Safe and Fun Alternatives to Sports Betting

Sports betting isn’t as controversial as casino gambling, but it still has somewhat problematic traits that can elicit reckless spending. For starters, accumulator bets can have big rewards, which is something that slot players often chase. Problem gamblers can often be seduced by live betting options that are readily available online. 

Additionally, constant promotions and advertising can often nudge them to spend a bit more. So, to limit the amount of ads or promos you receive, simply opt to play on an online casino no ID verification site, using a dummy email. This way, you can play without confirming your identity, and your main email and phone number information won’t end up on a site. Also, if you want to avoid betting altogether, pick one of the safer alternatives that we will discuss.

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Fantasy Leagues

Daily fantasy sports really took off in the US, and they remain popular to this day. You could argue that this is because of stricter gambling laws. If you look at casinos that are available in Canada, or specifically Quatro Casino reviews, you’ll notice that DFS isn’t covered by those prominent operators. There are plenty of slots, table games, and arcades that people already love, and fantasy leagues don’t exactly scratch that same itch. 

However, those who love to bet and who closely follow sports are more open to trying fantasy leagues. It’s easy to learn but hard to master, and if you love old football manager games, this will be an ideal fit. You don’t even have to gamble real money in order for this to be fun, because you are already competing against other players. The whole idea is to build a perfect team for a given sport, using a set budget. Player prices and stats are based on real-life data, and you can find tons of guides online to help you get started. 

Esports Competitions

Another sports betting related or adjacent hobby is eSports. Nowadays, it is widely available on regular and social sportsbooks, which means you get to place wagers without spending a dime. 

Moreover, if you play some of those popular games like League of Legends, Call of Duty, Dota 2, etc., you can get unique in-game rewards by betting or simply by watching the events. This is possible through platforms like Twitch that award random drops for those who tune in and watch live competitions. More importantly, official sites of game studios that are behind these titles will also have free betting options that award points to players who guess the winners of the match. If you earn enough points, you will use them to purchase in-game awards. 

Social Challenges

The most fun you can have with sports and gambling is to organize social challenges. Having bets or mini-games with your friends is significantly more entertaining than placing bets online. You don’t even have to make it about money; it can be a drinking game whenever someone scores a point, or whoever gets the bet wrong has to make dinner for others, or organize the next gathering. 

Free Casino Games

We cannot talk about betting alternatives without mentioning sweepstakes casinos. These are the only types of games where you can gamble risk-free, and win real prizes. Almost all sweepstakes casinos give users sweep coins or gold coins as part of daily login rewards. If luck is on your side, it’s technically possible to accumulate enough sweep coins and exchange them for prizes. What’s more, the available games are identical to those in real money casinos. 

Slots

Blackjack

Video poker

Roulette

Baccarat

Craps 

In fact, many of sweepstake casino operators use the same software providers as real money online casinos. Which means the whole experience is nearly identical. 

Strategy Play

Sports betting can feel rewarding because you get results based on your analysis or strategy. You don’t feel like you stumbled on the right answer in the dark; you feel like you’ve earned your victory. So, games like chess, football manager, and even poker have this same element. Winning here feels satisfying because you came up with the solution that yielded positive results. All of these can be played with friends or against AI, so it’s a safe alternative that’s easy to access today. 

Healthy Competition

The big reason sports fans love to bet is that they feel it’s an opportunity to put their knowledge of the sport they love to the test. If that’s the case with some of you, then a good alternative would be sports trivia quiz with friends or in pubs. You will pretty much get the same sense of accomplishment from these events, and you don’t need to have real money on the line. 

Closing Note

As you can see, there are plenty of alternatives that allow you to recreate the same type of excitement as sports betting. It really comes down to what you get out of it, and what drives you to wager real money. Based on your motivation, it should be easy to determine which one of our suggestions would be the best fit.

I (AKA CatBurg) have a lifelong passion for sports, especially football and basketball. I enjoy the thrill and excitement of sports betting and everything in between. My teams are (Packers #GoPackGo) and who I am betting on!