Prepare for North Carolina Sports Betting with DFS and Social Sportbook Apps

North Carolina anxiously awaits the arrival of legal sports betting in 2024. Despite the passage of legislation that will bring online betting to the Tar Heel State next year, no one is quite sure when sportsbooks will actually launch. The law goes into effect in January 2024, but much of the current speculation predicts that books will not likely go live until Q2. Part of the bill that legalized sports betting in the state stipulates a cutoff launch date of June 14, 2024. So, it appears likely that North Carolina sports betting could still be several months away.

Luckily, there are a variety of other apps currently available that can quench the state’s thirst for sports wagering in addition to helping residents prepare for the launch of sportsbooks in 2024.

Daily Fantasy Sports and Social Sportsbooks Surge in Popularity

Many people are likely familiar with Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) games, like DraftKings or FanDuel, where players must set a roster for a given week. The player’s performances on the roster are scored, and then the team with the highest score in the league wins money. 

In recent years, several apps have taken a new approach to the traditional DFS setup and created a new type of game that more closely resembles betting player prop Totals (Over/Unders) like you would on a sportsbook. Here are some of the most popular options available today in North Carolina.

PrizePicks Daily Fantasy Sports

PrizePicks is one of the fastest-growing sports betting apps in recent years. A key factor behind its growth is its widespread availability throughout the country. PrizePicks is currently live in 30 states (and Washington, D.C.), including North Carolina. So, what exactly is PrizePicks?

Simply put, PrizePicks is a daily fantasy sports game where bettors must pick between 2-6 player stat lines and decide if they get more or less than their assigned projection. For example, the Charlotte Hornets played the Miami Heat on December 11th. PrizePicks set projections for players in the game for some of the most common NBA betting markets, like points, rebounds, assists, and much more. In this game, Gordon Hayward had a projected point line of 16.5. All users have to do is select whether Hayward will score more or less than 16.5 points.

Pretty simple, right? PrizePicks does require a minimum of two selections to submit a wager. If you correctly pick all of your selections, you’ll win! You can make up to six selections for any wager. If you choose to do three or more picks, you’ll be faced with choosing between the Flex Play or the Power Play options.

One of the truly unique aspects of PrizePicks is the ability for players to select their payout style. Flex Play is a more conservative option for bettors. This payout method allows users to get one of their selections wrong and still win some money. Let’s add a few more picks to our original Gordon Hayward selection and see how Flex Play would pay out.

In this example, we have three total picks. If we chose Flex Play at $25, we’d only have to get two of the three selections right to win money. Getting two right only gives us a 1.25 multiplier on our winnings, whereas getting all three correct is worth 2.25x. While the Flex Play is safer, it does not offer as much total value as the Power Play option.

Using the same three picks as with the Flex Play, our $25 wager would be worth 5x the stake if it were to win using the Power Play option. However, we have to hit all three of our selections to cash in on $125. Any wrong picks and we lose our stake. Higher risk, higher reward.

We’ve only just scratched the surface with PrizePicks in this example. The app features the most popular sports so North Carolina residents can bet on their favorite teams like the Panthers, Blue Devils, Tar Heels, Hurricanes, and more! PrizePicks is an excellent introduction to legal sports betting. The DFS-style Over/Under format is not unlike betting player prop totals on a sportsbook. The projected lines are similar to the ones found on traditional sportsbooks, so North Carolina bettors can use this app to get a feel for betting against a line and doing the required research necessary to be successful.

Betr Picks

Betr is an app that approaches sports betting in a more casual way. Instead of betting on a team to “cover the spread,” you must pick if a team will win by a certain amount. Rather than offer -110 on your pick against the spread, they will offer you 1.89x your money. These are essentially the same things, just laid out in a way for new sports bettors to understand. Betr is the first micro-betting app that allows you to place a wager on every moment of the game. Whether you want to wager on the outcome of a drive or play, this app is for you. You can learn more about the ins and outs of the app in our Betr sportsbook review.

Betr may seem like a niche offering, but their micro-betting format is similar to what most books offer in North Carolina. Books such as FanDuel, Caesars, BetMGM, Fanatics, and many others will offer “in-game betting,” where you can make bets similar to those available on Betr. Let’s look at the Betr interface to see how it is similar to sportsbooks that will be available when sports betting in North Carolina goes live.

Here is an example of how you can use Betr to wager on the outcome of a game. Instead of seeing the lines posted as Rams -4, you get asked a simple question: “Do the Rams win by at least 4 points?” If you bet “Yes” to that question, that is the same as betting on the Rams -3.5 at a traditional sportsbook. If the bet wins, you would win 1.89x your stake. 

Let’s say you wager $10 on the Rams to win by four or more. You would get your wager ($10) multiplied by the number shown (1.89) to get your total payout. In this case, you would win $18.90, which is your original $10 wager + $8.90 in winnings.

This next image is an example of the micro-betting that Betr offers its users. In basketball, there are a few in-game options available. Other sportsbooks also have this option, where you can bet on games while they are live. This is available across all sports, not just basketball. Here is an example of the betting menu once you select an option.

The easy-to-understand betting options and layperson’s terms of Betr make this app an excellent option for North Carolina residents to try to become familiar with sports betting concepts. Not to mention, it is a fun way to try to win some money while watching your favorite North Carolina teams!

Fliff

Fliff has found a way to make itself accessible to those not in legal sports betting states by branding itself as a social sportsbook. A social sportsbook is designed to remove the high-stakes element of sports betting by offering a free-to-play option. You can easily share your bets, compete with friends, earn loyalty rewards, and play various promotional games without spending a single dollar.

Using Fliff is a great way to prepare for the launch of sports betting in North Carolina. You can place bets with Fliff Coins and become familiar with an interface closer to other sportsbooks than apps like PrizePicks or Betr.

This is what the Fliff homepage looks like. From here, you can find the game you wish to wager your Fliff Coins on. You can wager on the spread, moneyline, total, and various player props. This product is extremely similar to other sportsbooks, except the Fliff Coins do not have a real-money value. In other words, you’re playing for free and not winning any actual money.

This is an example of a Fliff leaderboard. As you can see, you can create your own avatar and compete amongst your friends! This is a feature that is not offered anywhere else and is a bonus for those looking for a relaxed and fun way to become accustomed to sports betting without the risk.

Fliff also allows you to earn Fliff Coins via various missions. You can complete daily challenges, make picks, and invite friends to earn more rewards. 

The Fliff app does have a real-money betting option as well. Users can utilize Fliff Cash, which is obtained by various means within the app. You cannot deposit money into your Fliff account like you can with traditional sportsbooks, which is part of the reason why the app is allowed to operate in non-legal betting states. Betting with Fliff Cash is nearly identical to the look and feel of a sportsbook.

The Fliff Cash homepage offers all the classic betting markets you’d expect to see on a traditional sportsbook. Another great reason why Fliff is a great app to try to prepare for the launch of sportsbooks in North Carolina.  

How Can I Prepare for North Carolina Sports Betting?

There are plenty of ways to gear up for the arrival of sports betting in North Carolina. First, check in regularly with our North Carolina Sports Betting page and stay up to date with the latest sports betting news. From there, you can download the apps currently available in North Carolina, such as PrizePicks, Betr, or Fliff, and get plenty of practice wagering on player performance, in-game betting, or full-game spreads. Happy betting!