Best Social Sportsbooks & Apps April, 2024

Social sports betting is about to explode in the US as a fun and free way to play sports prediction games with your friends and other players from around the country. Players can use free virtual currencies to compete in special gambling contests and when you play in sweepstakes mode, you can wind up winning real cash prizes. Social sportsbooks are available pretty much everywhere in the US, including in states that don’t allow traditional sports gambling. 

We’ve got the full lowdown on social sportsbooks right here, including details on how the model works, social sports betting bonuses and the best social sportsbooks you can join right now.

Closer Look at the Best Social Sportsbooks

1. Fliff

Fliff is one of the first social sports betting platforms to really take off, and it’s easy to see why. If you want the best social sports betting markets in the US available right now, go for Fliff. 

The Fliff platform has obviously been designed with close attention paid to traditional real money sportsbooks. Making your picks feels very similar to making a bet, right down to the betslip that pops up when you make your selection. In fact, if you didn’t notice the toggle that flips from Fliff Coin mode to Fliff Cash mode, you might never know the difference. Fluff is currently available exclusively on mobile. 

The range of sports and picking markets at Fliff is very good, although ultimately behind the top real money sportsbooks. For major sports like the NFL, NBA and soccer, for instance, there can be up to a hundred different markets, including moneylines, spreads, totals and lots of props. 

New players at Fliff can claim a 100% match bonus on their first purchase of Fliff Coins up to a potential total of 600,000. You can also qualify for a total possible bonus of 100 free Fliff Cash. 

Head to our in-depth Fliff Social Sportsbook review for more details. 

Pros:

• Extremely slick mobile app

• Available in almost every state

• Great range of picking markets

Cons:

• Available on mobile only

• No live chat support

2. Sportzino

Sportzino is a close second on our list. If you want to combine social sports betting with social casino games, it’s a great choice. 

Unlike Fliff, Sportzino is a combination sportsbook and social casino. It’s also available on both desktop and mobile, so it’s the logical option if you don’t want to play using your phone. Overall, the software is probably not quite as slick, but it’s extremely versatile. In particular, we’re massive fans of Sportzino’s live platform. 

You can enter picking contests on sports that are happening live, including props on things like the winner of the fourth quarter or the next player to score. Even better, Sportzino provides live updates from the games, including both stats and a graphic animation showing the action as it happens. It feels very similar to in-play betting at regular sportsbooks. 

Sportzino is also fully loaded with casino games. The casino section consists mostly of slots and some excellent progressive jackpots. There is a welcome bonus package worth up to 140,000 GC and 6 SC for signing up, verifying your account and completing your profile. 

See our full review of Sportzino social sportsbook and casino.

Pros:

• Social sports betting and casino games in one

• Excellent live social betting options

• Refer a friend program

Cons:

• Software could be improved

• No live chat support

3. DraftKings DFS

DraftKings is one of the original DFS sites that started off the Fantasy Sports boom. If you want to try an alternative to social sportsbooks, it’s perfect. 

DraftKings DFS hosts more than 20,000 contests per day from 17+ sports. There are lots of different ways to play, including Classic Contests, Leagues with your friends, fast Pick’em contests, and Head to Heads. The world of Fantasy Sports has come a long way since the days of crowding around in a basement with your buddies, and DraftKings is the place to go to see exactly how it has evolved. 

It’s available in every state except for five (ID, WA, MT, NV, OR), which is pretty comparable with the top social sportsbooks. DraftKings has been around for a lot longer, and as a result, it feels more developed in terms of parts of its software, banking methods and customer support. 

Pros:

• 20,000 contests per day

• Private games with your friends

• Good variety of payment methods.

Cons:

• No human live chat support

• Shares a platform with a sportsbook and other DraftKings features, which might be a turn off for some people

4. FanDuel DFS

FanDuel is the other big DFS site that dominates the US market. If you prefer playing DFS on your mobile, we recommend FanDuel. 

A lot of what we said above about DraftKings also applies to FanDuel, but it does stand out in a couple of areas. FanDuel really excels in its features that are tailored to beginners and more casual players. There are lots of contests that are free to enter that can still win you real money. When you first sign up, FanDuel provides contests that only brand new accounts can enter, which is a great way to learn the ropes and get your feet wet against other newbies. 

FanDuel is also renowned in the industry for its mobile app and mobile compatibility. You won’t find a cleaner, easier or more beginner friendly way to play DFS using your cell phone, whether iOS or Android.

Pros:

• Excellent mobile app

• Very beginner friendly platform

• Free to play contests

Cons:

• Customer support could be improved

• Available in fewer states than DK

5. Owners Box

Owners Box is a newer DFS site which has brought some fresh and interesting ideas to the industry. If you want an alternative to DraftKings and FanDuel, it’s definitely worth a look. 

The big idea with Owners Box has been to introduce simplified fantasy contests that typically last over a week’s worth of games or a single round of the season, rather than on individual matches. While old school fantasy sports took place over an entire season, the contests at Owners Box have taken the same concept and gone week to week.

It’s a fun and refreshing concept, and especially easy for beginners to jump in and start playing. 

Pros:

• Simple, week to week contest format

• Software includes fun social elements

• Good range of regular bonuses and promos

Cons:

• Fewer overall range of sports

• Could use more banking methods

6. Betr Picks

Betr Picks is the fantasy sports platform connected with Betr Sportsbook. If you want a super simplified Over/Under format, this is the platform for you. 

Betr Picks has adopted an interesting tactic with their DFS contests. They have chosen to pretty much exclusively focus on Totals or Over/Under style contests. For every contest, you simply decide whether you want to pick the Over or Under on the line set by Betr Picks, for stats like passing yards in the NFL or home runs in the MLB. You can combine the picks together in a kind of parlay too, for increased payouts. 

Pros:

• Novel format

• Simple and easy to understand

• Good mobile compatibility

Cons:

• Reduced variety of contests

• Not as widely available as other DFS sites

What is a Social Sportsbook?

A social sportsbook is a fun and free version of a sportsbook, available in pretty much every state in the US. You can play social gambling games that mirror traditional real money bets, including games that resemble moneylines, point spreads, totals and parlays. 

As you can probably guess from the name, the social side of things is a big part of social sports betting and is normally built into both the software and the overall experience. You can do things like add your friends, challenge them to one-on-one contests, chat with other players in the community and more - none of which is really part of traditional sports betting. 

Social sportsbooks are a cousin of social casinos, and if you’ve ever played at a social or sweepstakes casino online before, you’ll have an idea of how they work. 

How do Social Sportsbooks Work?

Like other social gambling sites, social sportsbooks use virtual currencies to compete in picking games or gambling contests. Often, they are known as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, but some sites have their own in-house names. For instance, at Fliff, Fliff Coins are the equivalent of Gold Coins and Fliff Cash is the equivalent of Sweeps Coins. 

For the purposes of this page and explaining how the model works, we’ll stick to Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

Gold Coins are the basic currency at social sportsbooks. You can get GC for free in lots of ways: when you sign up, through daily login bonuses, social media giveaways and other promos. If you run out of your free supply or you just want to top up your account, you can also purchase additional Gold Coins. 

Gold Coins’ only function is playing the games on each respective social sportsbook and trying to win more for fun. No matter how many you win, you can’t redeem them for prizes, cash them out or use them for anything else. 

Sweeps Coins are a little different. While Gold Coins are associated with playing in social mode or regular mode, Sweeps Coins are used to play in sweepstakes mode or promotional mode. 

Like GC, you can get Sweeps Coins for free in all the ways described above. You can even sometimes send a written request for more Sweeps Coins via mail, which is an important aspect of the sweepstakes model. You will also often receive Sweeps Coins as part of a free bonus if you decide to purchase Gold Coins.

The important thing about Sweeps Coins is that you can never purchase them. They can only ever be received as a free bonus.

Redeeming Prizes

Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for prizes, including gift cards and cash that gets transferred to your bank account. This is the other major difference between Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. 

There are certain terms and conditions that need to be fulfilled before you can request a redemption. For one thing, you can normally only redeem Sweeps Coins that you have won through playing the picking games at social sportsbooks, not SC that you have received as a free bonus. Or, to look at it another way, every Sweeps Coin you get for free has 1x wagering requirements attached. 

Sweeps Coins are often redeemable at a rate of $1 per SC1. You need to accumulate a certain number of SC before you can request a redemption, often 50 or 100. 

Are Social Sportsbooks Legal?

Yes, social sportsbooks are totally legal. Social sportsbooks are very different from traditional real money sportsbooks, from a legal point of view. There is no real money gambling at social sportsbooks, meaning they don’t need a gambling license and are free to exist in states that haven’t legalized sports betting or online gambling. 

That’s not to say that there is no regulation or oversight with social sportsbooks, just that they are in a different legal category. The format of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins - the fact that you can never purchase the latter and that you can send written request via mail for extra coins - is also part of how the sweepstakes model works. 

The availability of specific social sportsbooks varies, but some form of social sports betting and social casino games are available at every single state in the US, with the exception of Washington. 

Social Sportsbooks vs. Regular Sportsbooks

In general, social sportsbooks are very different from regular sportsbooks, but they do share a couple of similarities. We’ll start with the former.

You can’t bet with real money at social sportsbooks or win real money. Everything is done through virtual currencies, which can always be obtained for free. Legally, social sportsbooks and regular sportsbooks are totally different. Social sports betting is not a form of gambling and is generally open to anyone over the age of 18, whereas sports betting is generally for those over 21. Social betting sites are also far more widely available than real money online sportsbooks, including in states without legal gambling. 

The user experience is different at social sportsbooks, too. Even though you can redeem real money prizes when you play in sweepstakes mode, this is just one facet of social sports betting. Winning is not the same overall objective as at regular sportsbooks. Instead, many people love social sportsbooks for their low-pressure, low-risk format, which allows you to be part of a community without worrying about winning and losing. 

All that said, there are some similarities between social sportsbooks and regular sportsbooks. For one, the picking games at social sportsbooks are inspired by all the classic bets you know from regular sports betting. If you want to place, say, a moneyline bet on an upcoming NFL game but you live in a state without legal sports betting, a social sportsbook is your best option for a pretty similar experience. Even the software, right down to the digital betslip, feels similar.

Social Sportsbook Pros vs. Regular Sportsbook

• Available in every state except WA

• Great low pressure alternative to real money betting

• Much more sociable and community oriented than regular sports betting

• Redeem cash prizes in sweepstakes mode

Social Sportsbook Cons vs. Regular Sportsbook

• Fewer sports and betting markets than regular sportsbooks

• Software and functionality may not be as slick or versatile as regular sportsbooks

Social Sportsbooks vs. Daily Fantasy Sports

Social sportsbooks can be considered a cousin of DFS sites, which is why we’ve included some in our list at the top of this page. Both are a great alternative to traditional real money sports betting. Both are much more widely available in US states and both offer sports betting style games. Of the two, the picking games at social sportsbooks generally mimic the real money bets at regular sportsbooks more than the games at DFS sites. 

They are also very different from a legal perspective. At Daily Fantasy Sports sites, you deposit and withdraw money from your account like a regular sportsbook, while this is impossible at social sportsbooks. 

Social Sports Betting Bonuses and Promotions

Bonuses and promotions are a huge part of the social sports betting experience, and you can pick up free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins through various bonuses. Below, you can see some of the most common promos associated with social sportsbooks.

1. Sign up bonus - the social sportsbook normally gives you a free supply of coins in exchange for signing up, so you can start playing right away.

2. First purchase bonus - if you decide to buy extra Gold Coins, you’ll often qualify for a special boost the first time you make a purchase, such as a 100% bonus on the regular rate. You might get some free Sweeps Coins as part of the purchase too. 

3. Daily login bonus - every day that you log into your account, you’ll get a top up of GC and/or SC. 

4. Mail requests - many social betting sites will credit your account with free Sweeps Coins if you send them a handwritten request in the mail. You’ll find precise instructions on how to claim this in your account.

5. Social media giveaways - social sportsbooks and their players tend to be very active on social media, and you can often pickup free coins through special giveaways and promos on sites like Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. 

How To Sign Up and Get Started

Getting set up with an account at a social sportsbook is very easy and only takes a minute or two. Here’s our simple step by step guide for beginners:

1. Click the “Register” button to get started. Many social sportsbooks will let you sign up using your existing login details with your Google, Apple or Facebook account. Alternatively, you can manually create your account 

2. Type in the required info. Usually, all you need to get your account up and running is a username, email address, and a password. 

3. Confirm your info. You’ll have to check some boxes confirming your age and that you accept the site’s terms and conditions. 

It’s that simple. You should find some GC waiting in your account, ready to start playing. 

If you intend to play in sweepstakes mode, you will also need to verify your identity. This involves providing more personal info including your name, date of birth, address, and a copy of your ID. This is legally required to take part in promotional sweepstakes games and needs to be completed before you will be able to redeem any prizes. 

Types of Picks and Contests

We’re going to have to generalize a little here, since every social sportsbooks is different and coming up with new and innovative features is a big part of the world of social gambling.

That said, the picking games and contests at social sportsbooks tend to closely mirror traditional real money sports bets. You make your picks, place your Gold Coin or Sweeps Coin stake and lock it in. If your pick wins, you get paid out according to the odds assigned to each pick.  

You can find social sports betting versions of all of the following:

• Moneyline bets: a prediction about which side will win a single game or match.

• Point spread: betting on the margin of victory. To win, your chosen side must cover the spread of points set by the social sportsbooks.

• Totals: betting on the total number of points scored in a game. 

• Futures: bets on outcomes a long way in the future, like the winner of the Super Bowl or the World Cup.

• Props: bets on things that happen in games, especially stats like passing yards in NFL or layups in the NBA. They are often split up into player props (focusing on the performance of just one player) or team props (focusing on the overall team performance). There are also game props, like whether a game will go into overtime.

• Parlays: combining different bets on the same betslip. The odds are multiplied together and to win, every individual leg must be correct. 

Payment Methods for Purchasing Coins and Redeeming Prizes

Generally speaking, social sportsbooks tend to accept fewer banking methods compared with the range available at traditional real money sportsbooks. Often, you’ll be able to choose between just a couple of methods.

Here is a list of some of the popular methods available at social sportsbooks:

• Bank cards

• Bank Transfers

• Apple Pay

• PayPal

When you purchase coins, the transaction is generally processed instantly and the coins appear in your account right away. 

With prize redemptions, gift cards are generally sent to the email address connected to your account. With cash prizes, the money will be transferred back via the same method you used to purchase coins originally. If that’s not possible, you can nominate a bank account in the same name as your account.

Social sportsbooks are still a relatively young phenomenon in the US, and the range of banking methods is one area we expect to expand as the industry grows. 

How We Rate the Best Social Sportsbooks

Our process for rating social gambling sites is very simple: we actually sign up and play. Every scrap of information and opinion in our reviews comes from real, first hand experience. We don’t go off press releases or third party websites, and we are meticulous about exploring every corner of every site we review. 

Our team of experts are asked to spend at least two hours researching each of the following six areas before they begin their reviews:

1. User Experience: we sign up for the social sportsbook, purchase coins, and explore everything on offer. This category is all about getting a feel for the site, thinking about the design and aesthetics, and how beginner user friendly it is to navigate around. 

2. Features: we test out every single type of contest and social gambling on offer, from public contests to personal one-on-one games against friends. The world of social gambling is an innovative space, and we love unpicking the different types of unique features each site comes up with.

3. Promotions: we opt-into every single bonus and promotional activity available, to assess how valuable they are and understand any tricky terms and conditions. In the case of mailing requests for Sweeps Coins, this category can take weeks to complete - but we do it. 

4. Payment Methods and Prize Redemption: we test out each method for purchasing coins and redeeming prizes, taking into account things like the variety of methods, ease of use, speed, and transaction fees. In the case of prize redemption, we rate the whole process, and check out things like minimum redemption limits and Sweeps Coins playthrough requirements. 

5. Customer Support: we like to see both a detailed and helpful Help Section, and effective channels for contacting the support team directly. 24/7 live chat support is the gold standard here, but we test out every channel with some test questions. 

6. Responsible Gambling: we want to see practical support for responsible gambling at every site we review. That goes for on-site tools like Reality Checks and purchasing limits, but also links to external support organizations. The ability to self-exclude is also important.

Why Trust Us

The whole team at WSN is made up of industry veterans. Whether its sports betting or online casino games, we’ve been gambling online for decades, and we’ve seen all the trends come and go. In recent years, we have been on the ground floor of the explosions of social and sweepstakes gambling in the US. There is no one in a better position to write our reviews. 

All of this experience is part of every review. We are also committed to explaining both the positives and negatives we find for every site we cover, including giving our honest opinions about what could be improved. 

Responsible Gambling

Social casinos may not be real money gambling sites, but they share the same risks and pitfalls in terms of addictive behavior. Protecting players and encouraging responsible gambling is at the heart of everything we do here at WSN. Here is our advice to maintain a healthy relationship with social casinos:

• Only purchase Gold Coins if you can afford to, and set yourself a weekly or monthly limit. Ultimately, social sportsbooks and sweepstakes gambling sites are businesses that exist to make money, and selling Gold Coins is the main way they do that. 

• Take regular breaks. Playing at social sportsbook should only be part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Setting yourself a daily limit is a good idea. 

• Don’t get hung up on redeeming prizes. Redeeming sweeps coins for prizes is just one part of the social sports betting experience. It’s a fun extra, but it’s not a way to make money consistently. 

There are also lots of support organizations out there, providing practical support and advice for you or anyone you know who might have a problem with social gambling.

• Responsible Gambling Council

• Gamblers Anonymous

• BeGambleAware