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Legal Social Gambling: Is Social Sportsbooks Legal Or Not?

Last Updated on 02/11/2025
Fact checked by: Sara Jane Gamelli

A question we get here a lot at BallIsLife is ‘is social gambling legal?’ And today, I’m going to explain not only why it’s legal in most states, but how you can get in on the action today!

Social sportsbooks and casinos offer a wealth of entertainment, and some sites even let you redeem real cash prizes. I’m going to tell you all about these sites and what’s on offer, as well as which ones you can join today and how you can redeem real cash. So read on to find out more.

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Explore the Legality of Social Sportsbooks in 2025

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What are social sportsbooks and casinos?

Social sportsbooks are a relatively new type of site that lets you make predictions on sports or play casino-style games for free. Unlike traditional gambling sites, social gambling platforms do not use real money – so really they aren’t gambling platforms at all. Instead, you have two types of virtual currencies. Usually called Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, these social sites operate a no-purchase-necessary model that means there's always a way to get your hands on these currencies without ever having to spend a penny.

By using virtual currencies, bettors can enjoy a world of entertainment for free, meaning that they are not technically gambling. You can boost your balance of Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins by taking part in things like daily login bonuses, refer-a-friend schemes, mail-in requests and the numerous giveaways and competitions that take part on these sites' social media channels. After all, it's called social betting for a reason!

To understand how these platforms work, it's important to differentiate between the two types of virtual currencies: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins.

Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins explained

Gold Coins can be thought of as your everyday currency at any social betting site or social casino. You can use them to make sports predictions, and what you win in the end is more Gold Coins. Bear in mind that Gold Coins carry no monetary value. You can pick them up in many different ways, or even purchase them if you want to add more to your balance.

By contrast, Sweeps Coins are also used in the same way as Gold Coins, but the difference is that you can redeem them for tangible prizes at some sites once you’ve met certain terms and conditions. These prizes may include real cash, which you can request via a gift card or bank transfer. Each social betting platform differs in what it calls its Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins, but you can generally tell the difference quite easily. At a lot of social sportsbooks, the Sweeps Coins are referred to as some sort of ‘cash’, while casinos tend to stick with the generic ‘Coins’ name.

How to redeem your Sweeps Coins for tangible prizes

In order to make a redemption request, each social betting site will have different rules, but they all tend to follow a similar pattern. There is usually a playthrough requirement of about 1x, as well as a minimum balance requirement. For instance, Fliff requires that you have at least 50 Sweeps Coins in your balance before you can make a redemption request, while other sites may ask for as many as 75 or even 100 Sweeps Coins. That's why it's particularly important that you check these redemption requirements on each site before you sign up and start making sports picks.

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I hear the question ‘Is social gambling legal?’ a lot, and the answer is, generally, yes. The reason is that social betting sites, while sometimes referred to as social gambling sites, are not gambling sites. Therefore, they do not have to follow the same strict rules that govern real-money sites.

Real-money gambling is prohibited in the vast majority of the United States, but given that social betting sites don't use real money, this puts them outside of these laws. This is also the reason you cannot buy Sweeps Coins, and you must wait for them to be gifted to you by the social platform.

Effectively, you are being given the chance to place bets with a free token that has been given to you and that holds no monetary value. In this regard, social betting sites operate more like lotteries, but of course, you have the added benefit of making smart predictions on sports to help you have a better chance of winning more Sweeps Coins.

Why do sports betting apps need social security?

A lot of people are confused as to why a social sportsbook site or app that doesn't use real money needs to ask for your social security number. I know it can be a little daunting to give out such personal details online, but the truth is that this step is part of the KYC process and is imperative to protecting your personal and financial information online.

KYC protocol was created to protect you and the social sportsbook sites from potential fraudulent activity online. You may also find that if you win at a social sportsbook site, you are liable for tax. Therefore, by giving your social security number to the operator, you are protecting yourself and your financial information, and also providing details should you need to pay tax on any prize redemptions.

Some great social sportsbooks and casinos for you to try

Now we get to the good bit – looking at some great sites for you to try! Here’s a small selection of some of my favorite social sportsbooks and casinos that you can sign up to today.

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Fliff: Pros & Cons
  • Great welcome bonus
  • Dedicated mobile app
  • Play for fun or cash prizes
  • Great social sportsbook experience
  • Limited payment options
Visit Fliff

Launched in 2019, Fliff is one of the most well-established social sportsbooks out there. Fliff gives you a wide range of sports and markets to make predictions on and offers a great welcome offer as well as many other ways to top up your balance. You can enjoy daily login bonuses, mail-in requests, a fantastic loyalty program as well as a generous welcome bonus of 5,000 Fliff Coins and 1 Fliff Cash using our code FLIFFISLIFE.

Fliff sweepstakes rules mean that you can redeem your Fliff Cash for real prizes. There’s a very reasonable minimum requirement of 50 Fliff Sweepstakes Cash before you can request a redemption and a playthrough requirement of just 1x. If you want to know more about how Fliff works, check out our comprehensive review.

Thrillzz - A superb mobile experience

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  • Excellent variety of sports and markets.
  • Free-to-play sports picks.
  • Prize Tickets redeemable for real cash.
  • Loyalty points and rewards.
  • Apps for Android and iOS devices.
  • No desktop version available.
  • Some state restrictions.
Visit Thrillzz

Thrillzz is a relatively new sweepstakes sports betting site that was launched in 2024 but that hasn’t stopped it from gaining popularity among sports fans. The site offers a great welcome bonus, and you can make predictions on a wide range of sports, competitions and matches.

With average scores of 4.2 on the App Store and 4.3 on the Google Play Store, it’s clear that US players love the Thrillzz mobile experience. You can also claim Thrillzz Coins and Thrillzz Sweeps Coins from various bonuses, including 3,000 Thrillzz Coins and 3 Thrillzz Sweeps Coins from the welcome bonus, and more from daily login bonuses, leaderboard promotions, refer-a-friend offers and the platform’s loyalty program.

Sportzino - Great all-rounder social sportsbook and casino

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Sportzino: Pros & Cons
  • Top welcome promotion
  • All-in-one social sportsbook and casino
  • Realistic sports betting experience
  • No table games
Visit Sportzino

Established in 2023, Sportzino is a fantastic sportsbook that also offers casino-style games. Enjoy making predictions on NFL, NBA, NHL and various international soccer leagues, or spin the reels with the hottest slots, as well as classic table games like blackjack and roulette.

The Sportzino welcome offer is an impressive 170,000 Gold Coins and 7 Sweeps Coins, which is very generous indeed. The platform also offers tons of different ways to pick up extra Coins, including via daily logins and a tiered loyalty program.

Although Sportzino doesn’t offer a native app, it still gives you a fantastic mobile gaming experience. The mobile version of the site is uber modern and has been designed to offer you a great gaming session on any device you wish.

PlatformWelcome offerBonus code?
Fliff5,000 Fliff Coins + 1 Fliff CashBILFLIFF
Thrillz3,000 Thrillzz Coins + 3 Thrillzz SweepsNo
Sportzino170,000 Gold Coins + 7 Sweeps CoinsNo

As we've seen, social gambling is legal in most of the USA – but that’s because it isn’t gambling. Given that these sites fall outside of the usual gambling laws, you'll find that social casinos and sportsbooks are available in many jurisdictions where gambling is prohibited.

However, it's important to remember that there are still some exclusions. Therefore, always check on the social betting website to see if it is available in your area. These sites are only going to grow in popularity, so if you haven't tried social betting yet, I suggest you give it a go today!

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💰 Can I win real money at a social sportsbook?

Not directly. Although you can’t use real money on social betting platforms, many of them let you redeem your Sweeps Coins for tangible prizes that can include cash. Each site is different, so check the rules before you sign up.

Mostly, yes. Because using social gambling sites isn't gambling, they aren’t governed by the same laws that prohibit online casinos and sports betting sites. Therefore, social platforms are available in many US states. However, there are still some exclusions, so check each site before you play to see if it’s available in your location.

📳 Can I play social betting sites on my mobile?

Yes! Social betting sites all offer a fantastic mobile experience, whether it’s via a native app or the mobile-optimized version of the site. Some platforms offer an app for both Apple and Android users, while others offer a mobile-friendly version of the site that you can access via your phone’s browser.

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