# Sports betting with fake money: the free ways to practice, compared

Free ways to practice sports betting with no real money, from demo sportsbooks to an order book with no vig, and how to learn something from them.

Source: https://rizon.markets/learn/sports-betting-with-fake-money (updated 2026-11-04)

> **Short answer:** Free options include FakeBet and PaperBet, which copy a sportsbook with virtual money, WagerLab for friends, and Kalshi's demo. [Rizon](https://rizon.markets/markets/bears-at-lions) is a little different: it lists Thanksgiving's NFL games as an order book of totals and spreads, with no vig and no sign-up, so you can also quote your own line. Whichever you use, keep a record and count the vig, because practice only helps if it shows you your real win rate against the 52.4% you'd need at -110.

## The options

From each one's own site, as of Nov 4, 2026:

| Where | What it is | Account | Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| [FakeBet](https://fakebet.fun/faq) | A demo sportsbook using real sportsbooks' prices | Google sign-in | Virtual $1,000 ranked and $100,000 casual wallets. Carries sponsored links to real-money sites |
| [PaperBet](https://paperbet.site/) | "Paper bets on real events" | Guest or free account | Virtual |
| [WagerLab](https://www.wagerlab.app/) | Social predictions settled among friends | Sign-up | Virtual units |
| [Kalshi's demo](https://demo.kalshi.co/) | Kalshi's test environment | Sign-up with mock details | Mock funds; its markets "may not be reflective" of real ones |
| [Rizon](https://rizon.markets/markets/bears-at-lions) | An order book for NFL totals and spreads | None | $1,000 of paper |

One to watch: [CentSports](https://www.centsports.com/) looks similar but says you can "win real money with our free bet, no deposit option", so it isn't only practice.

## How to get something out of it

1. **Log every position,** with the line you got. Your memory will flatter you.
2. **Use one size.** Then your win rate and your PnL tell the same story.
3. **Compare your line with the closing line.** If you consistently get a better number than the market ends at, you may have something. Massachusetts regulators heard that [sportsbooks limit exactly those customers](https://cdcgaming.com/brief/winners-face-betting-limits-losers-made-vips-mass-gaming-commission-learns/).
4. **Count the vig on paper.** At -110 you need 52.4% to break even. At 50 trades, even 60% could be luck, so don't conclude much until you have hundreds.
5. **Stay away from parlays for now.** They're the most expensive thing on the menu: New Jersey books [held 19.2% on them in 2025](https://www.nj.gov/oag/ge/docs/Financials/PressRelease2025/December2025.pdf), against 4.9% on everything else.

## What practice won't show you

Fake money doesn't feel like money, and chasing a loss is much easier to resist when it can't hurt. A demo also can't show a sportsbook limiting you, which real winners run into. If your record is good on paper, that's a reason to keep testing. It's not a reason to deposit.

And if it's stopped being fun, or you're chasing losses with real money, help is free: in the US, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

## Why an order book teaches you more

A demo sportsbook takes any position at the posted line. An order book makes you think about the other side: who's selling this to me, and why? On [Rizon's game books](https://rizon.markets/markets/bears-at-lions), Higher is the over and Lower is the under, and you can rest your own line and wait for someone to take it. [What over/under means](https://rizon.markets/learn/what-does-over-under-mean) explains it, and [how sportsbooks make money](https://rizon.markets/learn/how-do-sportsbooks-make-money) shows you the job you'd be doing.

## FAQ

### Can you practice sports betting for free?

Yes. FakeBet, PaperBet, WagerLab and Rizon all use virtual money, and you can't lose anything on them.

### Is there a sports betting simulator?

Yes: FakeBet and PaperBet work that way, with real sportsbooks' lines and virtual balances, and app stores list others.

### Can you win real money on a free sports betting app?

Not on a pure simulator, and not on Rizon. Some free apps do pay out, like CentSports, usually in small amounts. Read the terms.

### What's a good win rate to aim for?

At -110, 52.4% is break-even, and anything sustained above about 55% over hundreds of trades is rare. Be suspicious of anyone claiming much more.