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Chumba Casino - Social Casino Scam or Legit? Full Review

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Chumba presents itself as an online social casino where players can play games for free without wagering money and win real money prizes. It's one of several online operators of casino games collectively known as sweepstakes casinos. This sweepstakes designation means you can play Chumba Casino games for cash prizes with Sweeps coins that you either earn by playing the games or gain as free rewards. You can also buy gold coins or get some as a bonus to increase your jackpot-winning chances.

This Chumba Casino review will show that it has been running for many years as an online website and app and on social media platforms like Facebook. The platform boasts over 1 million players. Both are normally good signs in any online casino, right?

But is the sweepstakes model one to be trusted? And if you win money, will you be able to get it out of your account and into your bank?

Throughout this in-depth review, we'll explore how the sweeps coins and gold coins currency models work, whether you really can win real cash prizes, the types of gambling games you can play, from video slots or video poker to table games like blackjack and roulette, if you can expect good quality social gaming from the software, and generally answer any type of FAQ you may have about the platform.

We'll also see how our own team and other real player reviewers believe the platform performs, taking into account a broad range of performance indicators that will make up the key decision-making factors in whether to sign up for an account and play.

Chumba Casino Review

Real Player Personal Opinions Of Chumba Casino

If you’re new to Chumba and want a quick hit view of the good and bad points, here are the brags and beats experienced by a real player. They’re followed by a performance breakdown in the areas that will matter most to any players of Chumba games.

We'll examine the individual pros and cons of Chumba in more detail further on, but these are the most important positives and negatives we noticed while using the site and playing the games.

What we like About Chumba Casino

  • Players are accepted from United States and Canada.
  • Licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority.
  • Free and real wagering money games.
  • Welcome bonus given to new players for nothing.
  • Progressive jackpots on some game titles.
  • Allows e-wallet deposit options like Skrill alongside standard banking, such as debit cards, Visa, or MasterCard.
  • No identity document or card to prove your identification is needed to register an account, log in, and play games.
  • It's generally great fun playing the games.

What we don’t like about Chumba Casino

  • Questionable sweepstakes business model.
  • Fewer than 100 games.
  • No Live Chat.
  • No Paypal deposit option.
  • No practice play without account registration.
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What Other Real Casino Players Are Saying About Chumba

If you have been searching for player opinions about Chumba Casino, you have probably come across a good mixture of positive and negative reports. While the operation looks legit on its face, there are doubts on how they will continue to offer their services to U.S. players given the shaky legal rationalizations involved.

Here are some opinions on Chumba Casino gathered from around the internet. These reviewers are real players who have clearly spent time on the platform playing the games:

Negative Comment About Chumba

You’ll notice here that these comments are mainly negative, although Chumba does attract positive comments too. It’s always worth remembering that you’re likely to see far more negative user reviews on any service or product than positive ones simply because it’s human nature to want to make a big point of telling everyone when something doesn’t work how you hoped for.

In the case of Chumba Casino, some poor reviews are actually caused by inappropriate expectations of users or misoperation on their part. It’s wise to take note of comments from both positive and negative reviewers to enable any player to make a truly accurate judgment, but it's also likely that the most accurate opinion on anything being reviewed will come from personal experience.

If you are considering playing, it will be highly advisable to take note of the terms and conditions of use clearly displayed on the site.

Chumba Casino Deposit Options

Key Performance Indicators

Here we'll look at the main performance indicators that matter most to players and their likely effects on you as a player and Customer.

Summary review of Chumba Casino key performance indicators, features & characteristics

Performance IndicatorOur View/RatingKey factors summary
Real player ratingsGood - 8/10Average 4 stars across thousands of ratings.
User experienceStrong - 9/10Easy to use app and website. Strong functionality and accessibility.
Complaint frequencyGood - 7/10Good balance between posted complaints and positive reviews.
Trust factorGood - 8/10Long operating history, valid licence, high player volumes.
Safety and securityExcellent - 9/10Protective data encryption software in use.
Legality and legitimacyGood - 8/10MGA licenced, legal sweepstakes model.
Payout speedAverage - 5/10Consistent complaints around timescales.
Win potentialGood - 7/10Validated reports of successful winning players.
LicensingGood - 8/10Current Malta Gaming Authority licence.
Fun factorExcellent -9/10Free virtual coin gaming, strong social experience, choice of games.
Free gamingExcellent - 9/10Based on a core free games model.
Game varietyBelow average - 5/10Inadequate variety except for video slots.
Software qualityExcellent - 9/10Proprietary, well-developed software.
Bonus offersBelow Average - 6/10Reasonable Gold Coin purchase packages.
PromotionsGood - 8/10Regular, easily accessible promotional awards.
Banking optionsGood - 8/10Versatile, suitably wide range.
Customer supportAverage - 6/10Regular reports of ineffective support.
Complaint responsesPoor - 4/10Available data shows poor response levels.
Social presenceExcellent - 10/10Significant volumes of Followers and Likes.
Country availabilityOK - 7/10Limited to USA and Canada.
VIP ProgramPoor - 0/10No current program.
Compare the key performance characteristics and features of the Chumba Casino operation in this quick-view table of user performance indicators.

Expanded performance factor explanations

  1. Real player ratings - Customers tend to award Chumba Casino anywhere from a 2.1 star to a 5 stars rating. This scoring equates to a rough average of 4 stars over thousands of posted reviews across several well-known review websites.
  2. User Experience - Chumba's easy-to-use site and app are powered by high-quality software delivering strong graphics, effortless usability, and user-focused design on all interfaces. Unique games and associated gameplay work with the simple site and app layout to provide strong functionality with expected levels of accessibility.
  3. Complaint Frequency - Given that raters posting on review websites tend to complain rather than congratulate on any form of service, it's good to note that review comments containing complaints about Chumba tend to number far less than those reporting good experiences.
  4. Trustworthiness - A lengthy operating history in tandem with the Malta Gaming Authority licence both serve as good trustworthiness indicators. Consistently high player volumes over a long time period further illustrate the trust levels.
  5. Safety and Security - The Chumba website and app are perfect for both real money and free play from a safety and security perspective. Data encryption software protects players' personal info and contributes effectively towards an overall high-score security rating.
  6. Legality and Legitimacy - The combination of Chumba's MGA license and legal sweepstakes model giving players ways to win real money prizes alongside totally free games signal legitimacy as a regulated online gambling site.
  7. Payout Speed - There are many examples of players successfully making withdrawals, but there have been consistent complaints about the length of time that payouts take to complete.
  8. Win Potential - Some players believe you can't win playing games at Chumba. However, there are multiple validated reports of winning players collecting cash rewards successfully, with several actually winning jackpot-sized payouts.
  9. Licensing - Chumba is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, well-known in online gambling licensing.
  10. Fun Factor - Players can enjoy an entertaining social gaming session without any financial risks. The free casino games contribute to an overall enjoyable experience, while betting with virtual coins increases the fun factor.
  11. Free Gaming - Chumba's operating model is based on allowing users to play entirely free if they choose. So, it's free to join, and equally, any player can play any game on the platform completely free.
  12. Game Variety - You won't find the variety of games in a real money online casino, but slots are well represented.
  13. Software Quality - The proprietary software used to develop unique, in-house games is one of chumba's standout features. Players can enjoy the creativity and craftsmanship invested into Chumba's own games rather than just the standard off-the-shelf content seen at most online casinos.
  14. Bonus Offers - The welcome Chumba Casino bonus equates to a no-deposit bonus. Loyal customers can receive bonus Gold Coin packages, granting extra value. A $10 purchase may include 1,000,000 Gold Coins plus 30 bonus Sweeps Coins.
  15. Other promotions - Players can enjoy various promotional rewards based on Gold Coin packages or free Coin deals. Several of these deals are posted on Facebook or Instagram. Another major reward opportunity comes through Chumba's selection of progressive jackpot slots. These jackpots incrementally grow over time, reaching totals exceeding 200,000 Sweeps Coins worth over $1,000 in some cases.
  16. Banking Options - Versatile banking options are available for players to flexibly purchase Gold Coins or securely and safely redeem Sweeps Coin winnings. Overall, the range of banking methods provides optimized banking convenience and accessibility.
  17. Customer Support - Players report mixed experiences with the customer support team. Some labels mentioned include 'unfriendly' and 'ineffective', but tests on the live support feature resulted in an effective and rapid problem resolution.
  18. Complaint responsiveness - Data on Trustpilot indicates that Chumba responds to around 28% of negative reviews. That's not a particularly good response rate and the timescales to respond seem equally poor, however there is no data available for how direct complaints made to the Chumba Support team have been handled.
  19. Social experience - Chumba Casino actively pursues an extensive social media presence across several platforms, most notably Facebook. The likes number over 725,000 and by making multiple posts daily, Chumba has grown an engaged community. The Instagram account connects with 27,000+ followers through consistent posting of relevant content, while Twitter/X followers number over 6000.
  20. Country Availability - Players from the USA and Canada are welcome, both for free and real money games. Excluded countries are numerous.
  21. VIP Program - Chumba Casino currently does not offer a formal loyalty or VIP program.

What's the best way to use Chumba Casino?

We're recreational casino players ourselves and have tested Chumba to determine how to get the most out of the sweepstakes model. For that testing to be valuable, we needed to understand the elements that make up the platform and how they operate:

We know that Chumba is not classified as a real money casino where you're gambling with funds, and there are essentially two ways to play the games:

  • You can play for fun with virtual gold coins.
  • You can play for real money prizes using the bonus currency known as ‘SweepsCash’ or Sweeps Coins.

Firstly, we found the best way to use Chumba was to play on the desktop website version of Chumbacasino.com, sometimes known as Playchumba. Playing on a desktop computer resulted in a good gaming experience, although the mobile app obtainable from app stores or the Facebook page was highly effective using both an iOS and an Android phone, too.

The concept of playing with virtual coins is perhaps a little alien at first, but it's something you get used to quickly. Playing with either type of virtual coin is easy, and it depends on your goal which one you want to be using. You'll use Sweeps Coins to enter the cash prize sweepstakes and Gold Coins to play the free games and try to build up a hefty Gold Coins bankroll.

As you progress through the gaming options, it's likely that at some point, you'll be looking to buy gold coin packages. The most expensive of these give the best deal since you'll get exponentially more of both types of coins in the higher-value package you buy.

There's definitely a limit to how much fun there is from just playing the free games, and it's unlikely to be too long before the sweeps contests beckon. We all want to win some extra cash where possible, right!

All in all, the model might sound slightly confusing. But it will all become clear pretty quickly. The games themselves are straightforward. Even if you’re not convinced, it’s all at no cost unless you decide to buy additional coins, and there’s not a lot to stop you from diving in, learning, and enjoying playing casino games with no risk.

If you hit any doubts about how to navigate the platform and use either of the two types of coins, almost everything you need to know about using Chumba Casino is published on the website help pages.

What Is Chumba Casino? - Detailed Review

Chumba Casino promotes itself as a social gaming hangout that uses, together with its sister site Global Poker, a novel way of letting people from all over the world, including the USA and Canada, play online casino games like slots, Blackjack, and Poker.

This method of operating is reason enough for first-time players to take a closer look at their Sweepstakes model. Specifically to find out how they use sweeps coin games and ascertain whether this is a legit online casino or a scheme to get unsuspecting players to part with their money without any chance of winning any real prizes.

A quick inspection tells us that, just like Global Poker, Chumba Casino is owned and operated by Virtual Gaming Worlds Limited, or VGW Holdings, duly licensed by none other than the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), which is a respected jurisdiction in iGaming. In fact, there is a VGW Malta office registered on the island.

Usually, casinos operating under the umbrella of the MGA are not allowed to accept US players, but because Chumba’s sweepstakes model does not make it a straight-up casino in the normal sense, it looks like the MGA has given the operator the nod. We will take a closer look at that later in the review as the casino has a small caveat in its terms that every player outside the US or Canada should take note of before signing up.

How To Register an Account

Signing up at Chumba Casino is done in seconds as they do not ask for full address or verification until you submit your first withdrawal. They accept players from the USA, except Washington and Idaho, and Canada, except Quebec.

Once you have registered an account, there is a very simple process to login.

The front page of the casino naturally shows happy winners alongside the news that they have over 1 million U.S. players enjoying their 60+ slots and table games with a total of $90 million in cash prizes redeemed.

Sweepstakes Model

If you have tried Global Poker, then you will have a good idea of how Chumba Casino’s business model works for US players. If not, make sure to read through our detailed Global Poker review to fully understand how the casino is working around the online gaming ban in the United States yet still offers what they claim is a legal product. Please note though that “legal” does not necessarily mean “recommended.”

The founders of VWG and probably a whole host of lawyers found not-insignificant loopholes in U.S. anti-gambling laws for sweepstakes contests, which explains why the casino promotes itself as a social gaming destination. Sweepstakes are legal in 50 U.S. states and are thus the core part of how Chumba Casino operates. It is in essence an online casino hiding in plain sight but counts legally (or so the company hopes) as a sweepstakes operation.

Starting to play in any other online casino normally works in a few simple steps – create and verify the account, deposit funds, play, and withdraw if you have been lucky. It is totally different at Chumba Casino.

After opening an account, you can purchase set amounts of Gold Coins starting as low as $1. These can be used to play the games in fun mode and even compete against fellow punters to win Gold Coin prizes as in a more traditional sweepstakes contest.

Gold Coins Packages Packages of Gold Coins + Sweeps Coins Available at Chumba

However, up to this moment, you are still not playing real money games. That is done using Sweeps Coins. You will get them as a free bonus on top of your Gold Coins when you deposit at least $5. An equal amount plus a small percentage on top will be credited to your Sweeps Coins balance, e.g., 20.50 in Sweeps Coins for a $20 deposit.

Once your transaction is completed, you can load a game and switch between Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins before every spin, hand, or round. Please note: Spending $1 or $10 won’t get you any Sweeps Coins, basically giving you fun money that you will never be able to convert back to cash.

WARNING: Players living outside the United States or Canada cannot change their Sweep Coins for real cash that can then be withdrawn. The casino is thus a normal social gaming site for those players, and they can simply enjoy the games for fun. Just remember that should you fall into this category and decide to deposit real money, you will never be able to withdraw any potential winnings.

Chumba Casino Warning Read This Notice Carefully If You Reside Outside the United States and Canada

Chumba Casino Website Design

The layout of the front page is quite simple, which makes the UI generally positive. At the top of the page, you can see your account balance and easily switch between Gold Coins and Sweeps. This is also where you can buy more Gold Coins or redeem your Sweeps Coins for cash prizes.

You will see a list of your recently played games along with “Top Games” and several other categories of titles. If you would instead like to browse by game type, you can do so by selecting one of the categories near the top of the page.

Chumba Casino Website Home Page Website of Chumba Casino

Games at Chumba Casino

Slots
Book of Kings
Wild Wild West 2120 Deluxe
Adventure Trail
Mariachi Magnifico
Big Bucks Bandits
The Last Empress
Better Wilds
Hypernova
Stallion Grand
Dancing Gold
Reelin n' Rockin
Stampede Fury
Quest_West
Wild Roads
Triple Double Fever
Lucky Emeralds
Kraken's Bounty
Golden Tides
Aztec Temple Treasures
Wild Krakatoa
Crusader's Gold
Amazonia
El Dorado
Lucky Show
Western Gold
Buster Hammer Carnival
Legend of 9 Suns
BombShell Jackpots
Rio Revelry
Vikings of the North
Cupid's Fortune
Golden Oz
The Sand Princess
The Great Heist
Diamond Panther
Long Zhi Bao Zang
Gustavo El Luchador
Celtic Goddess
The Big Goreela
Duskmoon Faire_p
Lightning Nudge
Outer Space Invaders
Squish
Monsoon Dragons
Reelberry Blast
Medusa's Golden Gaze
Viking Odyssey
Spell of Odin
Aztec Wealth
Gem Huntress
Triple Double Golden Eagles
Super Hot 7s
Fish & Chips Fortunes
Pug Royale
Hansel & Gretel's Fortune
Samureel
Kitty Glamour
Doctor Voltage
Agents Valkyrie
Safari Selfies
Chilli Mama's
Crazy Bunny Spin
The Alchemist's Treasure
Mayan Bounty
Hallows Wilds
Dragon's River
Triple Double Golden Stars
Super Dazzling 7s
Wild Gold
Alaskan Fortune
King of Gods
Classic Spins
Lucky Charms
Nefertiti's Gold
Fortunes of the Fae
Golden Wish
Monster Spins!
Garden Princess
Secret Island
The Frozen Queen
The Great Slotini
The Wild Jungle
Pearls of Fortune
Duskmoon Faire
Santa's Riches
Wolf Dreaming
Big Boss
Pharaoh's Return
Iron Reels
Cupid's Revenge
Blackbeard's Saga
Pax Romana
Wild Fruits Basket
Table Games
Blackjack
Blackjack
Back Blackjack
American Roulette
American Roulette x2
Jacks or Better

Chumba Casino offers a combined 90+ slots, Blackjack, roulette, and video poker games. The total amount of games in all sections is sub-par compared to other online casinos, which typically carry hundreds of gaming titles. The majority of Chumba’s games are proprietary VGW creations, but there are also a few from 2BY2 Gaming and Pear Fiction Studios.

Chumba Casino Games Lobby Chumba Casino Game Lobby

There is little information available about their in-house games other than the RNG (Random Number Generator) was certified by iTechLabs and Gaming Associates, respected entities for certification. However, the RNG is not exclusive to Chumba Casino or VGW and is used by other companies who need an RNG for their products. It is in no way a clear sign that the games are fair, only that the RNG is to a general standard.

Blackjack

We could find only three Blackjack titles in the entire casino lobby, of which two of them were developed by Golden Rock Studios and are identical but for the presence of an optional side bet in one of them. The other is a proprietary game developed by VGW themselves.

The two copy-cat versions of blackjack use a relatively normal rule set with a six-deck shoe, dealer standing on soft 17, splitting permitted only once, and double after split allowed. The house edge of these two games is 0.57%: about average for online Blackjack.

The other Blackjack title employs a fairly odd set of rules: six decks; dealer stands on S17; doubling allowed only on 9, 10, or 11; splitting allowed up to four hands; resplitting aces allowed; drawing to split aces allowed; dealer doesn't peek for blackjack. This version of the game has a house advantage of just 0.39% with the proper basic strategy, but this strategy is a bit obscure because of the rare combination of rules in effect.

Blackjack Table at Chumba Casino Chumba Casino Blackjack

Video Poker

Poker fans can play Jacks or Better with either Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins. Simply switch between hands whenever you like. Unfortunately, it is also the only video poker game available at Chumba Casino.

Even if we credit Chumba with dealing honest cards and following a fair distribution, the paytable listed contains several downgrades from normal Jacks or Better VP. For instance, a full house is worth only 7 times the bet, and a flush only pays 5x: quite a reduction from the 9x and 6x respectively for these hands awarded by full-pay Jacks or Better machines.

We've done the math to calculate that this game has an RTP of just 96.15%: much worse than the 99.54% returns possible with a full-pay game and basically in the same ballpark as your run-of-the-mill slots.

JoB Video Poker at Chumba Jacks or Better Video Poker

Roulette

There are two types of roulette present at Chumba. They are identical except that one of them rolls four dice after every win, and if they come up four of a kind, the win is doubled. This makes it slightly superior to the standard roulette even though the win will be doubled only about once every 216 spins.

Both of Chumba's roulette wheels are American in nature. That is, they have spots marked “0” and ”00.” This is worse than the European roulette wheels sometimes present at competing establishments, which have only a single zero.

Video Slots

Having played at online casinos for over two decades, we have never come across any of the proprietary slots from Chumba Casino. They do look well-designed though, showing that some effort has been made in creating them.

There is a good selection available with different layouts, bonus features, and even some offering progressive jackpots. Most genres are represented, from fruit machines through to adventure and mystery. Plus, the casino has added a few titles from 2BY2 Gaming, such as Medusa’s Golden Gaze, Pear Fiction Studios, with Gustavo El Luchador, and several other outside software houses.

Stampede Fury Slot Stampede Fury – Proprietary VGW Slot

While we couldn’t see anything inherently wrong or dodgy when trying the proprietary games, it always makes us suspicious when a studio does not display return to player (RTP) or other information. We tested a few slots, and they seem to run normally although that might have been just a simple coincidence.

Overall, we recommend playing with some caution should you ever want to give these slots a spin as there is no way whatsoever to find out if they run as advertised. Basically, play at your own peril.

Bonuses

There are none of the typical bonus offers at Chumba Casino that you would normally see at an internet casino since it is not your usual casino but an online platform that offers you the chance to play games for entertainment. The sweepstakes entry part is done by giving you Sweeps Coins which you can use for playing the slots and games in the casino.

Welcome Bonus/No Deposit Bonus

All new players will be welcomed with 2,000,000 Gold Coins and $2 in Sweeps Coins. No deposit is needed to receive both amounts, and you can instantly start playing any game with either. We'll explain more on the difference between the two casino currencies in a short while. U.S. and Canadian players can get more free Sweeps Coins by writing a letter to the registered address of Chumba Casino.

Promotions

Promotions are often limited to offers for Sweeps Coins. Via their Facebook page, Chumba regularly holds Sweeps Coins no-cost giveaway contests where a small number of winners are picked to receive Sweeps generally ranging from 10 to 50. Additionally, there are sometimes special pop-up deals extended to particular individuals, like the chance to get 10 in Sweeps for just $5.

Perhaps the most reliable way to get a steady trickle of free Sweeps and Gold Coins is by logging into your account every day. You will receive a small amount of both currencies every day that you do so.

How to get free Sweeps coins

Another option – one that is critical to Chumba's claims to be merely operating sweepstakes – is to send a post card or piece of white paper enclosed within a stamped #10 envelope handwritten to Chumba's US or Canada address to receive free Sweeps Coins. There is no limit to the number of letters you can send.

USA Address:

VGW GAMES LIMITED,
CHUMBA CASINO SWEEPSTAKES DEPARTMENT
PO BOX #8486
PORTSMOUTH, NH 03801

Canada Address:

VGW GAMES LIMITED
CHUMBA CASINO SWEEPSTAKES DEPARTMENT
PO BOX #990
135 WEST BEAVER CREEK ROAD
RICHMOND HILL, ONTARIO L4B 4R7

Each envelope is good for $5 worth of Sweeps Coins. There are a set of rules and restrictions that apply to requests by post in particular certain words that must be handwritten on the envelope and post card. Please consult the Chumba Casino website for a full list of regulations.

Chumba Casino Deposit & Withdrawal Options

The main choice to fund your account is via purchasing Gold Coins to officially take part in the sweepstakes. Sweeps Coins are then given as a free bonus and credited alongside the Gold Coins. While at the start in 2017 they were using PayPal as their main channel for payments, that has stopped in 2018, leaving you only with credit cards and a few other options.

Deposits

Chumba Deposit Processors Deposit Options at Chumba Casino
  • MasterCard, Visa, Discover, Amex – minimum $1, no maximum limit noted
  • Skrill Digital Wallet – minimum $1, no maximum limit noted
  • Paysafecard – minimum $1, no maximum noted. This option is linked and processed via Skrill
  • Online Banking - minimum $1, no maximum noted.

None of the methods lists a maximum amount, however, the most you can spend in one transaction is $300 which will get you a huge haul of 120 million Gold Coins and 315 Sweeps Coins. Only the latter can be exchanged for so-called cash prizes should you wish to withdraw your balance.

Skrill has language in its terms of service that explicitly prohibits U.S. users from using its e-wallet for the purposes of sweepstakes. We're uncertain how Chumba was able to legitimately bypass this restriction, and indeed it's possible that the company has not come up with a workaround and is just taking chances with its customers' money. It's conceivable that Skrill will eventually put an end to this, and when that happens, we have no clue what will happen with players' funds, but it probably won't be pretty.

Withdrawals

Submitting a cashout is called redeeming Sweeps Coins at Chumba Casino. You will convert your coins into a cash prize, which is then paid through the method of your choosing. Available are Bank Wire and Skrill, the latter again in doubt as regards U.S. residents.

Redeeming your coins will be done at a rate of 1 Sweeps Coin = $1. Your first request will require account verification before you can proceed with the redemption. This is a multi-step process where you can upload the respective documents, which are: government-issued photo ID, proof of residential address, and bank statement in your name.

Chumba ID Verification Account Verification Instructions at Chumba Casino

The minimum you need to start redeeming your sweepstake prizes is $100 worth of Sweeps Coins – a pretty steep minimum in our opinion – while the maximum for New York and Florida stands at $5,000 per day and $10,000 per day for all others. Please note that these limits are what you can redeem from all wins on the games. Anything above will stay in your account.

Fees apply to all redemptions; however, there are no published details as to the exact amounts or percentages applied. Processing times are between 5 and 10 business days according to the terms shown although Skrill is supposedly completed faster.

We had no means to test the speed of cashouts and reports in forums are rather sketchy. While some posters confirmed that they have received timely payments, others have not.

For a rundown of other internet gaming firms that are known for the timeliness of their payouts, you can browse over our monthly online casino, poker, and sportsbook cashout report.

Does Chumba Casino have a Mobile App?

Chumba Casino is available on mobile, although it is basically just a squeezed version of the desktop site. The slots and games use HTML5 via your mobile web browser; hence, they can be played on virtually all tablet or mobile devices including iPhone, iPad, or Android. You'll get a fully mobile responsive experience on all of these types of devices or operating systems, plus they do offer a Facebook app that you can access through your FB account.

Anyone with an Android device can get to play games for free on the Chumba Lite - Fun & Free Slots Casino app that you'll find in the Google Play Store. This app offers the chance of big jackpot wins along with a one million gold coin bonus just for downloading and getting started. There are free rewards for reaching levels, playing regularly, finishing on top of a leaderboard, or completing other achievements.

Chumba Mobile Chumba Casino Mobile Site

Other Gambling at Chumba Casino

Given that the game selection at Chumba barely qualifies as adequate for the casino vertical alone, it's not shocking to see that it has no poker room or sportsbook. Although sister site Global Poker does offer card games, it has a similarly troublesome history and business model, and so you may wish to take your business elsewhere.

For the ability to bet on sports, head over to our list of the best online sportsbooks USA residents can wager at. If poker is more your game, then our comprehensive USA internet poker guide where you can learn about the best online poker sites for US players ought to appeal to you.

Customer Support

Customer support is offered via onsite message form, email, or phone. However, they do not state whether these channels are open 24/7, and probably the best you could hope for as a response to a customer service request by email or form submission would be an answer within a few days.

  • Live Chat: Only available when attempting to make a purchase
  • Phone: +356 99088901
  • Email: support@chumbacasino.com
Chumba Contact Form Use This Contact Us Form to Get in Touch With Chumba Casino

You can also attempt to contact the company through its Social Media accounts. For example, according to its Facebook page, users should expect a response within a few hours.

Alternatives to Chumba Casino & Competitor Comparisons

The main competitors to Chumba are the other operators who deliver services in a similar way with the most well-known being Luckyland Slots, Funzpoints, and High5Casino.

It's worth noting that none of these are going to offer the excitement and money-winning potential of playing in a real money online casino.

Chumba Casino vs Competitors – How Do They Compare?

Here we'll break down the main differences between Chumba and other well-known casino operators. We’ll avoid comparison with those operating to a similar social gaming model that have been mentioned above, since Chumba has the longest operating history and is already well recognized as the leader in the sweepstakes model field.

So as to get the greatest benefit from any comparison exercise, it’s worth comparing against some of the leading real money online casinos. The two most valuable to compare with here are going to be Cafe Casino and Bovada Casino, so let's see how they stack up in comparison to Chumba across a number of different factors:

Trust

The question of trust can often be tied to that of licensing in the online gambling arena. Chumba is licensed to operate by the Malta Gaming Authority, a body often associated with sites that operate with a high level of trust.

But there’s no question that you can also trust Bovada and Cafe Casino. Bovada is licensed and Cafe Casino is also licensed. Both of these have been servicing online casino fans for a long time.

In reality – license or not – it really comes down to analyzing real player reviews to find out who you can trust, with both Bovada and Cafe receiving many positive reviews over a number of years.

Game Variety

While the game variety at Chumba is nothing special, you’ll still find enough games to play that will make signing up just about worthwhile. In comparison to our other two casinos though, there really is no contest. Both offer a suitably wide range of different games, from casino classics like roulette, blackjack, and video poker, through to slots, keno, and any number of other table games, including a very popular live dealer section.

Bonuses & Promotions

The area of promotions and bonuses is one in which you’ll notice some major differences, mainly because of the real money gambling nature of both Cafe and Bovada. Both these offer very high-value bonuses which you can find details on by navigating to either our Cafe Casino bonus codes page or our Bovada review.

Chumba does have occasional promotions and bonuses, but these are never going to be in the same league as those from a real money casino.

Payout Speed

It’s easy to find a good number of player complaints around withdrawal speeds at Chumba, something you’re unlikely to experience with any major issues at Bovada and Cafe Casino. With both also offering crypto withdrawal options, they boast a significant increase in payout speed and mostly pay out wins within two days.

Deposit & Withdrawal Options

All of our compared casinos offer a substantial range of deposit and withdrawal options, although both Bovada and Cafe Casino also offer the possibility of transactions in crypto-currencies alongside more traditional methods.

Speed, Software & User Experience

It’s hard now to find any online casino that doesn’t run on software and with a website where both offer speedy and trouble-free gaming. In the case of the three casinos we’re comparing, all perform well from this aspect.

How has Chumba Evolved?

With a fairly long history stretching back at least to 2013, it's obvious that the Chumba site will have evolved into what we see today via some cosmetic design changes and improvements to games. These changes will generally have improved the experience of players, and may in some instances be a deciding factor in whether to register an account or not.

Aside from that, the operating model on which the casino runs is still the same with no major changes other than the award of the Malta Gaming license in 2017. Clearly, possession of f this license has served to increase the trust factor, which in the early days will have been an issue.

Positives | Benefits | Pros

We've presented a summary of the pros and cons of playing at Chumba higher up on the page, but let's take a look at a few of these in a little more depth:

  • There is a free $2 Gold Coin package just for registering
  • You can redeem cash winnings for free directly to a bank account
  • All games are designed to work effectively on mobile devices
  • The gaming is legal for cash prizes to US and Canadian players
  • Purchases can be made with a wide range of payment solutions
  • It's affordable, with low minimum purchases
  • You'll find significant-sized progressive jackpots on some of the game options

Other great features (aside from the gaming, of course) include the game guide and the popular Facebook sharing features.

Negatives | Cons | Drawbacks

It's not all good news, and there are a number of drawbacks that are worth noting before you take the plunge and sign up for an account:

It Will Most Likely Cost Money to Play

One of the major drawbacks of any type of casino is that they're designed to take your money. They're very good at that type of business. In that respect, Chumba is really no different. It's possible to get some big virtual money wins by playing free Gold Coin games, and occasionally you may win a sizable amount on Sweepstakes games. In the long run, you'll most likely end up with less cash than when you started.

No Payout Percentages?

One major benefit in playing at real money casinos is that payout percentage figures are normally listed against the games. This gives you some idea at least of potential returns from playing the games. Unfortunately, this isn't the case at Chumba and clearly can contribute to some question marks over the trust you can place in them.

High Cash-out Requirements

When you're playing with wagers of small amounts, $100 as a minimum cashout requirement does seem on the high side. Unless you hit a big win, it could take some time to build up a bank of over $100. Plus, it's well-known that the longer you play casino games, the more likely you are to lose your bankroll.

Limited Selection of Games

To say the game selection is limited may be a little unfair, but when comparing the library at Chumba to most real money casinos, you'd very quickly see the difference in the range of games.

These additional negatives speak for themselves and are worth considering if you're deciding whether to sign up:

  • There are no live dealer game options
  • No live chat to help with problems

Chumba Casino Review Summary

So as a final conclusion, what's the verdict now we've fully reviewed the platform? Can we honestly recommend Chumba Casino to our readers?

Considering the issues at sister company Global Poker and the failings of other sites offering such sweepstakes schemes in the US market, we cannot in good faith speak favorably about the Chumba Casino endeavor.

While they claim to be totally legal due to the sweepstakes twist, they could abruptly end their presence in the market simply because the U.S. authorities (or their payment processing partners) might start looking into their operation more closely. All the sweeps coins or gold coins in the world won't count for much if that happens!

Neither does the Malta Gaming Authority license give too much confidence as it is of little help to U.S. players. Just as worrisome is the lack of information and detail about their proprietary games as they do not provide any audit reports whatsoever.

Finally, although there are some positive comments from real player reviewers, it's not hard to find a significant number of reviews from players that report poor experiences. In some instances, that experience has been so negative that it has given rise to talk of a class action lawsuit.

In closing, we can only strongly recommend that you keep clear of Chumba Casino and instead choose an operator from our list of trusted U.S.A.-friendly online casinos should you be looking for an internet gaming destination.

FAQ

Even after reading our review, you might still have some questions about Chumba Casino. That's why we've gathered together below a collection of common questions along with their answers.

The casino accepts players who are 18 years or older from the United States, except Washington State and Idaho, and Canada, except Quebec.

All payments are processed in U.S. dollars. Sweeps Coins redemptions are converted back to US$.

To request a payout of your Sweeps Coins, you will need to redeem them first. You can do so by clicking on “Redeem” in the top-right menu. The minimum amount is 100 coins ($100 worth). Transfers usually take 5 – 10 business days.

Verification will be demanded when you redeem Sweeps Coins for the first time. An upload facility for government-issued photo ID, proof of address, and bank statement is provided.

The site has been running now for a few years without any major signs of issues. As far as anyone is concerned, it offers a legitimate way to play for US residents barring those in Washington State and Idaho.

The offer of free cash under a “no purchase necessary” clause places the gaming into a non-gambling category which positions Chumba outside of U.S. gambling laws.

If you do have any concerns, remember that Chumba is just one of many social gaming casinos you can find on Facebook or the internet in general, and you’d have to expect that FB would have shut them down long ago if there were any legality worries.

All in all, there’s no hard evidence of any scam. There are some complaints of not getting paid (though many of these seem to be down to ID issues) and also of low or infrequent wins (though we have to recognize that this is casino gaming; there is going to be volatility at times).

It's worth noting that Chumba is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority, normally a good indication of trustworthiness.

Chumba Casino sells a virtual currency known as Gold Coins. You can play free games by purchasing a Gold Coin package, but can’t trade them, transfer them, or redeem them for money. Essentially you can either buy them, win them, or obtain more in bonus offers or promotions.

Gold Coin packages of anywhere from $1 to $300 can be purchased by players via the welcome page, and they appear in your account with bonus $weeps Cash as an added extra. This $weeps Cash can then be used for real money sweeps. Various bonuses, promotions, and giveaway offers give ways of gaining extra Gold or $weeps.

How long it takes Chumba to pay can often depend on when you make your redemption request. If you haven’t properly verified your details then chances are you could be in for a long wait.

Assuming you have, if you try to transfer out on a Monday before 10 pm you’ll likely see the winnings in your bank by Wednesday. Try it on any of the busy days – Friday - Sunday – and it may take a little longer but still not an unduly lengthy wait.

Chumba has a standard welcome bonus offer that applies to all new account registrations. There are no known current bonus codes that can be used to increase this amount, although in the past there have been successful promos like a $1 for $60 offer. You may find special offers for extra coins at certain times of the year, such as Christmas or Easter, or in special promotions on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

There are plenty of reports of players winning and getting paid good sums. This Reddit thread gives a balanced number of views on the legitimacy of the platform with one poster winning and getting paid a cool $1,000.