with other cutting-edge software used by alternative gambling companies.

Creating a Chumba Casino players account

If you want to get started, just visit the Chumba Casino home page and register. Signing up is uncomplicated and easy, takes less than a minute, and commits you to nothing. It’s all done in a few simple steps.

1. Go to Chumbacasino.com and select login at top right.
2. You’ll be taken to an account creation screen as seen in the image below.
3. Decide whether you want to use Facebook or an email address to register.
4. Enter your Facebook login or name and email.
5. Accept a couple of conditions (confirming you’re over 18 and in a region which is eligible to receive prizes) and you’re in and ready to start.

Logging in to your Chumba account

Now you’ve registered an account, you don’t actually need to login to see the games on the platform and the different bets you can place.

But if you want to play a game or make any form of wager, you’ll need to be logged in and have some account funds or coins.

Logging in to Chumba is easy:

1. Navigate to Chumbacasino.com.
2. Click on the login button at the top right of the screen.
3. Enter your Facebook login or email if you chose to register with an email address.
4. A login box will pop up showing fields to enter your username and password. Hit enter after completing those fields.

You’ll see how simple it is in the login page screenshot below:

Account verification

One of the main reasons for many of the payment issues reported in various player reviews seems to be around improper or invalid registration and verification. So, it’s highly advisable you verify your ChumbaCasino account correctly.

There are extensive sections in the Chumba About Us and terms and conditions pages that cover the process in depth and you should read them and follow them as described.

For convenience here’s a general summary mainly reproduced directly from the site. Please note this is not intended to represent any legal advice but is purely a reproduction. Again, please ensure you follow the instructions on the Chumba site itself.

Collection of information relating to identity

Chumba Casino needs to be able to positively identify customers. The first step in this process is collecting certain personal identity information that confirms proof of address (such as your name, date of birth and residential address) from you before you make a Gold Coin purchase.

Verification of identity

After collecting the information, Chumba Casino may separately be required to verify that the information collected is correct in order to comply with applicable legal obligations. You will be notified in your online account once Chumba are required to verify your identity.

If you fail to submit the required documentation within the time period indicated to you in such notification, you will not be able to play or redeem any coins for cash prizes until your identity has been verified.

Verification of account ownership

Prior to being able to redeem any coins for prizes, Chumba Casino needs to ensure that the account into which any prize will be paid is in your name. They are unable to pay any prizes into accounts that are not in your name.

Verification of your identity (including your name, date of birth and residential address) may be achieved by submitting any of the following documents which will normally need to be government-issued:

• driver’s licence
• passport
• identity card

The document submitted must still be current and valid. In order to cross-check that the identity document submitted is valid, you may be requested to upload a photo or selfie image of yourself via the dedicated portal.

If your identity document does not display your residential address, you may also need to submit one of the following documents as proof of your residential address:

• bank statement
• utility bill
• letter from a government authority

This document must show your name, residential address and date of issue that is within the last 6 months.

Verification of ownership

In order to demonstrate that you own the bank account into which you would like any redemption of Sweeps to be paid, Chumba will require a copy of a bank statement (dated within the last 6 months) relating to that account in your name.

If you have a joint account (that is, one in the name of two or more people), all holders will need to satisfy the identity verification process outlined above, meaning all holders will need to have their name, date of birth and residential address verified.

Timescales for verifying documents

Once the required documents have been received in their correct form, they will be verified as soon as possible. The timescales depend on whether you have sent the correct form of identification or ownership.

If everything is correct, it normally takes about 5 days to complete the verification process. Once you’re verified, it normally takes about 10 days for your prize to be processed and reach your account.

Additional verification

As per the Chumba Casino Terms and Conditions, they reserve the right to request any additional documents and/or information that are deemed necessary in order to comply with legal obligations, including verifying your identity, the ownership of your account, your source of wealth or your source of funds.

Chumba Casino taxes

You’ll need to pay tax on any winnings over a certain amount if you’re a US resident.

So, if you do well in the Chumba games, then it’s likely that some tax will be due. Taxation on winnings is a complicated subject, and how it applies to Chumba winnings is perfectly described here.

For Canadians, the situation is a little unclear. The Canadian Government tax rules imply no tax would be due on sweepstakes winnings, but it’s fair to say you should probably take some legal advice to be sure.

When you buy Gold Coins, there is no taxation applied to the purchase price.

Bonuses & promotional offers

All casinos offer bonus promotions to attract new players. In most online casinos where you risk losing real cash, these often appear as sign-up bonuses where you’ll deposit an amount and be given the same or a considerable percentage added on for ‘free’.

Of course, it costs you money. You’ll have to deposit cash to realize the bonus and repeatedly play through it to withdraw.

Chumba offers a two-part registration bonus for new players. But, as we explained earlier in our analysis, there is a wagering requirement.

The primary promotion on offer is for free coins. You’ll automatically see $2 worth of Sweeps Coins in your account on registration, along with 2 million Gold Coins. But if you hit the ‘buy now’ button at the top of the welcome page, a popup will appear, giving you the chance to buy varying amounts of Gold Coins.

At this time, and as a new player, you can take advantage of a promotional offer that gives you a $30 Gold Coin purchase for the reduced price of $10. That gets you 3,000,000 Gold Coins plus an additional 30 Sweeps Coins.

Obtaining the best Chumba Casino bonus codes

Throughout our investigation, we found no evidence of any requirement to enter a bonus code to avail yourself of the Chumba welcome offer or any other promotions. But that’s not to say that there may be some instances in future where a bonus code will get you more benefits.

You might be able to receive enhanced bonuses with promo codes or by signing up through a link like the one on this page. Signing up through that specific link will get you 2 million Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps. So, it’s no different than the standard offer, but some gambling-based review sites occasionally list unique casino bonus codes, which give more value than that standard bonus award.

Other promotions besides the Chumba no deposit welcome bonus

Aside from that welcome offer, there are other promotions throughout the year. You’ll find these at times of special events such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.

Sweeps Coin prizes are regularly given away on the official Facebook page. Plus, of course, there are the kinds of promotions that many firms use where they give away stuff just for sharing or liking.

In addition, regular contests offer trivia questions about the games, which will also give you free coins if answered correctly. Usually, Chumba will select ten winners randomly from all participants with the correct answers, and they may be awarded a prize of five free Sweeps Coins without making any purchase.

There will undoubtedly be other offers throughout 2022, and we may even see the return of the biggest promotion so far – the $1 for $60 promotion. This promo no longer exists but was wildly popular when it ran.

Wagering requirements

All casinos have a playthrough rule designed to prevent players from accepting a bonus and cashing out straight away for a profit. For Chumba players, it’s pretty straightforward and shouldn’t cause too many concerns:

Any Sweepstakes or prize promotion cash must be played a minimum of 20 times in any combination of sweepstakes/prize promotion games to be eligible to receive a prize. Any Sweeps Coins allocated to a participant must be played once before they are eligible to be redeemed for prizes.

Chumba vs Competitors: Competitor analysis and how alternative gaming sites compare

For free chances of real cash prizes, too, there are not many sites running the same way as Chumba, certainly not operating with the same model. Their sister site Global Poker is an excellent place to play if poker is your game, and you’d be happy playing games with the same sweepstakes model.

Other operators that run similar sweepstakes-based social casinos include Luckyland Slots, Funzpoints Casino, High5Casino, and Pulsz Casino.

There are plenty of other ways to play for money that involve some risk to your own money, though, with many of them listed here on realmoney.games.

For casino games specifically – although not available for US residents except for specific states – you could try out the range at the Bet365 casino. Details of this casino are covered in an extensive appraisal of the Bet365 gambling and betting website and app in a recently completed review.

It’s tempting to see how Chumba stacks up in a direct comparison exercise with Bet365 that considers the differences across some of the usual key performance indicators. These indicators often come into play in any form of cash gaming. 

Chumba Casino vs Bet365 – Comparison

Trust – A rating of trust value can often be applied to three main factors – the operator’s reputation with players as seen in player-generated reviews, their licensing status in the online gambling industry, and how long they’ve been operating.

Both Chumba and Bet365 hold licenses issued by the Malta Gaming Authority, a body intrinsically linked with sites that operate with a high level of trust. But with Bet365 working on a broader range of jurisdictions, it also holds other licences.

Overall, the trust level related to licensing is more substantial with Bet365.

By analyzing genuine player reviews, we see very little between the two. Both suffer from complaints about payouts which, as we know, are regularly due to player errors.

365 has been operating with a proven presence since the early 2000s, much longer than Chumba.

Game Variety –  We know that the game variety at Chumba is limited but still broad enough to satisfy most casual casino gamers. When you’re playing for real money and with real cash as your stake, you need a wider game choice, and Bet365 delivers that choice a little bit better than Chumba does.

Our competitors both provide a suitably wide range of casino games that include such classics as video slot machines, roulette, blackjack, and video poker. But in the 365 lobby, you’ll also get access to games played against live dealers and other slightly less popular casino games like keno, baccarat, and many table games.

Bonuses & Promotions –  The performance indicator surrounding promotions and bonuses is one where you will notice significant differences, predominately because of the real money gambling nature of Bet365.

Clearly, at 365, the offers to players are designed to increase deposits and the likely losses that go alongside them. Whereas at Chumba Casino, the promotions and bonuses are designed to keep players playing the games and buy Gold Coins to increase their playing time.

The reality is that both operators deliver good value bonuses to account holders; it’s just that the result is different, although players will get more gaming time.

If we had to name which one is best, it would have to be the real money operator. But remember, you’ll likely lose or spend less with Chumba.

Payout Speed – You won’t have to look too deeply to find a fair number of Chumba player complaints about the speed of payouts, something you’re unlikely to witness when playing with a ‘real’ online casino.

Neither operator currently offers cryptocurrency-based withdrawals, which are the fastest you’ll encounter.

So, withdrawal timescales for both parties will be broadly similar depending on the chosen banking method, with Bet365 almost certainly edging it in most instances.

Deposit & Withdrawal Options – Our two competing casinos offer a substantial range of deposit and withdrawal options. With Bet365, given the genuinely international nature of the operation, you will find many deposit and withdrawal options in currencies other than USD and CAD.

As we noted before, neither handles crypto. This is an area where one could gain an edge over the other if they managed to introduce this increasingly popular banking option.

Speed, Software & User Experience – There are no fundamental differences here. It’lI be unusual nowadays to find any site that offers any form of gaming lacking in the area of usability.

The websites and apps of 365 and Chumba are designed to meet high expectations from players in how they can interact with the interfaces and play the games. Both will offer trouble-free gaming and all that goes with it.

Playing Chumba’s games on mobile devices

Like most websites, the Chumba website is fully responsive when accessed on any screen via any of the common mobile browsers, including iPhones, iPads, and any phone using the Android operating system. Hence, you should be able to quickly navigate to all of the gaming options via a smartphone or tablet-based mobile web browser.

The software automatically recognizes what type of device you’re using and displays the correctly sized browser-based view.

In addition, there are mobile apps that you can access either via a Facebook account or the Play Store. The Google Play Store version is Chumba Lite – Fun & Free Slots Casino app.

Players can try to win big jackpots using this app after gaining a great start with a one million gold coin bonus just for downloading and registering.

In addition, Chumba gives free rewards for reaching levels, playing regularly, a top leaderboard finish in a contest, or when you complete other achievements.

Chumba game cheats and hacks

Whenever there’s money at stake, there will be many of us looking for cheats or hacks that will help us build up reserves quicker. You won’t find games of skill for real money at Chumba, and these often have hidden cheats that can give you added success.

So, there are no cheats that you can use while playing the games to win more virtual coins. The games at Chumba are carefully designed to operate as closely as possible to the games found in any online casino.

Casino game software developers take great care to ensure their clients are protected from anyone trying to manipulate outcomes to make a profit.

And if there were any ways to cheat in those games, the casinos would soon be out of business.

In addition, technical protections are in place, such as firewalls that prevent unauthorised access to software, and regular audits by external companies are in place to test for any vulnerabilities or breaches.

Effectively these levels of protection mean that it’s impossible to cheat or hack the Chumba Casino games.

There are ways we’ve already talked about that could be classified as cheats, but they’re not really cheating and are better classified as strategies:

1. Use the bonus – Take advantage of the welcome bonus and any other promotions that give additional or free coins.
2. Watch out for any evidence of RTP figures – These figures are displayed as percentages and statistically represent the amount returned to a player over time. RTPs for casino games vary, but one way you can aim to take advantage is on video slots, where the expected standard is around 96%. Any RTP you see when playing Chumba slots of over 96% is worth a second look.
3. Understand the house edge applicable to different casino games – Some casino games are more favorable to the house than others, known as the house edge. It’s similar to the RTP in slots and is also represented as a percentage figure. House edge is a broad subject and best covered in depth in a different article, but, for example, standard blackjack games have a house edge of around 0.5%. In comparison, something like roulette stands at about 2.7% upwards, depending on the variant played. It’s easy to see that playing blackjack gives you better chances of winning.
4. Use the best game strategies – You can play casino games like blackjack and other card games with a strategic approach. This means you can make optimal and suboptimal decisions while playing any hands. Play with the correct strategy, and you’ll at least improve your winning possibilities.

Aside from these, you improve your chances by following the inherent Chumba operating model – use every method at your disposal to build up a stash of Gold and SweepsCoins.

There’s no way around it, though. At the end of the day, you’ll trust luck to build up your bankroll or take advantage of the many promotions and bonuses on offer.

Awards

Chumba awards players all the time, generally for performing well in contests and competitions. But has it won any industry awards?

We couldn’t find any evidence of any awards through searches online. You’d have to say this is not surprising given the non-gambling nature of the operation – most awards in the gambling industry are going to involve real money gaming operators, and Chumba is not competing with those on a level footing. Equally, it would be hard to see any award for the games since the level of competition there would be too harsh.

In this case, we will have to generate our own awards. To do that, we’ll need to know precisely how the Chumba Casino games work, and the first step will be to sign up for an account.

Customer Support – Customer Service

Chumba clearly recognizes the importance of solid Customer Support, with any queries received expected to be responded to on the same day. You’ll not be short of ways to get assistance.

You can submit support enquiries or complaints by sending a message to the customer support team via the Facebook page or by submitting a request via Zendesk by navigating to: https://chumbacasino.zendesk.com/home.

Other methods of obtaining support include:

• Live Chat: Only appears to be accessible when attempting to make a Gold Coins purchase
• Phone: +356 99088901
• Email: support@chumbacasino.com

Aside from Facebook, other social media avenues you could try if the normal support channels don’t work are:

• Chumba’s Instagram account
• Chumba Casino’s Twitter feed

Generally, the support on offer looks trustworthy and prompt enough. I’ve been unable to find any reports of Customer Service issues online or widespread general complaints about how Chumba Casino works.

Responsible Gambling

Given Chumba’s sweepstakes-based operating model, you’d think the usual attention gambling sites place on responsible gambling is unnecessary. After all, you’re not actually gambling with real cash when you sign up with Chumba and play the games.

In fact, there really is a need for Chumba to take a responsible approach. Not so much from the perspective of problem gambling on Chumba itself, but more because the nature of free gaming can make it more accessible to those that may not normally get involved. The risk is that the thrill and enjoyment of playing the casino games with no risk of losing a real bankroll could encourage a player to try out real money gaming.

So, what is Chumba doing about that possibility?

Well, they are doing many things that real money gambling operators do, including allowing you to set playing time limits, specify account limits on buying Gold Coins, and even self-exclude or permanently close your account. The full range of responsible gaming actions is published on the ChumbaCasino.com website.

Chumba Casino evolution

The ChumbaCasino.com site displays a copyright notice that implies it’s been operating since 2002, although we’re unaware of actual operations before around 2013. Still, that’s a long enough history to assume that Chumba will have passed through several evolutionary stages.

It’s safe for us to work on the assumption that there will have been multiple cosmetic changes to the design and layout of the site. Indeed, this can be seen when comparing older screenshots of the website home page with those displaying how it appears today.

Chumba has improved its games over the years to enhance the player experience, in particular by developing new slots titles with unique features.

Aside from that, bonuses and promotions have mainly remained consistent, and the sweepstakes operating model with its Gold Coins and Sweeps coins look to be firmly embedded. Indeed, players at Chumba have been enjoying the chance of winning real cash in the sweepstakes since the operation commenced.

In the areas of trust and reliability, the award of the Malta Gaming license will have resulted in significant benefits to Chumba’s overall standing.

Future Developments

Chumba falls between the cracks of two distinct but interrelated industries – the gambling and gaming industries. Both are well known for innovation, without which any operator will likely find it hard to remain competitive.

In the case of Chumba, they’re in a unique position. Most casino games are tried and trusted favorites and the free gaming model on which Chumba bases its approach means they have somewhat of a captive audience.

Given this enviable position, it may not be so crucial that Chumba goes all out in search of innovative approaches other than by ensuring the games are kept fresh and exciting wherever possible.

So, at least for the foreseeable future, we can expect Chumba to remain in its current state.

Further into the future, it’s possible that some form of Metaverse or virtual reality gaming could be introduced. Both these concepts and technologies would merge well with the act of social gaming.

Another area that would improve the Chumba experience would be the introduction of live dealer casino games. That introduction seems unlikely, but as interest with gamers in playing against live dealers grows, it’s possible that Chumba could be forced into taking an interest.

Lastly, we have the subject of cryptocurrencies. Crypto coins can face turbulent periods but seem to be growing in popularity with depositors. It may not be too long before Bitcoin, and other cryptos appear in the list of banking methods.

All of these can be considered enhancements. Chumba doesn’t need to improvise and improve at this point. The sweepstakes-style gaming is a mature product and is currently used by many satisfied players.

As we’ve seen during the rest of the review and no doubt will be able to confirm in the following summary, there’s much to like about playing the Chumba games already.

Another aspect that might result in some changes concerns the recent positive legislative changes around online gambling in the U.S.

Concerning this, the chance of anything changing in Chumba’s legal status is low. Sweepstakes are already legal in the US, and any steps to change would have to be implemented state-by-state. Those changes would take considerable time and face many legislative challenges.

Video guides

There are many Chumba videos published on Youtube and other video-sharing sites.

But for the most valuable visual resources on Chumba Casino, our recommendation is to watch out for anything created by Brian Christopher. Brian is a well-known, influencer-level slots streamer on Youtube. 

Resources

Anyone interested in facts and figures about any company that’s active on social media can visit the Emolifi.io website and pull reports that demonstrate the performance levels. It’ll cost money to run reports but the results are definitely interesting.

Other useful resources for Chumba include its Twitter Chumba Casino page. The Twitter feed is useful for keeping up to date with promotions and giveaway contests as well as info on any new game developments.

Linkedin is always a valuable resource and there is a dedicated Chumba Casino Linkedin page.

The video-sharing app TikTok also has a number of TikTokers that have created Chumba video streams.

More related articles

Before we continue with our Chumba analysis we can learn plenty more from some related articles here on RealMoney.games…

Conclusion | Summary

We’ve reached the concluding part of our Chumba Casino review. Thanks for reading, and hopefully, you know a lot more about the Chumba sweepstakes, Sweeps Coins, and Gold Coins gaming proposition.

The burning question you might have is ‘ Should I sign up and play at Chumba?’.

The answer is that if you are keen to play free high-quality casino games like slots, video poker, blackjack, and other casino table games at a social casino with a chance of winning some cash, you won’t go far wrong with Chumba as your choice.

You won’t get the same experience you would at a real money online casino, but as a rating, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 because of the free gaming aspects, the sweepstakes model, and the legal accessibility for US and Canadian players in most regions.

The only real downsides are you probably won’t be winning vast sums of money and, if you’re not careful, it can cost money to play and build up your coins.

Make sure you play for fun, and there are very few alternatives that can compete.

The conclusion is that Chumba does have plenty to offer, although maybe not from the aspect of real money gaming.

Our analysis of the key performance indicators and testing of website performance showed that the critical aspects of the overall gaming experience were at the higher end of any ratings you might apply. But, at the same time, it threw up some questions about the sweepstakes, Sweeps Coins, and Gold Coins model.

If you review those aspects at a high level, there don’t appear to be too many problems. As long as you understand the mechanisms involved and that you could spend cash you weren’t initially prepared to spend, you can go ahead without too many fears and just play the casino games for free or spend wisely and for prizes keep within a sensible budget.

Remember that if you purchase Gold Coins for the first time at Chumba Casino, you are effectively spending money and may get no financial return. However, if you consider this an investment in your entertainment (and don’t spend more than you can safely afford), that is probably the best way to view the transaction.

One risk to consider is that the sweepstakes model might attract some unwarranted attention at some point from U.S regulatory authorities and one or more of the payment processing parties. If that should happen, there may be some difficult questions to answer for the Chumba management team.

Finally, if you intend to sign up and play some games, then be aware of the other risks.

There’s not only a risk that you could lose money, but given the nature of the games, there could also be a possibility of getting pulled into real money gambling and developing a gambling problem.

If you ever have any concerns about the potential for gambling to become a problem in your life, check out our responsible gambling page, or visit begambleaware.org.

About the Author

Steve has been gambling for over 45 years and, during that time, has built a significant repository of knowledge about all forms of online betting and real money gaming. He is the content author on RealMoney.games and has been writing content on the site since its start in 2017.

Steve’s favourite form of betting is horse racing – hence his in-depth knowledge of the bet365 betting and gaming platform – although he is partial to playing casino table games and slots for entertainment purposes. Sadly, attempts at playing online poker have never yielded suitable levels of success.

Steve is also known by the nickname or username “chaumi” on popular online gambling and webmaster forums such as Gambling Portal Webmasters Association (GPWA), Affiliate Guard Dog (AGD), and TalkingHorses.co.uk.