US social sportsbooks March 2025
Social sportsbooks have exploded in popularity in recent years, drawing in players with the chance to make free bets on sports and potentially win prizes.
Available in 49 US states, social sportsbooks allow users to play with free virtual currencies gained through various promos, some of which can be redeemed for cash prizes or gift cards.
I’ve looked at the social sportsbook market, and in this guide, I’ll explain why I’ve chosen Sportzino, Fliff, and BetRivers.NET as the best social sportsbooks the industry has to offer.
Compare the best social sportsbooks
Top three: all you need to know about the best
| 🏟️ Social sportsbook | 🎁 Welcome bonus | 🎫 Bonus code | 🏈 Sports offered | ✅ Bet types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sportzino | Up to 200,000 GC + 9 SC | N/A | 41 | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, team props, parlays, same-game parlays, futures |
| Fliff | 100% up to $100 FC | TIME2PLAY | 9 | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, team props, parlays |
| BetRivers.NET | 250 Virtual Credits | N/A | 38 | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, team props, parlays, same-game parlays, futures |
| Legendz | 500 GC + 3 FREE SC | N/A | 35 | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, team props, parlays |
| Thrillzz | 3,000 Thrillzz Coins + 3 Thrillzz Sweeps | N/A | 6 | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, team props, parlays, futures |
| Onyx Odds | 1,000 Onyx Coins | N/A | 7 | Moneyline, spread, total, player props, team props, parlays |
To complete a review of a social sportsbook, I spend at least three days examining every aspect of the platform.
I test the customer support systems and responsible gaming tools, calculate the payouts for the overall site and specific sports, and evaluate the betting features and how easy it is to navigate the platform.
Using Time2play’s review methodology, I give objective ratings to these individual aspects of a social sportsbook based on set criteria, which come together to form an overall rating. So you can feel confident that these recommendations are objective, fair, and consistent.
🥇1. Sportzino Best sports selection
Sportzino sets itself apart from other social sportsbooks with its enormous range of 41 sports. While other social sportsbooks struggle to offer double-digit sports, Sportzino’s total rivals those of regular sportsbooks like bet365.
What also makes Sportizo stand out is its generous welcome bonus of 200,000 Gold Coins and nine Sweepstakes Coins, which allows new users ample opportunity to explore the platform without having to open their wallets. A daily log-in bonus of 20,000 GC and one SC means you’re never pressured into a purchase either.
Furthermore, Sportzino boasts live streaming, a rare feature for a social sportsbook, as none of our other reviewed platforms offer it. Simply put, Sportzino tops the list because it best emulates all the features you expect from a regular sportsbook.
Pros
- 41 sports to bet on
- 200,000 GC + 9 SC welcome bonus
- Available in 46 states
Cons
- No mobile app
- Only 3 redemption options
🥈2. Fliff Best mobile app
Fliff earned the second-place spot thanks largely to an intuitive and well-crafted app, available for iOS and Android, that makes betting on the platform simple and fun. The platform is exclusive to the betting app, but it’s so fast and easy to use that not having a desktop option was never a concern for me.
While Fliff doesn’t have the sports selection to rival Sportzino, all the major ones like the NFL, NBA, and MLB are available. So you’ll always be able to wager on top events like the NBA Finals or World Series with ease.
I also appreciated how Fliff makes a big effort to emphasize the social aspect of its platform. Players can compete versus one another in leaderboards, play against and chat with their friends, explore and follow the profiles of the top performers, create a custom avatar, and take part in daily challenges.
Pros
- iOS and Android apps available
- 100% deposit match welcome bonus
- Loyalty program
Cons
- Only nine sports available
- No live chat
🥉3. BetRivers.NET Best betting markets
BetRivers.NET gets my seal of approval as the go-to option for anyone looking for a huge range of sports and markets to dive into. Sportzino has BetRivers.NET beat in total sports with 41 compared to 38, but BetRivers.NET is in another league in terms of sheer number of markets on offer.
Players will find over 500 betting markets for football and baseball and over 250 for basketball on the platform. If live betting is your thing, BetRivers.NET has you similarly well covered, with over 50 different events to wager on every day.
BetRivers.NET has room for improvement, with no mobile app available and limited support options. But for those looking for a play-for-fun social sportsbook that most closely matches how traditional sportsbooks operate, BetRivers.NET is an easy choice.
Pros
- Available in all US states
- 38 sports available
- Low minimum purchase
Cons
- No mobile app
- No phone or live chat
Social sportsbooks explained
How do social sportsbooks work? Simply put, they offer play-for-fun versions of real-money sportsbooks for entertainment purposes.
Just like sweepstakes casinos, social sportsbooks let players use virtual currencies to play on their platforms. But instead of slots and table games, it’s wagering on sporting events using bet options like moneyline and props that closely match those of regular sportsbooks.
Virtual currency at social sportsbooks
Social sportsbooks let you play for free, but you can always purchase more virtual currency. Some of them even let you redeem that currency for cash prizes or gift cards.
Social sportsbooks have two types of currency, GC and SC, which can both be used to make bets but have fundamental differences outlined below:
| Coin type | Use | Purchasable? | Redeemable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coins | Making free bets for entertainment purposes | Yes, through packs | No, GC hold no monetary value outside the platform |
| Sweepstakes Coins | Used for bets in promotional mode where winnings can be redeemed | No, but they are given freely as part of GC packs | Yes, for cash and gift cards |
Both GC and SC can be gained through promos, earned through social media contests, or won through predictions.
Purchasing is pretty straightforward, and you can follow the basic steps below:
- Go to the Cashier or Wallet section in the menu (or an equivalent)
- Check if there are any payment promos available
- Pick your preferred coin package
- Choose a payment method
- Confirm and enjoy
Redeeming prizes
As for redemptions, those can be a bit trickier. You can only redeem using SC that has been won, and you’ll need a minimum amount of eligible SC to redeem. Some terms even change depending on what you’re redeeming, such as gift cards occasionally having a lower minimum SC requirement.
Always check the terms and conditions. The best social sportsbooks will have a ‘Sweeps Rules’ button in the footer, breaking down all the specific redemption terms. State restrictions will also be in this section, such as Florida restricting large redemption prizes of over 10,000 SC.
Once you’ve done your required reading, you can follow my guide to redeem your winnings:
- Go to the Cashier or Wallet section in the menu (or an equivalent).
- Select your redemption method.
- Enter the amount you wish to redeem.
- Photo ID verification and proof of residence will be required before the redemption is authorized.
- Once all steps are complete, the redemption will be processed.
Payment methods comparison
Most bettors have one or two betting payment methods they like to stick to, and it can be a hassle checking out every social sportsbook to see which one has what.
That’s why I’ve done the dirty work for you, and prepared a handy table you can use to see if your favorite social sportsbook has the payment method you use.
| Social sportsbook | VISA | Mastercard | Amex | Discover | PayPal | Skrill | Apple Pay | Bank transfer | ACH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sportzino | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| BetRivers.NET | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Legendz | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Thrillzz | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Onyx Odds | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Social sportsbooks bonuses and promos
As social sportsbooks are, first and foremost, play-for-fun platforms, bonuses and promos are key to using them. These provide players with a steady stream of free virtual currency, so they keep playing without having to make a purchase if they don’t want to.
Here are all the bonuses and promos you’ll find on social sportsbooks, how to claim them, and who offers the best.
- Sign-up bonus — Upon signing up, players will see their accounts instantly credited with a designated amount of GC and SC. Sportzino stands out for its offering, with up to 200,000 GC and nine SC available if you jump through certain hoops, such as consenting to email notifications.
- First-purchase bonus — Usually paired with the sign-up bonus, social sportsbooks offer a discount on your first purchase of GC coins. Navigate to the purchase page, and the discounts will be marked on the packs.
- Daily log-in bonus — Social sportsbooks will reward players to use the platform daily with a modest boost in coins. You don’t have to do anything, a pop-up will let you know your bonus has been added to your account.
- Parlay boosts — Social sportsbooks will add extra winnings on top of your potential payout. Sportzino’s are great because the bigger the parlay, the bigger the boost offered. Simply pick your bets, and you’ll see the promo automatically added to the bet builder.
- Tournament promos — There’s always a big sports tournament going on, and the best social sportsbooks will capitalize on that by offering promos around it. Keep an eye on the promotions page at the time to find offers.
- VIP program — Legendz is a great example of this, with a five-tier program that players progress through by making bets and are rewarded with special bonuses and features like an account manager.
- Boosted odds: Promos that offer a greater payout to a bet for the same risk. Boosted odds aren’t exclusive to just tournament promos, and most social betting platforms will have a few boosted odds on rotation, often at the top of the main sports page.
- Tournament promos — There’s always a big sports tournament going on, and the best social sportsbooks will capitalize on that by offering promos around it. You can find these on the promotions page. Legendz always has great tournament promos, with a recent Super Bowl one offering 25 SC for in-game play if you bet 25 SC pre-game.
- Mail-in request — Technically not a bonus, as it’s a legal sweepstakes requirement for a social sportsbook to offer SC via a handwritten mail-in request. Sites will have details on exactly how to do this in their terms and conditions. Getting five SC per request is considered good (Sportzino offers this).
Types of picks and contests
For anyone who’s used a regular sportsbook before, you’ll be instantly familiar with bet types offered by social sportsbooks. Not every social sportsbook provides every bet type I’ll go over here, so first, here are the ones you’ll find at nearly every platform:
- Moneyline — The simplest of all bets, a straight-up prediction of which team or player will win a game or match.
- Point spread — A wager on a chosen team’s margin of victory, with the oddsmakers setting the line that acts as a handicap between the two competitors.
- Total — Picking whether the total number of points scored in a game will be higher or lower than the figure set by the sportsbook.
And here are some less frequently offered bet types:
- Futures — wagers on the ultimate outcomes of sporting events or awards, like the World Series winner or the NFL MVP.
- Props — bets on more specific aspects of a game beyond the outcome, such as individual player statistics. These are often split into player props and team props.
- Parlays — a bet that groups together two or more individual bets to create a larger payout. Bets that include multiple wagers from a single match are called same-game parlays. These are available at some social sportsbooks like Sportzino, but not at others like Legendz.
Are social sportsbooks legal?
Yes, social sportsbooks are completely legal. Because social sportsbooks don’t allow players to directly wager or win money, they don’t operate under the same strict laws as regular sportsbooks, which require gambling licenses.
Instead, social sportsbooks work under the sweepstakes model — the use of virtual currencies is the critical aspect of this — and are therefore more widely available across the US, even in states where sports betting isn’t legal.
In fact, Washington is the only state that outright bans social sportsbooks, though four others — Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, and Tennessee — don’t allow players to redeem coin prizes.
Are social sportsbooks safe?
Yes, they are safe to use. While social sportsbooks don’t need licenses to operate like regular sportsbooks, they are required to work under US sweepstakes law.
Moreover, social sportsbooks protect players by providing the kind of responsible gaming tools bettors will be familiar with from regular sportsbooks, such as time and purchase limits, cooling-off periods, and self-exclusion.
Social sportsbooks vs. regular sportsbooks
The key difference between social sportsbooks and regular sportsbooks is simple: money. Social sportsbooks use free virtual currencies and only allow players to redeem specific prizes. Meanwhile, regular sportsbooks require real-money deposits and provide real-money payouts.
Because they are classed as gambling, regular sportsbooks are far more regulated and require licenses to operate. Social sportsbooks, meanwhile, work under the more relaxed sweepstakes laws.
But beyond that main difference, the two share a lot of surface-level similarities. You’ll often find that the top social sportsbooks mirror the site design, betting markets, and betting features like cash-out and bet builder of regular sportsbooks.
Social sportsbooks vs. DFS betting
Both social sportsbooks and Daily Fantasy Sites (DFS) present themselves as alternatives to traditional sports betting. However, the main distinction, like with regular sportsbooks, is their financial models. DFS sites allow players to deposit and withdraw money. Meanwhile, as mentioned previously, social sportsbooks operate using a sweepstakes model.
DFS also has an entirely different format of betting. Instead of wagers like moneyline or prop, DFS betting is when users pick a fantasy team of players for a sport and then enter contests against other users with that team.
Signing up to a social sportsbook
Signing up for a social sportsbook is easy, especially if you’ve previously signed up for a regular sportsbook, casino, or sweepstakes casino. It often only takes a few minutes, and some social sportsbooks like Sportzino will let you explore the site without signing up.
If you’re a newcomer to online betting, here’s a step-by-step guide for signing up for a social sportsbook.
- Choose your social sportsbook
- Find and click the “Sign Up” button on the homepage, often clearly illuminated at the top right of the screen
- Enter your basic info — name, date of birth, email, age — and choose a username and password. Most social sportsbooks will allow you to sign up with an existing outside account like Google.
- Agree to the site’s terms and conditions.
- Confirm your identify, often through verifying a phone number.
- You’re good to go. Play for free with coins given as a no-deposit bonus, and if you wish, purchase packs of coins to continue the action.
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6 payment methods
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6 payment methods
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8 payment methods
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7 payment methods
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6 payment methods