While traditional sportsbooks get plenty of attention, there is a new way to play, thanks to the rise of social sportsbooks like Sportzino. With this innovative platform built on a sweepstakes style of play, the setup provides casino players with a new way to look at things.
But what exactly is a social sportsbook? Much in the vein of social casinos that provide free slot games, some platforms have launched sportsbook versions that strip away the need to stump up cash to bet. In the case of Sportzino, which is owned and operated by Blazesoft, it has gone a step further to provide both a social sportsbook and a sweepstakes-style casino.
But what are the key differences between Sportzino and a traditional online sports betting site?
Sportzino sportsbook – what is it?
The Sportzino social sportsbook works just like a traditional sportsbook, but instead of using real cash for your stakes, you use Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins for your picks.
So therein lies the big appeal. You can essentially, without any purchase necessary, register for a Sportzino sportsbook account and place your bets without spending a dime.
Pros
Free sports betting opportunities
Huge range of sports
Easy-to-use platform
Cons
Limited payment options
The casino is not the largest
Coins are not convertible
Getting started: the Sportzino welcome bonus
Just like regular betting sites, there are promotions available at Sportzino. The biggest of those is the Sportzino welcome bonus of 220,000 Gold Coins + 10 Sweeps Coins.
The other big promotion that they have is their Free Daily Login Bonus. It doesn’t matter how long you have been playing with them, if you log in each day, you’ll receive 20,000 GC and 1 free SC. That adds further value to being able to play both on the sportsbook and casino free of charge.
The Sportzino currency
The currency used at Sportzino is Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins. While it is possible to use either to place a bet, there are some key differences:
Gold Coins
This is the standard currency at Sportzino. Gold Coins can be purchased to top up an account, but there is the great welcome bonus offer that credits some to start with. Gold Coins are used for social sportsbook play to place bets.
Sweeps Coins
Sweeps Coins come from areas like promotional offers and are also credited as a bonus when purchasing Gold Coins. You can then opt to play games with Sweeps Coins, and winnings can be redeemed for cash or gift card prizes.
Buying and redeeming
You can purchase Gold Coins through Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Skrill and online bank transfer. It’s not a large range of payment options, which is certainly an area that could be improved. There is a minimum redemption amount of 50 Sweeps Coins, which is a lower threshold than we have encountered at many social sportsbooks.
The Sportzino sportsbook site
The Sportzino sportsbook operates exactly like any traditional betting site. The layout of the Sportzino platform does not differentiate from any regular sportsbook either, and until you get to the betting slip, you really wouldn’t know that you are on a social sportsbook.
A main left-hand menu lists all the sports, with a handy search tool to filter results by team or by league. The main area of the screen houses the high-profile and current fixtures. There are 30+ sports listed in the Sportzino sportsbook, which is impressive.
A slight disadvantage is that there is no mobile app, but the site is fully optimized for use on mobile browsers, so it’s not a deal-breaker.
A sample of sports available at Sportzino:
- American football
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Ice hockey
- Tennis
- Esports
- Golf
- MMA
- Boxing
- Baseball
There is also live in-play betting available. This extremely popular form of sports betting follows the action as it unfolds, and the live markets add even more variety to the platform.
Market and bet variety
Standard lines like the Money Line, Spread and Total are the prominent markets. But click on an individual match and you will see many markets pop up, such as Winning Margin, First Free Throw Scored, Player H2H and 1st Half Results on an NBA match.
There is no difference between Sportzino and any other regular betting site in terms of the types of wagers available. Players still get a huge variety of options, from a Parlay from the night’s NBA Money Line action to creating Same Game Parlays.
Extras
There is a good sports results section, to catch the latest happenings around March Madness, for example. There are links to statistics as well, for an in-depth glance at current form, win probability, fixtures, tables and a lot more.
For added variety in the Sportzino sportsbook, there are Virtual Horses & Dogs. These are games that operate with random number generated (RNG) results that can be bet on.
There is also an Early Withdrawal feature on the Sportzino sportsbook. If you have an active bet that is either winning or losing, you can settle it early before the match finishes, to lock in some return of coins.
You can win cash at Sportzino
This is done through Sweeps Coins. If, for example, you made a successful bet with Sweeps Coins on the Boston Celtics to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks, that would provide winnings that add to your redeemable balance. It’s these Sweeps Coins from your redeemable balance that you can cash out.
The only thing you can’t do with the different coins is make transfers between them. They work independently of each other, so if you bet with Gold Coins, you only win Gold Coins.
Sportzino Casino
The Sportzino Casino also works on the same sweepstakes system and uses the same currency. There is a wide variety of different games, including popular titles like Big Bass Bonanza and Gates of Olympus. There are jackpots and sports-based slots, plus a great variety of crash gaming, fishing and keno titles. Arguably, it is not the most extensive range of games, but the playability is great.
In summary
Sportzino makes for an intriguing and exciting sports betting platform that can be used completely without risking real money. The only difference you will find between the Sportzino sportsbook and a traditional one is the currency used. The Gold Coins and Sweepstakes Coins can only be used on the platform and have no real monetary value.