Non-Monetary Bets To Make With Friends

Betting doesn’t have to be about putting your hard-earned dollars on the line. There are ways to enjoy betting with friends that don’t require financial outlay (or not directly, at least).

Whatever you’re betting on, wagers can be placed without risking your money. It changes the dynamic of the bet, of course, but it can also be a means to make the bet friendlier and more engaging.

We have covered the best sports bets to make with friends. This time round our focus is on the stakes – what’s your favorite way to bet with friends?

Fun Bets with Friends

Here are our five best non-monetary bets…

Changing team names

It’s common in fantasy sports for gameweek or season winners to be able to change their opponent’s team name or avatar for a set period.

This is a fun way to spice up the weekly matchups without the pressure of money. It’s an extra little incentive, and it will be particularly tense in weeks when your opponent is going to be especially cruel with your team name.

Got a fantasy rival who adores the Celtics and despises the Lakers? Place this wager and make his team a tribute to LeBron James’ champions for a week.

There is a natural competitive edge in fantasy sports – this is a great way to add a little more to it.

Cooking a meal

Whether betting with someone you live with or not, this is a nice way to incentivise a bet. It doesn’t require any extra financial outlay – the winnings are your friend’s effort rather than depleting their bank account.

There are obviously variations on this theme. It can be hosting a movie night, drinks or a barbecue. The general idea is about treating the ‘winner’ of the bet to an evening and ideally making sure they do not have to go the effort of playing host.

Be careful, though, you don’t want to be ‘winning’ a meal off your friend that can’t cook…

Loser buys

Okay, this one is bending the rules a bit as it’s technically monetary. It’s not cash changing hands straight up, though, so we think it’s probably okay to include.

It could be paying for that weekend’s takeaway. Maybe you go out for a meal or the ‘loser’ has to buy the first round of drinks when you’re watching the game at the bar.

Perhaps the winner of the fantasy league is bought a jersey of their choice by the rest of the league. There are countless directions you can go with this one.

Gift cards

Again, this involves money, but it’s a slight twist on a straight up cash reward. It could be a gift card to spend on whatever they want on Amazon or a voucher for their daily coffee at Starbucks or Costa.

Gift cards are a good way to personalise the winnings rather than handing over cash. (Remember to agree the value of the card/voucher before you agree to the bet…)

Charity donations

It’s becoming increasingly popular to gift charity donations for birthdays or Christmas. This is a trend that can be utilised in betting with friends, too.

The donation amount should be agreed before any wager, of course, but then there’s relatively free reign. Both could agree on a specific charity in advance or the ‘winner’ can pick a charity of their choice.

Winning a bet and making a contribution to a charity of your choosing seems like a very good outcome.