What is social betting? Rather than relying on sportsbooks to determine all aspects of the often joyless bettor-bookmaker transaction, with social betting, users challenge each other on a wide range of virtual and real-money bets. In other words, social betting gets rid of the Bookie. Social betting also combines wagering elements with interactive features such as live chat and bet sharing. All of these make sports betting more enjoyable, accessible and social. This has led to a new generation of apps called social betting apps. These apps are also called peer-to-peer betting apps.
Peer-to-peer betting presents betters with a clearer and more exciting pathway to profits. It can be argued that social betting apps make betting more profitable. Wagering options, user-friendliness and social features all determine the quality and popularity of peer-to-peer betting apps.
Best Four Social Betting Apps
There is a growing amount of options to choose from. Taking all factors into account, here are the five best social betting apps currently available for download to your smartphone. Most of these apps are available for iOS only, but Android users are not entirely left out.
Puntaa
Puntaa is a social betting app that allows friends to custom bet on just about anything, share and engage around those bets, and get paid through their mobile device. Users deposit funds into their account, add friends and challenge each other to bets on anything from the outcome of a sporting match to an inside joke. The results of wagers can then be shared via all major social media platforms.
The app tracks all bets but puts the onus on users to settle, with the loser required to transfer money manually through a one-touch payment system. Puntaa takes a four per cent cut of net winnings of all bets. Download Puntaa for iPhone.
WantMyBet
WantMyBet debuted its iOS and Android apps it 2016 and has since become renowned as a one-stop destination for football betting. The app is clearly designed to save bettors the hassle of sifting through various websites, tipping services and bookmaker accounts in order to place their wagers. Instead, users can integrate their Ladbrokes and BoyleSports accounts, find and follow the best tipsters around and copy other bets.
The social element allows betting activity to be shared on Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp, while comments can also be left on tips. Weekly competitions with cash prizes, leaderboards and a refer-a-friend program are additional perks. Download WantMyBet for iPhone.
Bait
Available to iOS customers in the United States, Bait lets friends challenge each other to the opposite side of a wager, with lines taken from Las Vegas sportsbooks on NFL, NBA, NHL, soccer, tennis, college sports and MMA. There are generally three markets available for each bet – over/under, points spreads and head-to-head. As with Puntaa, Bait tracks bets and sends a notification once a match is finished, with the onus on users to settle up through online payment service Venmo.
A user rating system is implemented to encourage losing bettors to pay up, while an in-app chat feature lets friends interact as bets unfold. Bait also syncs with users’ iPhones to identify which of their contacts have the app. Download Bait for iPhone.
GoodBookey
Goodbookey is the first social betting app to implement the concept of charitable betting. Available for free on iOS and Android, the app allows friends to simultaneously wager against one another and donate money to a wide range of small to medium-sized charities. Like Bait, users select a wager and challenge their friends to take on the opposing side.
The twist, however, is that before the bet is finalized, both betters select a charity, with the loser then able to make a tax-deductible donation accordingly. Payment is not obligatory; users are simply encouraged to donate upon losing a bet. At this stage, the bets can only be placed on major US sporting competitions, including NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB. Download GoodBookey for Android and GoodBookey for iPhone.