Updated September 23, 2026
Editorial Review By: Jay SaninHead of Sports
Social sportsbooks let you make picks on your favorite teams and players using virtual currencies, with the chance to win real prizes. Below, we’ll cover how they work, where you can play in the USA, and the best social betting sites and apps for 2026.
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Not every social sportsbook offers the same experience, and each of our top picks has something a little different going for it. Below, we’ll take a closer look at what we like about each one, where it could be better, and who it makes the most sense for.
4.5 / 5
ATS Score
4.5 / 5
ATS Score
Fliff launched in 2019, making it one of the early names in the social sportsbook space. Today, it offers spreads, totals, player props and parlays across most major sports, along with casino games and peer-to-peer Pick’Em contests.
There’s also plenty to do beyond making picks, with daily challenges, leaderboards, achievement badges and XP that can be redeemed for gift cards. That combination of sports, games and rewards is a big reason Fliff gets our No. 1 spot for 2026.
🔑 Key Features
⚠️ Potential Downsides
4.5 / 5
ATS Score
4.5 / 5
ATS Score
Legendz is one of the newer names in the social sportsbook space, launching in late 2024 with both sports and casino games. Despite being relatively new, it already offers one of the widest selections of sports and markets we’ve seen.
That’s why we named Legendz the best social sportsbook for sports and market variety. It covers 35+ sports, from the NFL, NBA and MLB to soccer, MMA and esports, with plenty of props and live markets. You also get a bet builder, cash-out functionality and the “My Combo” feature, which can automatically build parlays based on your preferences.
🔑 Key Features
⚠️ Potential Downsides
4.3 / 5
ATS Score
4.3 / 5
ATS Score
Thrillzz launched in February 2024 and is operated by Tennessee-based Thrillzz Inc. The social sportsbook covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, college sports and more, with everything from straight picks and player props to parlays and live betting.
I consider Thrillzz the best social sportsbook for playing with friends because it puts more emphasis on social features than most of the platforms I’ve tested. You can create Squads with friends, chat and share picks, compete in challenges and climb leaderboards. You can even earn loyalty points for sharing picks with other players.
🔑 Key Features
⚠️ Potential Downsides
4.3 / 5
ATS Score
4.3 / 5
ATS Score
Play Bracco is a social sportsbook and casino operated by Bracco LLC and available in more than 40 states. It offers pregame and live markets across all the major sports, along with player props, same-game parlays and a full social casino.
I named Play Bracco the best social sportsbook for promotions and boosts because there’s almost always something available beyond the welcome offer. Bracco regularly runs boosted lines and parlay boosts across the NFL, MLB, college football and soccer, along with more creative promos like home run boosts and parlay insurance.
🔑 Key Features
⚠️ Potential Downsides
4.0 / 5
ATS Score
4.0 / 5
ATS Score
Courtside launched in 2026 and has quickly built out a pretty complete social sportsbook, covering everything from the NFL, NBA and MLB to college sports, soccer and more. Along with regular spreads, totals and moneylines, there’s a big focus on player props and Pick’Em contests.
That’s why I have Courtside as the best social betting app for player props. You can play props straight, combine them into parlays or same-game parlays, or make Over/Under picks through Pick’Em. There’s also plenty of variety within each sport, including 14 different stat categories for basketball alone.
🔑 Key Features
⚠️ Potential Downsides
Choose a Social Sportsbook
Start by finding a social betting site or app that accepts players in your state. Look at the welcome offer and other important features before deciding which one you want to use.
Create an Account
Sign up through the website or mobile app and enter your basic information, such as your name, email address and state of residence.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus
Check your account for any free virtual currency included with the welcome offer. Some social sportsbooks also offer a first-purchase match or bonus if you decide to buy a coin package.
Make Your Picks
Use your virtual currency to make picks on moneylines, spreads, totals, player props, parlays and other available markets.
Redeem Your Winnings
Once you have enough redeemable sweepstakes currency, you can request a prize. Depending on the social sportsbook, redemption options can include cash or gift cards.
Welcome offers can vary quite a bit between social sportsbooks, with some giving you free virtual currency just for signing up and others adding a bonus to your first purchase. Here’s how the welcome offers at the top social sportsbooks compare.
Social sportsbooks are available across much of the U.S., including some states where traditional online sports betting isn't legal. However, availability can vary quite a bit from one platform to another, so there isn't one list of states that applies to every social sportsbook.
The map below gives you a general look at where social sportsbooks are available, limited or generally unavailable across the U.S.
🟢 Generally Available: Most social sportsbooks offer sweepstakes play for a chance to win real prizes.
🟡 Limited / Varies by Platform: Some sites and apps offer sweepstakes play, while others only allow free-to-play picks or don't operate in the state.
🔴 Banned / Generally Unavailable: Sweepstakes sportsbook play is prohibited or most major platforms don't accept players from the state.
Several states have started cracking down on social and sweepstakes sportsbooks over the past couple of years. Some have passed new laws targeting the sweepstakes model, while others have used existing gambling laws to push certain platforms out.
Here are some of the states that have taken action against social sportsbooks:
Social sportsbooks aren't the only alternative to traditional sports betting. Prediction markets and daily fantasy sports (DFS) are also popular across the U.S., especially in states that don't have legal online sportsbooks.
Prediction markets let you trade on the outcome of sporting events instead of placing a traditional bet. You can take positions on things like who will win a game, the spread or the total, with prices moving as people buy and sell.
Daily fantasy sports let you compete in fantasy contests or make player picks through Pick'Em games based on individual player performances. Like social sportsbooks, DFS sites and apps are available across much of the U.S., including many states without legal online sports betting.
Social sportsbooks are legal in most U.S. states because they don’t use real-money bets. Players make picks with virtual currency, and the prizes are awarded through a sweepstakes model. That puts them in the same category as social casinos and sweepstakes casinos, not traditional online betting sites, which is why they can operate in many more states.
You can, but only when you make picks with Sweeps Coins. The Gold Coins you see at social sportsbooks are just for fun. But if you win with Sweeps Coins and meet all the platform’s requirements (playthrough, minimum redemption thresholds, etc.), you can redeem those winnings for real cash prizes.
It depends. Most of the time, social sportsbooks only require you to be 18, but it isn’t the same everywhere. Each platform sets its own age rules, so it’s worth double-checking the terms for the specific social sportsbook you want to use.
No, they’re not the same. Social sportsbooks let you make picks with virtual currency and use a sweepstakes system for prizes. Meanwhile, daily fantasy sports apps have you enter paid contests and build lineups (or entries) based on player stats. DFS follows its own set of rules and is treated as a game of skill, whereas social sportsbooks operate more like a free-to-play version of sports betting.
Yes. Most social sportsbooks will ask you to verify your identity. You’ll usually need to provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number, and sometimes they’ll also request a government-issued photo ID and a proof of address (like a utility bill or bank statement) to confirm you live in an eligible state.
Not much really. Social sportsbooks and social casinos use a very similar model, with play-for-fun coins and sweepstakes currency that can be redeemed for real prizes. The main difference is what you use them for. Social sportsbooks focus on sports picks like spreads, totals and player props, while sweepstakes casinos focus on casino games such as slots, blackjack and roulette.
What Is a Social or Sweepstakes Sportsbook?
A social sportsbook works a lot like a traditional sportsbook, letting you make picks on moneylines, spreads, totals, player props and parlays. The main difference is that you use virtual currency instead of directly betting real money.
Most social sportsbooks use a sweepstakes model with two types of virtual currency.
How Virtual Currency Works
Are Social Sportsbooks Free to Play?
Yes. You don’t have to make a purchase to use a social sportsbook. Most sites give you free virtual currency when you sign up, with more available through daily rewards, promotions, mail-in requests and other free-entry methods.
You can also purchase packages of play-for-fun coins, which typically include sweepstakes currency as a bonus. Winnings from sweepstakes currency can be redeemed for real prizes after meeting the site’s playthrough and minimum redemption requirements.
Social Sportsbooks vs. Traditional Sportsbooks
Social sportsbooks and traditional online sportsbooks offer a pretty similar experience when it comes to making sports picks, but there are some important differences in how they work. Here’s a quick comparison:
Social Sportsbooks
Traditional Sportsbooks
Use virtual currency (Gold Coins & Sweeps Coins)
Use real money (USD)
Free to play with no purchase required
Require a real-money deposit to place wagers
Coin purchases & prize redemptions
Real-money deposits & withdrawals
Sweeps Coin winnings can be redeemed for real prizes like cash or gift cards
Winnings are added directly to your cash balance
Available in many states without legal online sports betting
Only available in states with legal online sports betting
Operate under sweepstakes laws
Licensed & regulated by state gaming authorities