How do social sportsbooks work?
If you’re interested in placing social bets but don’t live in a state where real money betting is legal, then social sportsbooks offer a great opportunity to get involved. You can place social bets on a huge range of sports, but instead of using real money, you’ll be using virtual currencies instead. And because there’s no real money involved, you’ll actually be able to access these sites in far more states.
Social sportsbooks use two different types of virtual currencies: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins - just like a social casino. It’s super important to understand the differences because even though you can use both to place your picks, they have some distinct differences. Gold Coins are the main virtual currency that you’ll use and then have simply for enjoying the process of social betting. They have no monetary value, so they’re great for testing out new strategies or placing social bets on new sports. You can also purchase Gold Coin packages if you choose to, but this is completely optional.
Sweeps Coins, on the other hand, can also be used to place your picks or social bets, but they do have some value beyond this. Sweeps Coins can actually be redeemed for real money prizes, as long as you meet a few conditions. One important thing to remember, though, is that Sweeps Coins can’t be bought; they can only be won through social betting or claimed in bonus offers. Sweeps Coins that you win through gameplay could become eligible for prize redemptions either using bank transfer or with gift cards instead. Which method you choose will likely depend on how many eligible Sweeps Coins you have, since you typically need fewer for gift card redemptions.
Pros and cons of social sportsbooks
- Play social bets with virtual currencies
- Generous welcome offers
- Available in over 40 states
- Mobile social betting
- Not all sites have downloadable apps
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How to place social bets for free
Not only are social sportsbooks available in over 40 US states, except Alabama, Delaware, Idaho, Washington, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, and Nevada, but you can also place your picks for free. But how do you do this? Well, the easiest way to do this is by claiming the welcome bonus or sign-up offers available. Every social sportsbook has its own sign-up offer, and you can always check what promotions a platform has running before you sign up.
Just like sweepstakes casinos online, all social sportsbooks are required to give new users some virtual currencies to place social bets with. This means that you can collect some Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins from every site you sign up to. These offers are only available to new users so if you’ve previously signed up to a social sportsbook, then you won’t be able to claim them.
| Social Sportsbook | Sign-Up Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1. Fliff Fliff Review | Fliff Bonus | Spend $50, Get up to $100 in Fliff Coins |
| 2. Thrillzz Thrillzz Review | Thrillzz Bonus | Spend $25 Get $50 in Coins |
| 3. Legendz Casino Legendz Casino Review | Legendz Casino Bonus | Get up to 103 SC + 20,500 GC for FREE with Legendz! |
| 4. Onyx Odds Onyx Odds Review | Onyx Odds Bonus | 100% purchase match for up to 100 in Onyx Cash Free Picks |
Some social sportsbooks will have a second part to their sign-up offer in the form of a first purchase bonus. This is essentially a boosted Gold Coin package that you can purchase if you choose to and it usually offers more value than the regular package. You can often claim up to 200% extra Gold Coins with this offer, but it’s important to remember that claiming it is completely optional. All social sportsbooks are free to play and although many users do choose to boost their virtual currency balance this way, you’re not obligated to at all.
Daily rewards
Many social sportsbooks will also offer some kind of daily reload bonus which means that you can keep claiming Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins every day. Not every site will offer this but many do as a way to allow users to keep placing social picks. The bonus will usually reset every 24 hours, although I have seen social sportsbooks where the bonus resets every four hours, but it’s less common.
Top five social sportsbooks
Now that I’ve given you a bit of a flavor of how social sportsbooks work, let’s talk about which ones I recommend you check out. There are so many social sportsports out there and the one you choose is a very personal choice. So, I’ve pulled together this list of my top five social sportsbooks to help you decide which one to sign up to.
| Social sportsbooks | Sign up offer |
| Thrillzz | 3,000 Thrillzz Coins + 3 Thrillzz Sweeps |
| Sportzino | 220,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins |
| Fliff | 5,000 Fliff Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin |
| Kickr | 150,000 Bits + 4 Bucks |
| Onyx Odds | 1,000 Onyx Coins |
Thrillzz: Place social bets across major leagues
- Highly rated social sportsbook app
- 3,000 Thrillzz Coins + 3 Thrillzz Sweeps welcome offer
- User-friendly interface
- Always free to use
- No desktop social sportsbook
Thrillzz is a super popular social sportsbook where you can place social picks and predictions across dozens of popular sports. This includes all major leagues, including the NBA, NFL, NCAA, MLB, and MLS. Thrillzz even has a downloadable mobile app, which is fantastic for users who would like to enjoy social betting on the go. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices, so no matter what smartphone or tablet you have, you can place your social bets with a few taps.
You can even place these social bets for free by claiming the welcome bonus. Right now, Thrillzz is offering new users 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and 3 Thrillzz Sweeps when you sign up and verify your account. You’ll also have the opportunity to purchase a boosted Thrillzz Coin package, which will give you 100% extra virtual currencies. Thrillzz Coins is this site’s unique name for Gold Coins, and although the names are different, they work the same way.
Sportzino: Claim a welcome bonus of 220,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins
Sportzino is another popular social sportsbook that offers social picks on over 40 sports across a variety of betting types, including parlays, singles, and points spread. And the best part? You can do so without any required Gold Coins package purchases. Strap yourself in for this welcome bonus because it’s a big one! New users can grab 220,000 Gold Coins and 10 Sweeps Coins when they sign up for your account. However, there are a few steps involved with this.
Firstly, you’ll need to sign up through these links and complete the registration form. Then to claim the full welcome bonus, you’ll need to:
- Register for your new account - 20,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
- Link your Sportzino account with your Facebook account - 20,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
- Verify your phone number - 30,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
- Subscribe to email and SMS notifications - 60,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins
- Connect your Google account - 20,000 Gold Coins + 1 Sweeps Coin
The last step is to claim your first daily reload bonus of 20,000 Gold Coins and 1 Sweeps Coin. This is a fantastic way to keep your virtual currency balance boosted, and you can keep claiming it every day, so you always have virtual currency for your social picks.
Fliff: Unlock a 100% boosted optional Fliff Coins package
- Daily bonuses and challenges
- Excellent sports coverage and odds
- Strong social and community features
- No web-based predictions
Fliff is a fantastic social sportsbook that offers all types of social betting across a wide range of sports, including most major leagues. And as you might expect, Fliff offers a great welcome bonus so that you can place your social picks for free. When you sign up through these page banners and verify your email address, you’ll grab 5,000 Fliff Coins (Gold Coins) and 1 Fliff Cash (Sweeps Coins).
Just like Thrillzz, Fliff has its own names for the virtual currencies, but they work the same way as Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. And you’ll also unlock a first purchase bonus offer where you can grab an extra 100% Fliff Coins with your first Fliff Coins purchase. Just remember that any Fliff Coins package purchases are completely optional. You could grab a huge 400,000 Fliff Coins and 40 free Fliff Cash for $19.99.
Kickr: Place social picks on moneylines, spreads and props
- Free Bits and Bucks for new players
- Several free promos for existing players
- Exclusive VIP program
- No live chat
Kickr is a pretty comprehensive social sportsbook with social betting available across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, College Football, Soccer, Motorsports, F1, and MMA. So if you’re looking for a site that prioritizes a variety of sports available for social picks, this could be the one for you. And the range of social picks you can place is huge, covering everything from moneylines to spreads.
And why not take advantage of the welcome bonus so that you can place your picks for free? New users can grab 150,000 Bits (Gold Coins) and 4 Bucks (Sweeps Coins) with no social casino promo code required. To do this, simply sign up through the page banners, verify your email address and then load up your new account. You’ll find that your welcome bonus has been automatically loaded into your virtual currency balance, ready for you to use.
Onyx Odds: A new social sportsbook
- Free sports picks and predictions
- VIP program for existing users
- Low minimum Onyx Cash prize redemption
- Not available in some US states
I’d consider Onyx Odds to be the newest social sportsbook on my list, but it still offers loads of choice for placing social picks. The welcome bonus is the smallest of all the sites I’ve covered, though, offering 1000 Onyx Coins (Gold Coins) for new users. However, this site does have a great first purchase bonus that you can unlock when you sign up.
With this, you can grab 10,000 Onyx Coins and 25 free Onyx Cash (Sweeps Coins) for $10. Just remember, though, that this is a completely optional step, and you can just stick to the free welcome bonus if you prefer to. Onyx Odds even has its own VIP Club, which you can join as soon as you sign up. With this, you’ll collect points every time you place social picks, which will help you progress through the different tiers. Each new tier will allow you to unlock some exclusive rewards and promotions.
How to sign up for social sportsbooks
If you’ve decided on the social sportsbook that you’d like to sign up to, here’s a handy step-by-step guide to help you through the process. Signing up is super straightforward and usually takes no more than a few minutes.
- Click on the page banner for your chosen social sportsbook and head straight over to the homepage.
- If your chosen site has an app, you can either download it or you can load up the site in your browser. Most social sportsbooks are optimized for both desktop and mobile browsers, based on your preference.
- To create your account, you’ll need to enter some personal details, including your full name, birth date, email address, home address, and so on. Many sites will allow you to sign up using your Google or Apple account, which can help speed up the process.
- Choose your unique username and create a strong password.
- Read and accept the T&Cs when prompted to.
- You’ll need to verify your email address to unlock your full sign-up offer. Some sites require you to verify your mobile number, too, so be sure to do this if required.
And that’s it! If you follow these steps, you should now be logged into your new account with your welcome bonus ready for you. You can then enjoy a variety of social betting opportunities across many popular sports and major leagues. By using a social sportsbook, you can get involved in all the sporting action, but without any necessary Gold Coin package purchases. If you’re interested in exploring new social casino sites that are similar but offer casino-style games rather than social betting, you can check out my guides on this.
Final thoughts on social sportsbooks
Well, that concludes my guide on all you need to know about social sportsbooks. You now know that social sportsbooks are very similar to regular sportsbooks, except you’ll use virtual currencies to place social picks instead of real money. Because there’s no real money involved, you’ll find that social sportsbooks are available in over 40 states, making them a much better option for many users.
You can also place your picks for free by signing up to my recommended sites and claiming the welcome offers. For example, if you sign up to Thrillzz then you’ll be able to claim a welcome bonus of 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and 3 Thrillzz Sweeps. Similarly, if you sign up to Sportzino, you’ll collect a whopping sign up offer of 220,000 Gold Coins and 10 Sweeps Coins.
To sign up, simply head to the page banners and click the links for your chosen social sportsbook. Then all you need to do is complete the registration form, verify your account, and claim your sign-up bonus to start exploring all the available sports and major leagues.
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Social sportsbooks FAQs
What are social sportsbooks?
Social sportsbooks are platforms that allow you to place social picks and bets without using real money. Instead, you’ll use virtual currencies like Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. You’ll even be able to make your social bets for free by claiming the available sign-up offers.
Can I place social picks for free at social sportsbooks?
Yes! All social sportsbooks will offer some form of welcome bonus for you to claim, which usually contains Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. You can then use these virtual currencies to place picks across the most popular sports and major leagues like the NFL, MLB, and NBA.
Do social sportsbooks have apps to download?
Some social sportsbooks will have an app that you can download, but it will differ from site to site. Thrillzz, for example, has a downloadable app that's available for both Android and Apple devices. But don’t worry if your chosen site doesn’t have an app because they’re all optimized for mobile use. This means that you can load them up in your mobile browser without compromising the usability. How great is that?
Can I win real money at social sportsbooks?
No, you won’t be able to win real money at social sportsbooks because you’ll be using virtual currencies to make all of your social picks. However, you will have the opportunity to redeem your Sweeps Coins for real money prizes, as long as you meet the minimum requirements. You’ll also need to play your Sweeps Coins through at least once before they become redeemable.
