A new alternative gaming model devised by a sweepstakes casino operator has emerged.
In late March, players on Funzpoints began receiving emails encouraging them to sign up for a free seven-day trial of a new Funzpoints sister site, Thrillaroo. But Thrillaroo is unlike any other sweeps casino on the market.
Thrillaroo is a subscription-based casino-style gaming platform.
Think, Netflix … but sweeps.
How the subscription model at Thrillaroo works
Thrillaroo runs on a subscription model that has two distinct gameplay modes: Chill Mode and Thrill Mode. Chill Mode uses a virtual currency called Chill Points, which are entirely free and will always replenish in a player’s account. You will literally never run out. Players can use them as much as they want, but they hold no cash value and can’t be redeemed. These are like Gold Coins, but there is no cost involved ever.
Thrill Mode, on the other hand, uses a separate currency — Thrill Tokens — which users must purchase. This differs sharply from Sweeps Coins, which are typically distributed as bonuses rather than sold. Thrill Tokens carry real monetary value, and players can cash out their balances, similar to traditional real-money gaming platforms.
Then there’s the subscription itself. A paid membership is required to access Thrillaroo, and its defining feature is a Win Win Guarantee tied to Thrill Mode. At the end of each subscription period (more on that later), the site compares a player’s total wagers and their winnings. If losses outweigh winnings, the difference is refunded and the player breaks even — although they don’t get a refund of their subscription fee.
If the player comes out ahead, they keep the profit.
Why subscriptions?
This structure is a major shift in both the business model and legal framing of sweepstakes casinos. Traditionally, these platforms rely on a dual-currency system: Users buy Gold Coins and receive Sweeps Coins — redeemable for cash — as a promotional add-on. Lawmakers and regulators have increasingly challenged this setup, arguing it amounts to paying for a chance to win, which, in turn, constitutes online gambling.
Thrillaroo attempts to avoid that argument by making the subscription, not gameplay, the core money-maker.
The Win Win Guarantee seemingly reinforces that distinction. Because players are reimbursed for net losses in Thrill Mode, Thrillaroo can claim its revenue comes from memberships rather than gameplay outcomes. This alters the concept of risk on the platform and could complicate efforts to classify it as gambling from a legal standpoint. Or, at least that’s what the operator hopes.
This quote comes directly from the site:
Traditional gaming websites win when you lose. We don’t. The only money we keep is from your subscription. We win when you win. That’s a win win.
In the end, Thrillaroo’s long-term viability will likely hinge on how regulators interpret the relationship between fees, risk, and potential rewards, and if this new ecosystem changes enough to meaningfully differ from dual-currency gaming, which has become the prime target of this recent wave of sweeps casino scrutiny.
Currently operating in California and New York
Thrillaroo, which has a minimum age requirement of 18, is live in at least California and New York. Earlier this year, it even put out a casting call for a commercial filmed in New York City. The concept, according to the listing, involved surprising everyday New Yorkers “who could use a win” to promote the platform’s launch and its loss-refund guarantee.
The terms and conditions don’t list any restricted territories, but they do mention the notion of blocked markets: “You do not access the Games or Service from any jurisdiction outside the United States or as otherwise posted within these Terms or on the Platform (the ‘Restricted Territories’).”
In terms of games, Thrillaroo advertises slots and keno, and its library contains many of the same titles as Funzpoints.
During the seven-day trial signup, Thrillaroo appeared to perform no geolocation verification. The only requirement was email confirmation when Sweepsy signed up.
Three options for Thrillaroo memberships
Once the seven-day trial concludes, users are prompted to choose one of three different subscription options:
- 7-day membership for $29.99
- 30-day membership for $99.99
- Three 30-day memberships for $289.99
Each plan comes with access to the Community Hub, members-only live streams, exclusive downloads, and discounts at the merch store.
The 7-day membership has a max play per spin of $1.50 and no administrative fees on the first $30 of purchases. (Like the subscription fee, the administrative fees are also not refundable and not part of the Win Win Guarantee.)
For the 30-day membership, the max play is $3 and there are no fees on the first $100 of purchases. And with the three 30-day package, the max play is $5 and also no fees on the first $100 of purchases.
Each Win Win Guarantee refund would come at the end of the subscription period.
So, let’s put it this way: If a player signs up for the 30-day plan, and after 30 days they’ve bet $250 and won only $200, they would get a $50 refund. Or if they’ve bet $150 and won $300, they’ll get no refund and will just get to keep that $150 in winnings.
Again, the subscription fee is not part of the Win Win Guarantee consideration. So, for a player to really break even from that 30-day plan, they’d need to win at least $30 more than they bet — because the plan itself cost $29.99 to initiate.
Other models are sweeps operators trying
This Thrillaroo subscription model is the latest gaming ecosystem wrinkle created by sweeps operators in response to growing market restrictions. So far in 2026, Indiana and Maine have outlawed Sweeps Coin gaming, joining the group of states — including California and New York — that banned it last year.
Some have introduced single-currency systems, positioning their platforms as learning tools — like ClubWPT Gold — or making casino-style options a secondary element to a different type of online game experience, as seen with Card Crush.
Others have diversified by adding live bingo to their mix, while some are dipping into advance deposit wagering, building platforms where the casino-style game outcomes are tied to real-world horse racing results.
At the same time, certain companies, most notably VGW, have stuck with the traditional dual-currency framework of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, even expanding their overall offerings. And in jurisdictions where Sweeps Coins are prohibited, they’ve exited or simply disabled that feature, effectively waiting out the current wave of regulatory scrutiny in hopes that attention shifts elsewhere — perhaps to emerging areas like prediction markets.
