The social/sweepstakes sports-focused site is proving popular, but potentially polarizing.
G.K., 20, resides in the Los Angeles area. On a recent Sunday, the college student clicked on an app where he maintains an account. He claims to have risked $250 on two NFL games, the same amount on a pair from Major League Baseball, and smaller sums on props.
His activity is legal even though California prohibits sports betting. Of states that allow regulated betting, all but four have set the minimum age at 21.
Under current law, what G.K. does between classes and homework is not considered wagering.
“As a sports management major, I enjoy betting on sports but am not old enough to have accounts with official sportsbooks,” said G.K., who asked this his full name not be disclosed. “Fliff is then my best option.”
Fliff company name pulled from short film
In 2019, the founders of the website Fliff, based in Philadelphia and patronized by G.K., latched on to the hype generated by widespread legalisation of sports betting. They adopted a format that blends the experience into what is known as a social sportsbook using a sweepstakes model. Actual money is not required to participate — thus, no purchase necessary, meaning there is no “consideration.” So it does not run afoul of laws in most states.
For the company name, the founders borrowed from a short animated film by a South Park writer. In it, a bar customer tossed around what he called “fliff money.”
“A social gaming platform for sports fans” is how co-founder and CEO Matt Ricci described Fliff to Casino Reports. It was designed to “capitalize on the engagement of and excitement around sports betting but by building a product we thought would be better suited for the mass market.”
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