The social sports betting industry is rapidly expanding in the US, with new game sites being launched on a regular basis. In fact, there are more social sportsbooks than ever and I’ll be discussing three of the best.
In a nutshell, social betting websites let you have a taste of what it’s like to place a bet at a traditional sportsbook, but in a fun and free-to-play manner. Simply put, you’ll place your social bets using virtual currencies, challenge your friends and show off your sports knowledge. Keep scrolling to find out more!
For those who might not be familiar with social sports betting, I’ll briefly explain what it entails. A social sportsbook is just the same as a traditional sports betting site in many ways. However, it utilizes a sweepstakes model, which means that all of your bets will be placed using virtual currencies only.
Typically, social betting sites let you make sports predictions in most of the US states without having to worry about the strict legal framework tied to sports betting in your state of residence. Currently, social sportsbooks are available across the majority of the United States.
So, how do these social betting brands work? Well, they function pretty much like their traditional counterparts, where you can make predictions about various sporting events and work your way through eligible betting markets. When placing social bets, however, you’ll use one of two virtual currencies.
You’ll be utilizing Gold Coins, which are meant purely for fun sports picks. These virtual Coins don’t have any monetary value, and they cannot be redeemed or exchanged. You can collect them through free promos and bonuses, or purchase them in bundles, which is completely optional incidentally.
Alternatively, you can use Sweeps Coins (SC), which are a promotional sweepstakes currency. If you place a social bet using Sweeps Coins , any SC you win become eligible for redemption. Note that this is only possible once you’ve met specific playthrough requirements and have accumulated a minimum SC balance, often set at around 50 SC. You must also verify your ID to before you can make a redemption request.
I must also mention that some top social sportsbooks have custom names for these virtual currencies. For example, our top picks – Rebet and Fliff use different names. Rebet goes with Rebet Cash and Rebet Coins, while Fliff uses Fliff Coins and Fliff Cash, but their underlying purposes remain identical.
With so many social sportsbooks on the market, it can become a bit challenging when it comes to choosing the right one for your needs. Therefore, I decided to do all the heavy lifting for you and picked three of the best!
As an expert in social sports betting, I can confidently state that Rebet is a great choice for both new and seasoned social bettors. My experience there was quite easy and smooth, as I got helpful insights from other Rebet members. Basically, this social sportsbook provides a real-time chat feed, where you’re able to make and share your sports picks with other social bettors.
I also found that their betting lines are simplified, so even a beginner will have a pretty easy time placing their social bets. Upon creating an account, I received 100 Rebet Coins plus 1 Rebet Cash, which was enough for me to place plenty of social wagers on my favorite sports and events. I was also happy to see that each social bet I made contributed towards the VIP club, which offers exclusive bonuses and perks as you go up through the different ranks. My only problem with Rebet is that it doesn’t provide a desktop version, so you place bets exclusively using a mobile app.
This social sports betting brand was among the first to take off in the United States and probably has the lion’s share of the market. It’s available in almost all US states. However, you can only make use of the free-to-play mode in Nevada, Hawaii, Tennessee, and Idaho. In Washington, you cannot access or use it at all. So, be sure to check the legal status in your state before using the social game site.
I was impressed with the welcome bonus made available at Fliff. New users receive a 600,000 Fliff Coins bonus, which I found to be more than enough to make my picks on a number of sporting events. The social sportsbook also has commendable coverage of major sports in the US comprising NHL, NFL, MLB, and NBA. The number of betting markets is also remarkable with options such as spreads, totals, moneylines, and props among many others.
Sportzino is a relatively new brand offering social sports betting and casino-style games, all on one unified platform. I found out that it’s available across the United States, except in Idaho, Michigan, Washington, and Georgia. I am a big fan of slots, so I was pleased to see a social site that offers the best of both worlds. Here, I found over 1,000 games including scratchcards, Crash games, slots, and bingo.
The sportsbook has a rich sporting events library, featuring top leagues in the US and globally such as NFL, NHL, NCAAF Specials, NBA, CBA, NCAAB, Premier League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Champions League.
The welcome bonus is quite decent too – you get 170,000 Gold Coins and 7 Sweeps Coins once you verify your account. I didn’t need a promo code to activate this bonus as it was credited to my account automatically. I also tested Sportzino on desktop and mobile and the experience on both versions was seamless.
From my extensive research, I can state that social sportsbooks will surely continue to gain popularity across the US – for the simple reason that they don’t require a purchase to make sports picks. So, make sure to choose one from our top three picks this January. All you need to do is click the link for your favored brand on the banners of this page, claim your welcome bonus, and have fun!