Pros And Cons Of Social (Betting) Gambling
Before dealing with the question about whether social gambling is legal, we’d like to “jump the gun” and offer the upsides and at least one downside of exploring social wagering. Here goes:
Pros
- Freemium social predictions
- Potential real prize redemption after meeting requirements
- No-purchase bonuses and promos
Cons
- Unavailable in some US states
How Does Social Betting Work?
You probably found this page because you’re looking for an answer to the question, “What is social gambling?” Based on our experience in social gaming, we’d describe this more accurately as social betting or even social sports predictions.
We’ll use throughout this article to explain how it works as a laid-back, legally compliant alternative to traditional gambling.
With traditional gambling, players and bettors are required to use traditional currencies.
However, with social wagering, you’ll have access to the same betting markets and casino-style games that traditional gambling sites offer.
Only this time, you’ll use virtual currencies instead of traditional currencies, and depending on your local laws, you might be able to redeem real prizes.
As the name implies, there’s a focus on the social aspect of wagering. That explains why many top social wagering sites incorporate community features, such as social media tie-ins, leaderboards, tournaments, and on-site chat boards, into their services and operations.
We’ve noticed these additions help create a more engaging and interactive experience for players.
How Is Social Gambling Legal?
Since social gambling (actually social betting) refers to activities without wagering traditional currencies, it’s generally legal in most US states. However, state legislation creates limits, so social wagering sites aren’t available everywhere. Players must be of legal age in the jurisdiction where these sites are permitted before using their services or redeeming real money prizes.
How In-Game Virtual Currencies Work at Social Gambling Sites
Most social wagering sites use in-game currencies called Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC). Although some sites get creative with names (for example, Fliff uses Fliff Coins and Fliff Cash instead), they all function similarly to GC and SC. Here’s how they work.
Let’s take free social sportsbooks, for instance. The GC you’ll be offered can only be used to explore betting markets for fun and can’t be redeemed for alternative prizes.
At most sites, you’ll be able to make optional GC package purchases to get a quick top-up to your account.
You’ll also be able to explore the social sportsbooks with your SC and can redeem them for real prizes as long as you meet certain terms. However, you can’t purchase SC at social sportsbooks.
Social wagering sites offer bettors GC and SC via no-purchase bonuses and promotions. So, you don’t need initial GC package purchases to explore their services. That brings us to the question: are there no deposit social sportsbook platforms?
The answer is no. Since social sportsbooks operate a free-to-play model, they don’t have no deposit offers.
Are Social Sportsbooks Legal?
Yes, they are. They comply with federal regulations and local legislation. That’s why they aren’t available in some US States. Even in those states where they’re legal, some social sportsbooks have limited operations.
For instance, in Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, or Tennessee, these sites don’t offer real cash prize redemptions.
In states like Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, or South Carolina, you can redeem cash prizes. However, you won’t receive complimentary SC bonuses if you make optional GC package purchases.
With the other US States where social sportsbooks are legal, you’ll be able to enjoy their services without any restrictions. We suggest checking the banners on this page to discover what social prediction sites are legal in your location and the scope of their operations.
5 Sites To Explore In Regions Where Social Gambling (Actually Social Betting) Is Legal
Here are the top five sites we recommend for anyone looking to explore social predictions in the U.S.
Thrillzz – Best for Innovative Features
We like the innovative features that Thrillzz offers its bettors. The site allows you to make no-purchase pre-match and live bets, create your squad of friends, chat, and share picks.
You’ll also have access to place social wagers on major U.S. and international sports leagues using Thrillz Coins and Thrillz Sweeps.
Once you sign up to Thrillz, you’ll be welcomed to the site with 3,000 Thrillzz Coins + 3 Thrillzz Sweeps.
The site also offers several promotions for its existing social bettors, including a stacked loyalty program. We like how easy it is to sign up via app and use it for pre-match social picks while on the go.
Kickr – Best for Bonuses
In our opinion, Kickr offers one of the best bonuses for new social sportsbooks. The site uses Bits and Bucks instead of GC and SC, and you’ll be awarded 150,000 Bits + 4 Bucks once you sign up to the site.
Kickr offers both social casino and social sportsbook products, and you can explore any of these products with your welcome bonus.
There are also several other promos that you can explore, including a daily login bonus, a referral program, a drip bonus, social media contests, and a unique Kickr Leagues program.
Although the site doesn’t offer a native app, it’s fully optimized for mobile devices.
Legendz – Best for Social Gambling Products
Like Kickr, Legendz boasts a social casino and social sportsbook on the same site. Unlike Kickr, Legendz offers more casino games and betting markets.
Once you sign up to Legendz, you’ll have access to 300+ games and 30+ sports events to explore.
We think the 500 GC + 3 SC welcome bonus could be better, but it’s definitely enough to kickstart your Legendz experience, especially when there are lots of promotions to hop on for more rewards.
We particularly like the impressive range of betting lines available in its sportsbook, and the best part is, you don’t need downloads to explore Legendz’s products.
Onyx Odds – Best for User Experience
At the time of this review, Onyx Odds doesn’t have a dedicated app or a fully functional desktop version. We could only access the site via a mobile browser, but the experience was great nonetheless.
Onyx Odds offered us a no-purchase welcome bonus of 1,000 Onyx Coins, which we didn’t mind as we noticed something more interesting. The site allows you to place social wagers on over/under stats and other prop bets for NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL contests in a pick ’em-style game mode.
We were thrilled at the ease with which we tracked real-time odds and compared our picks using the mobile browsers on our devices.
Fliff – Best for Native App
Although you can access the Fliff site via your desktop browser, you’ll get the best Fliff experience when you’re on the app. The app is available for Android and iOS users, and you can easily place social picks on your preferred sports events using 100+ betting lines.
Based on our tests, the app covers NBA and NFL events quite well and enables 24/7 support.
After signing up, we were offered 5,000 Fliff Coins + a 100% match on the first Fliff Coin package purchase. Fliff also offers several promotions for its existing customers.
There’s also a Boosted option feature that offers no-purchase odds boosts that double the return on your correct picks and predictions.
Here’s a quick look at what our recommended sites offer their new customers.
| Site | Welcome bonus |
|---|---|
| Thrillz | 3,000 Thrillzz Coins + 3 Thrillzz Sweeps |
| Kickr | 150,000 Bits + 4 Bucks |
| Legendz | 500 GC + 3 SC |
| Onyx Odds | 1,000 Onyx Coins |
| Fliff | 5,000 Fliff Coins |
How to explore our recommended sites where social gambling is legal
Now that you know the top social gambling sites to explore, take the following steps to do just that:
- Click the links on this page to land on your preferred site
- Click the “Sign Up”, “Join Now”, or “Register” button
- Manually fill out the sign-up form with your deets, or use any of the third-party options the site provides
- Accept the terms and conditions and confirm your age
- Submit the form and access your account
- Claim your welcome offer
Depending on the site, you might need to verify your identity before claiming your offer or vice versa. However, you’d need to verify your identity before redeeming your alternative prizes.
If the site is app-based, here are the steps to take:
- Download the app to your iOS or Android device
- Sign up by filling in the form with your personal information
- Create your username and password
- Submit your application
Whether you sign up via an app or website, the process often takes only a few minutes.
Quick Facts About Social Gambling
Before rounding up this guide, here are some takeaways we’d like you to have:
- Social gambling involves the use of in-game currencies instead of traditional currencies
- It’s a viable alternative to traditional gambling in some US States
- However, social gambling isn’t available in all US States.
- Thrillz, Kickr, Legendz, Onyx Odds, and Fliff are the best social gambling sites to explore.
Conclusion – We’ve Shown You How Social Gambling Is Legal
Social predictions are a great alternative to explore in US jurisdictions where traditional punting is unavailable.
At this point in the guide, you should know why Thrillz, Kickr, Legendz, Onyx Odds, and Fliff are the best social betting sites to explore. You also know how to sign up to these sites.
So, what next? We suggest that you click the links on this page to sign up at any of our recommended sites that are available in your region and have a rewarding social wagering experience.
