Curious about trying social sportsbooks?
Social betting apps have grown quickly in recent years and are a solid option if you want to enjoy sports betting without risking your own money. They provide a low-pressure way to explore odds, features, and gameplay, all without making a deposit.
In this guide, you will learn how social and sweepstakes sportsbooks offer a legal and safe way to place picks on dozens of sports across most U.S. states. We explain how these platforms work, how to get started, and which promos you can claim so you can have fun betting without spending a dollar.
What is a social sportsbook?
Most people see social sportsbooks as being free betting sites. In a way, this is true as there is no real money gambling involved, and you will be betting on the sporting action with free virtual currencies in GCs and SCs. Apart from that technicality, most social sportsbooks are quite similar to their real money counterparts.
This means that most people will simply use social sportsbooks to bet for fun with no chance of redeeming their virtual currency winnings for prizes. Plus, it's worth noting that the fact that there is no real money gambling will mean that you can use these social sportsbooks in far more states compared to real money sportsbooks.
What is a sweepstakes sportsbook?
Sweepstakes sportsbooks are just like social sportsbooks except that they also give you the option to bet in the promotional sweepstakes mode, as well as being able to bet for fun. This is possible because sweepstakes sportsbooks use two kinds of virtual currencies that are usually called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, and these work in the following ways:
- Gold Coins: These are used to bet on sports in the standard mode, meaning that no prizes can be redeemed. Any Gold Coins won can only be used for more sports betting. You can either get Gold Coins for free or make an optional purchase of them as a package.
- Sweeps Coins: These are used to bet in the promotional sweepstakes mode. If you win back enough Sweeps Coins, you may even redeem them for cash prizes and gift cards. You can only get Sweeps Coins for free.
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The good news is that more and more sweepstakes sportsbooks are being launched every month. The bad news is that it's pretty hard to figure out which of these social betting sites to sign up for. So here are five of our favorites to get you started:
| Sweepstakes sportsbook | Sign up offer | Unavailable states |
| Fliff | 5,000 Fliff Coins and one Fliff Cash | Washington and Idaho, plus customers in Tennessee, Hawaii, and Nevada cannot access sweepstakes |
| Onyx Odds | 1,000 Onyx Coins | Washington, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, and Nevada |
| Legendz | 500 Gold Coins and three Sweeps Coins | Connecticut, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, and West Virginia |
| Thrillzz | 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and three Thrillzz Sweeps Coins | Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington |
| Novig | 1,000 Novig Coins and five Novig Cash | Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, and Tennessee |
Fliff - A great example of a sweepstakes sportsbook
- Wide sports coverage
- User-friendly app
- 24/7 customer support
- Not available on desktop
This is one of the brands that kickstarted the whole social betting revolution, and it's great to see that Fliff is still going strong. You can socially bet on literally dozens of sports via the Fliff betting site or app, and you'll get well over 100 betting lines for each game in the NBA, NFL, and so on.
Fliff also isn't messing around with its bonus offer, as you can get 5,000 Fliff Coins and one Fliff Cash just for signing up here. After that is a 100% first purchase bonus, as well as regular virtual currency giveaways, odds boosts, and a fun XP leaderboard. Don't forget that once you've won back enough Fliff Cash, you can then redeem it for real prizes.
Onyx Odds - Hot new social betting brand
- Impressive welcome bonus
- Popular sports available
- Redeem Onyx Cash for cash prizes
- Limited customer support channel
This is a relatively new social betting site that has been causing a stir recently. Much of this is down to the fact that the Onyx Odds site offers you a supremely simple way to get into the social betting action. You can sign up here in a minute, get those 1,000 Onyx Coins for free, and then use them to bet on a huge range of game lines and player props for all of the biggest sports.
Beyond this, you will find that Onyx Odds has an excellent VIP program that offers you progressively better perks the longer you spend at its site. Plus, with extras like live betting odds, no sweat bet refund offers, and the ability to redeem your Onyx Cash winnings for real prizes, you'll have plenty of fun here.
Legendz - Massive choice of social betting odds
- Numerous promotions
- Decent game library
- Trustworthy payment methods
- No mobile app
Most sports fans should quickly understand the appeal of Legendz. After all, this sweepstakes sportsbook lets you enjoy social betting on dozens of sports, both pre-match and live, and you'll also get to bet on things like esports here. There is also an impressive range of betting lines for things like moneylines, spreads, totals, and so on.
Elsewhere, you will find a healthy welcome offer that gives you 500 Gold Coins and three Sweeps Coins, and after that is an optional 100% first purchase bonus on one of the Gold Coins packages. Plus, with plenty of leaderboard challenges and a handy VIP program, you'll have lots of fun ways to pick up those Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for cash prizes and gift cards once you've met the playthrough requirements.
Thrillzz - Download this social sportsbook app
- More than 10 sports supported
- Easy sign up process
- No bonus code needed
- Generous welcome bonus
- No web access
Since launching in 2024, Thrillzz has quickly grown to become one of the most popular social sportsbooks in the nation. This isn't a major surprise considering that the brand lets you bet pre-match and live on all major professional sports as well as college sports. Regardless of whether you are betting on the NFL or UFC, you should also get the full range of moneylines, point spreads, player props, and so on.
Signing up here will get you 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and 3 Thrillzz Sweeps Coins, and then you can claim plenty of Loyalty Points via your social betting to advance your way up the rewards program. All of these can give you a kickstart to being able to redeem your Thrillzz Sweeps winnings for Tickets that can then be redeemed for cash prizes. A great reward for all of that social betting.
Novig - Another exciting new social sportsbook
- Sign-up bonus includes 1,000 Novig Coins and 5 Novig Cash
- Live chat support available
- Intuitive interface
- No VIP program
This brand hasn't been around too long, but it's easy to understand the appeal of Novig. After all, it offers you a simple way to enjoy social betting on the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, UFC, NCAA, ATP, PGA, and beyond. You will also get the full choice of betting lines like moneyline, spreads, totals, futures, and player props. Plus, Novig is great for all parlay betting fans too.
Once you've registered your first account here, you will be rewarded with 1,000 Novig Coins and five Novig Cash. After that, you can get a 50% discount on your first optional Gold Coins package purchase, and there is a decent range of other deals like daily login rewards and referral bonuses. So be sure to sign up here and see if you can win back enough Novig Cash to redeem them for real-world prizes.
Simple steps for using these social betting sites
Each of the social sportsbooks listed above should give you a simple and fast way to get straight into the betting action. This means that you will just need to take the following steps to start betting on your favorite sports:
- Click on the links to any of the social sportsbooks listed in the banners of this page
- Tap on the Sign Up or Register button in the site header
- Create your customer account by filling in the registration form with basic personal information like your name, address, email, mobile, and date of birth
- Enter any promo codes required to activate your welcome offer
- Submit your application and then log in to your newly created account
- Go to the sportsbook lobby and click on the sporting event that you want to bet on
- Browse the betting lines and click on the relevant odds to have them added to your bet slip
- Pick whether you want to bet in the Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins form of virtual currency
- Enter your virtual betting stakes, check your potential returns, and then submit your bets
Understanding the legality of sweepstakes sportsbooks
There is a fair amount of confusion about sweepstakes sportsbooks, particularly regarding how they are legal in so many states. So here are the key things to understand about these social betting sites:
1. No real money gambling means greater availability
The fact that sweepstakes sportsbooks don't feature real money gambling means that they don't have to have the same kinds of licensing and regulation as standard online sportsbooks. As such, you can use these sites anywhere from Florida to Hawaii and most states in between.
2. No purchase necessary
All sweepstakes sportsbooks must adhere to the no purchase necessary mechanic regarding their sweepstakes. This basically means that you should always be able to get some free Sweeps Coins with deals for new and existing customers.
3. No direct real money winnings
You won't be able to directly win money in any sweepstakes sportsbooks. The closest thing that you get to this is to redeem your Sweeps Coins winnings for cash prizes once you have met the playthrough requirements.
4. No deposits possible
Sweepstakes sportsbooks don't have the facility to accept your real money deposits in the same way that regular online sportsbooks can. However, it's worth noting that you get the option to purchase a variety of Gold Coins packages so that you can play for entertainment purposes only.
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Key ingredients of the best sweepstakes sportsbooks
While sweepstakes sportsbooks will come in a variety of shapes and sizes, they will always have to share a few key characteristics before we recommend them to you. So here are the core components of any good social betting site:
- US legality: Each sweepstakes sportsbook should be legally allowed to operate in the US. Plus it should observe all of the relevant sweepstakes laws of the states that it operates in.
- Online security: These social betting sites should all feature a minimum 128-bit SSL encryption technology. This means that your personal data will stay in safe hands, and there should also be a valid privacy policy to back you up.
- Player protection: You should be given access to a variety of player protection tools. These should do things like let you apply limits on how many Gold Coins purchases you make, and you should also get the chance to take a time-out.
- Sports coverage: Each social sportsbook should let you bet on the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, but also everything from soccer and tennis through to boxing, MMA, golf, and beyond.
- Betting lines: You should get literally dozens of betting lines for each sporting event. These should include moneylines, point spreads, totals, player props, and much more.
- Live betting: More and more social sportsbooks are letting you bet live on their featured sports. This means that you can get a fun way to bet on the action long after the event has begun.
- Promo offers: Each of these social sportsbooks should have welcome offers, daily login bonuses, social media giveaways, referral deals, and even some rewards programs.
- Site usability: All of these social betting sites should make it simple to sign up, and the process of betting should be intuitive and straightforward, too.
- Mobile-friendliness: Most decent social sportsbooks will have free betting apps that you can download and then use to bet on an entire world of sports. These should be freely available for all modern iOS and Android devices, and they should receive regular updates, constantly improving functionality and security.
- Trusted payment methods: While it should be optional to purchase those Gold Coins packages, it should be secure to do so. Plus, redeeming your Sweeps Coins for real prizes should be safe and handled efficiently.
- Quality customer support: You should be able to get in touch with the social sportsbook's customer service team 24/7 via options ranging from live chat and email through to telephone and social media.
Tips for using social betting apps
We're not going to let you go without giving you some handy tips that you can use when firing up that social betting app for the first time. Here are the key things to keep in mind:
💰 Set a budget
Yes, you are only betting with virtual currencies, but that's no reason to get reckless in how you use these social sportsbooks. Far better to treat your Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins like real money and budget accordingly. Doing so should make your virtual currencies last a whole lot longer, and it should stop you from running the risk of spending a little too much time on your social betting, too.
🎁 Use those promos
Using social sportsbooks is all about making full use of all available promo offers to ensure that you can keep betting for free. After all, this is how you can keep your account topped up with virtual currencies so that you don't have to make one of those optional Gold Coins purchases. So be sure to log into your account every day, sign up for the newsletter, and regularly check the social sportsbook's promotions page.
🧐 Explore the betting lines
All of the social sportsbooks listed here will give you countless ways to bet on any sporting event. This means that you won't have to stick to betting on the moneyline every time, but can mix it up with bets on the spread, totals or even player props. Perfect for getting a whole new perspective on any sporting event.
📺 Try live betting
Each of these social betting sites should also let you bet live on its featured sports. Not only is this a whole lot of fun, but it also gives you the opportunity to find greater variance in the odds as the game goes on. Plus it's worth noting that many of these brands will let you cash your bets out early so that you can cling onto the win, regardless of what happens later on in the big game.
🤝 Get social
These sites are called social betting sites for good reason. As such, you should maximize the fun by taking part in all of those leaderboard challenges so that you can get bragging rights over your buddies. Plus don't forget to follow each of these social sportsbooks on their social media channels so that you can take advantage of any sudden bonus drops.
Pros and cons of using a social sportsbook vs a real money sportsbook
There are a fair number of people reading this who will prefer betting their own cash on sports. While there is nothing wrong with that, it's still worth considering the main pros and cons of using social and sweepstakes sportsbooks instead:
- Legal in most US states
- Always bet with no purchase required
- Less risky than real money betting
- Potential to redeem Sweeps Coins for prizes
- No direct real money winnings
Conclusion - Get ready to use the best sweepstakes sportsbooks
By now, you will understand that social sportsbooks and sweepstakes sportsbooks offer you a valid alternative to betting on sports with your own money. This is because they are available in way more states, they let you bet on sports for free, and the sweepstakes mechanic will even let you redeem your Sweeps Coins winnings for prizes. Overall, there are a lot of sweepstakes sportsbooks that let you enjoy the thrill and fun of the real money variants. This is what sets them apart from other sites, and that's what's making them worth the try.
It's fair to say that even more of these sites are going to be unveiled over the coming months and years to cater to the growing demand. If you're looking for alternatives, you might also want to explore DFS platforms or check out our comprehensive sportsbook reviews. So watch this space to see which social sportsbooks and sweepstakes sportsbooks you should be using.
Don't miss these premium social betting bonuses
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Social sportsbooks FAQ
Can you win real money on social sportsbooks?
No, and it would be wrong to see social sportsbooks as being like free money betting apps. This is because you don't gamble with real money on them, and you cannot directly win money either.
What is the best social sportsbook?
It depends on what you are looking for, but most sports fans will be impressed by what they find with Thrillz, Legendz, Fliff, Novig, and Onyx Odds. After all, each of these brands will give you a legal, safe, and fun way to bet on sports, and you can do it all for free.
How do you get a social sportsbook login?
All that you have to do is visit the social sportsbook site from your web browser and then fill in the registration form with some basic personal details. Once you have done that, you should have your login details, and now you can enjoy sports betting without having to spend a single cent.
Is there a minimum age for using a sweepstakes sportsbook?
Yes, and it depends on which sweepstakes sportsbook you are using and where you are betting from. However, most sweepstakes sportsbooks will demand that you be at least 18 years old to use their services.
Where can I download a social sportsbook app from?
You can download most social sportsbook apps from Google Play and the App Store. There should be links for the relevant download apps from the social sportsbooks' homepages.
