Sweepstakes sports betting offers users a way to get in on the sports betting action without having to spend real money with an online sportsbook. As a result, it is more widely accepted across the U.S. than traditional sports gambling.
Sweepstakes sports betting is an alternative to traditional sports gambling. Instead of wagering with real money, players use platform-specific currency, often called something along the lines of “Gold Coins” or “Play Tokens” which can be redeemed for prizes.
As a result, sweepstakes sports betting is legal and legitimate even in many states where traditional sports gambling remains illegal. This is because the use of virtual currency with no cash value means sweepstakes sportsbooks are exempt from the same regulations as real-money bookies.
On this page, we’ll explain how sweepstakes sports betting works, highlighting some of the best sweepstakes and social sportsbooks, and offer advice for gameplay on the platforms. We will also make some predictions about the future of the industry and list where sweepstakes sportsbooks are legal in the United States.
At its core, sweepstakes sports betting functions in the same manner as real-money online sportsbooks; users still make their predictions about the outcomes of sporting events and receive a reward for making correct picks. However, by using virtual currency that is specific to the platform, sweepstakes sportsbooks (sometimes called “social sportsbooks”) are allowed to operate under separate laws for regulation.
The main ideas behind sweepstakes sportsbooks are that winning entries are chance-based and that games are free to play/no purchase necessary.
This also means prizes for winning won’t always be real-money rewards. It’s not uncommon for these sites to offer gift cards as prizes to collect rather than a direct payment, though some sites will allow you to convert the game currency for a cash payout.
These sweepstakes laws also apply to online social casinos. You’ll find many sites that operate a social sportsbook also have a social casino element to the platforms, often with interchangeable currency to play both types of games.
Below are six of the best sweepstakes and social sportsbooks available throughout much of the United States. Idaho and Washington are the only states that prohibit participation on these sites, though legality doesn’t necessarily mean these sportsbooks are available in your area; you’ll need to check with each operator to see if they are live in your state.
Rounding out our list is Kickr, which also operates both sweepstakes sports betting and sweepstakes casino platforms. It is tied with Sportzino for the widest reach on our list with availability in 46 states and is also the oldest.
Users should be advised that Kickr has the longest signup process before they can begin play, as they’ll need to provide their full legal name, date of birth, address, the last four digits of their social security number, and upload a copy of their photo ID before they can make their picks. At other sites, this information isn’t required until trying to withdraw.
Bettor In Green’s Opinion: Of the sportsbook options listed here, Kickr has a noticeably smaller sports betting selection. Still, once you get through the signup process, the gameplay is fun and the rewards can be lucrative.
Launching in the summer of 2024, SportsMillions is more similar to a DFS pick’em site rather than a full-fledged sportsbook; it also offers a social casino. The site offers two types of sports contests: “Pick’Em” and “Blitz’Em,” which can use either of the types of gameplay currency (“Gold Coins” and “Sweepstakes Coins”).
Pick’Em players are tasked with choosing over or under on anywhere from 2-12 player and team props with escalating multipliers for each correct selection, though in most cases, a single incorrect pick scores the entire ticket as a loss. Similarly, Blitz’Em players get a randomly generated five-entry over/under ticket.
Bettor In Green’s Opinion: SportsMillions is one of the newer sweepstakes sports betting sites, but its rapid expansion across the U.S. should help grow its user base in no time. There is a lot of potential here that could lead to future expansion into traditional sports betting.
Our first mobile-only entry on the list, Thrillzz Sportsbook is available on Android and iOS devices alike. It holds a 4.6/5 rating in the Google Play Store and a 4.4/5 rating in the Apple App Store, and in our testing, both versions of the app were quick to load and fluid to browse.
Thrillzz offers two types of gameplay: an individual mode where players try to beat the sportsbook and “Squads,” which allows you to link up with friends or join a group of other Thrillzz users to compete against while making picks.
Bettor In Green’s Opinion: Thrillzz truly lives up to its billing as a “social” sportsbook. The Squads pick’em contests are sure to be the hit of your friend group on the platform.
Sportzino has one of the largest arrays of sports betting markets on this list with 18 sports and loads more eSports options available to its players. It is available in 46 states and also offers a social casino platform.
One way players can earn currency for the platform is through FunPicks prediction contests. These contests involve making guesses on a variety of topics including non-sports items, such as guessing “Who will be voted off the next episode of Survivor?” “What will be the most-streamed TV show on Netflix this week?” or “Who will be the first NBA coach fired this season?”
Bettor In Green’s Opinion: Sportzino sets a high bar for sweepstakes sportsbooks and social casinos alike. We’re big fans of the highly navigable web layout and sleek aesthetic.
Fliff is also a mobile-only sweepstakes sportsbook, available on Apple and Android devices through apps or their respective web browsers. Gameplay coins can be claimed every two hours, giving more chances to play and win than sites that offer a once-a-day check in for coins.
Daily challenges are also available, giving Fliff users even more chances to earn cash prizes. These challenges can involve things like making a certain type of pick or choosing any outcome from select sporting events.
Bettor In Green’s Opinion: If you’re a soccer betting enthusiast, Fliff is far and away the best option for you from this list.
Nicknaming itself as “The Social Sportsbook,” Rebet specializes in head-to-head betting action while also offering a traditional sweepstakes sports betting platform. Players can post bets directly to their “feed,” allowing other users to see bet amounts to trail picks (and “Rebet” them!) and add captions and reactions to maintain the social atmosphere.
Rebet is available in 45 states, the exceptions being Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Nevada. It was also the most responsive of the sportsbooks we tested for this review, with lightning-fast speeds between menus and lines.
Bettor In Green’s Opinion: Rebet could take over the top spot in our rankings once it launches an Android platform. The unique head-to-head playstyle is sure to please.
There are many factors we use to rate sweepstakes and social sportsbooks. At the end of the day, our goal with these ratings is to help users find the sweepstakes sports betting sites that best suit their gambling goals.
Factors we consider include:
Social sportsbooks work in a very similar fashion to real-money online sportsbooks. In most cases, players are still able to choose moneyline, spread, totals, and props to add to their betting slip, though some (like SportsMillions) may instead generate over/under pick’em-style plays for their users at random.
The biggest difference between social sportsbooks and traditional sportsbooks is the use of virtual currencies instead of real money. Players use site-specific currency to make their bets (and collect more of said currency on a win), and later on, they can redeem that currency for prizes (which can sometimes include real money).
You’ll still need to have location settings turned on for whichever device you’re using for your social sportsbook play, mirroring the rules for real-money gambling sites.
Typically, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old to use social sportsbooks, though some sites (like Kickr) will require you to be at least 21.
One of the biggest benefits of using sweepstakes and social sportsbooks is that they are often accessible in areas where traditional sports betting may not be available. Only two states have blocked the use of sweepstakes sportsbooks (Washington and Idaho), though this doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be allowed to use the sportsbook if you aren’t in those states.
Another benefit is the ability to play without using real money. No purchase is necessary to participate since you’re using virtual currency, meaning your “losses” won’t cost you the same way.
Furthermore, because you aren’t using real money, sweepstakes sportsbooks can give you the opportunity to test betting strategies and explore the markets and bet types you don’t normally play. This way, if real-money sports gambling is an option for you, you’ll be able to use your experiences from social sportsbooks to generate more success when the stakes are higher.
Finally, sweepstakes sportsbooks often provide some sort of social element. This often shows up in the form of leaderboards for players with the most correct picks, but it can also include badges that are unlocked by platform success or head-to-head gameplay, enhancing user engagement on the platform.
Sweepstakes sports betting is allowed under most state and federal laws because it does not require players to gamble using real money. By using virtual currency, sweepstakes sportsbooks are exempt from the gambling regulations that their real-money counterparts must abide by, even when virtual currencies can be redeemed for cash prizes.
However, that’s not to say that all rules and regulations are out the window. Some states have passed legislation to fully regulate sweepstakes betting sites while others have allowed them to exist in something of a legal gray area; many states allow DFS play to operate under the same circumstances.
At no point should a sweepstakes sportsbook ever require you to make a deposit to be able to use the platform. By design, these sites must operate under the “no purchase necessary” principle, so if you encounter something to the contrary, it should be a red flag!
Sweepstakes and social sportsbooks are legal in nearly every state, though there are some notable restrictions. Below is the status of sweepstakes sportsbook play in your state:
Virtual currencies at social sportsbooks can be acquired in many ways. Sometimes they are earned simply by checking in on the site, while other times they are awarded for making correct picks/bets.
Because they are sweepstakes sites, they can also be given away at random from a “prize pool” to users who have made a play that day. Coins/tokens can also be purchased using real money, with those purchases resulting in far more currency in return than what is available through the other methods above.
Later on, some of the currencies can be redeemed for prizes or cash equivalents like gift cards. However, some sites will use two types of currencies, one of which will have no cash value whatsoever.
When playing at a social sportsbook, we recommend these tips to maximize your experience.
Additionally, the threat of gambling compulsion is still present even without the same financial involvement and risk. Watch out for the warning signs of addictive behaviors, be transparent with those around you about how much time and money you’re spending at the social sportsbooks, and take a break if you need a cooldown period.
Sweepstakes and social sports betting is at a fascinating point as an industry. There are seemingly countless options to choose from, with more popping up every month, yet many have smaller user bases and struggle to grow and compete in the business.
As real-money sports betting continues to grow across the country, the demand for sweepstake sportsbooks may shrink as they will no longer be needed as a workaround. However, the demand won’t go away entirely, as the free-to-play format still holds value for casual and hardcore players alike.
In a legal sense, the only trend we could predict around sweepstakes sportsbooks would be further establishing legality to eliminate gray areas. However, such legislation may be unnecessary unless the sweepstakes operations push their limits on how they run the platforms and need to be reined in, which doesn’t seem like something they would do.
We could also see more states challenge the legality of sweepstakes sportsbooks, even as a free-to-play option. However, critics of this mindset argue that banning sweepstakes sports betting sites would lead users to gamble at offshore books because there isn’t a safer and legal alternative, thus exposing them to the potential for real harm; as a reminder, you should NEVER gamble at an offshore bookie!
Now that you’re a bit more familiar with how sweepstakes sports betting works, feel free to try out a few of the bookies we mentioned above and see which ones might offer you a fun new way to play! As a reminder, you should treat social sportsbooks the same way as their real money counterparts, participating in a safe and responsible manner.
When making your picks and bets at social sportsbooks, it always helps to be as informed as possible. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to sign up for the Bettor In Green Cheat Sheets which cover NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL prop markets, updated daily to help you with expert analysis and consolidated data.
The cheat sheets are available for $9.99/month or $100/year.
Good luck, have fun, and always play responsibly!
You must be at least 18 years old to use a social sportsbook. In most states, this is below the legal gambling age.
Yes, it is free to play on social sportsbooks. However, if you run out of in-game currency, you will have the option to purchase more.
You can bet on many of the same sports through social sportsbooks as you would at traditional online sportsbooks. However, you’re most likely to find NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, college basketball, and college football markets.
AS SEEN ON:
Bettor In Green is your go-to platform for sports betting and daily fantasy sports, designed to help you dominate player props.
Copyright: © 2026 Made with 💚 By The Bettor In Green team. All Rights Reserved.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
