We might be witnessing a shift from traditional sportsbooks to sweepstakes sportsbooks

Ever since 2020, the online sports betting industry has been booming, with Statista recently reporting that revenue will reach $45.18bn by the time 2024 comes to an end. However, despite the industry riding high, there’s also been some controversy. The recent tidal wave of betting advertisements on television, an increase in problem gamblers, and a perceived unlimited level of access to betting apps has led to many sports betting companies coming under fire, which has ultimately provided an opening in the market for sweepstakes sportsbooks.

With sweepstakes sportsbooks, there’s zero real money involved. Players are only allowed to bet virtual coins — a type of currency with no value in the real world — so there’s less pressure and reduced financial risk. In the eyes of many sports betting fans, especially Gen Z and Millenials, this is great. They still get to enjoy the fun and thrill of betting on their favorite teams but without having to worry about losing any money, something that’s obviously an attractive prospect. Plus, on top of this, there’s still the opportunity to win prizes, making it pretty much a no-brainer.

Another major selling point for sweepstakes sportsbooks is that they’re more widely accessible than traditional sportsbooks. This is because sweepstakes sportsbooks (in the eyes of the law) aren’t technically classed as gambling sites. As a result, they can legally operate in 48 out 50 states, whereas traditional online sportsbooks are only legal in 30 states. What this means is that it’s much easier for the average person to bet on sports using a sweepstakes sportsbook, which is why thousands of fans have started signing up with them.

One thing for sure is that sweepstakes sportsbooks are in the early stages of mainstream development. Most sports bettors at the moment are still members with the likes of BetMGM and FanDuel, where they’re happy to continue wagering real money. Over the coming years, though, it’s expected there will be a stronger shift towards sweepstakes sportsbooks, especially now that more of them have started launching on the internet. Undoubtedly, there’s a niche audience of sports fans out there who like sports betting but don’t want to bet real money — and this is where sweepstakes sportsbooks are stepping in to fill the market gap.

On top of this, even though it was only back in 2018 when the Supreme Court decided to lift the ban on sports betting, there’s a strong possibility that the laws surrounding sports betting will become much stronger in the future so that the financial wellbeing of fans can be better protected. What will the result of this be? Well, it would almost certainly lead to a huge wave of players joining sweepstakes sportsbooks instead, which is already something that’s starting to happen anyway.

Let’s not forget that there’s also been a huge rise in sweepstakes casinos since the start of the new decade. Now, we have Chumba Casino, WOW Vegas, and plenty of other casinos that are booming in popularity. And because they’ve gotten so popular, it’s leading to more attention for their sportsbook counterparts, too.

Sweepstakes sportsbooks are still a relatively new concept, so the range of choice on the internet is quite limited. However, the good news is that there are currently three sweepstakes sportsbooks that are genuinely worth joining. These are:

Fliff is the next sweepstakes sportsbook you might want to try. Just like Thrillzz, Fluff also allows you to bet on sports games for free using virtual coins. There’s also a strong focus on socialising with other players and gaining rewards, making it a tailor-made platform for the new generation of sports fans coming through. Plus, if you play on a regular basis, you can keep earning loyalty rewards, providing with you some extra coins to bet on your favourite sports.

Lastly, there’s Rebet. Launched in 2024, Rebet is a sweepstakes sportsbook that offers betting markets across 60+ major sports leagues, including the NFL and NBA. If your friends join the site, it’s easy to post your wagers, explore each other’s profiles, and ultimately compete to see who can win the most. The more Rebet Coins you collect, the higher you go up the site’s social leaderboard.

Sweepstakes sportsbooks use two types of virtual coins: Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins (sometimes, these sites will create their own name for Sweeps Coins, such as ‘Rebet Coins’ in the case of Rebet).

If you want to bet on sports just for fun, use Gold Coins. These are the coins that have no on-site value and exist purely for entertainment purposes. For example, you could use your Gold Coins to bet on hundreds of NFL games in an attempt to see how many coins you can win back. The reason why people do this is because it’s fun and provides you with the opportunity to climb up different leaderboards.

Alternatively, if you’re a slightly more serious sports bettor and want to win prizes, use Sweeps Coins. The great thing about Sweeps Coins is that they can be redeemed for some of the prizes mentioned a little earlier on in this guide, including cash transfers and cryptocurrencies. This is why it’s important that you place bets more smartly with your Sweeps Coins and treat them the same as real money, even though the coins are still virtual.

There are a number of ways you can get Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins inside a sweepstakes sportsbook, including:

• Sign-up bonuses and daily login rewards
• Purchasing them from the on-site shop
• Winning them

If you decide to purchase coins inside a sweepstakes sportsbook, you’ll generally find that the prices vary. For instance, one site might offer a deal of ‘$10 for 100,000 GC and 10 SC’. In many cases, though, you don’t actually have to buy any coins, as the ones you receive just for signing up are enough to last for a long time. Generally, the only people who buy sweepstakes sportsbook coins are the sports fans who really care about winning prizes and want to have a big number of coins to play with.

Should you give sweepstakes sportsbooks a try? Absolutely. They offer a money-free way to bet on your favorite sports leagues, from the NBA to the NFL, while at the same time still allowing you to win prizes. It’s a no-brainer, especially if you want a different type of experience from traditional sportsbooks.

Sports content writer for World in Sport