Vivid Picks is among the newcomers to the DFS pick'em arena as more states allow residents to access these over/under apps. They have the backing of Vivid Seats, a ticketing platform that allows users to list, sell, and buy tickets to their favorite events.
This new product is one of the fastest-growing apps in the industry, and we’ve been regular users since it launched in 2022. Our Vivid Picks review shares the results of our testing and covers the best and worst features new players will experience while using the app.
Final Verdict:
With a beautiful design, user-friendly layout, and favorable payouts, Vivid Picks is easily one of the best new DFS apps available. The only real complaint we have is that they lack an instant-payout option.
Customizable bet slip options and payouts up to 100x.
Consolidates DFS with VividSeats ticket engine.
Offers a social aspect to the user experience.
Generous and easy-to-use referral program.
Cons
Withdrawal methods lack an instant-payout option.
Company Overview
Vivid Seats, the Chicago-based ticketing platform, announced it was launching Vivid Picks in August 2022. This integrated the DFS app Betcha with the existing ticket resale company since Vivid Seats purchased Betcha in December 2021.
Since then, they've combined both offerings into the same app that allows users to put together bet slips for big payouts, interact with others through their social features, and access the ticket marketplace if they want to mix their wagering experience with live sports action.
It's an interesting concept, particularly with the ability to bet on live sports in real-time, and Vivid Picks is doing its best to gain ground in the fast race to appeal to DFS fans.
User Experience and Building a Bet Slip
Vivid Picks offers a variety of sports, leagues, and player stat types to choose from when building a bet slip. The app is well-organized and slightly reminiscent of Sleeper's dark blue background. The default tab organizes wagering options by sport, game, and time slot and allows users to put together bet slips with Over/Under and Versus picks.
The player options in the NFL, for instance, include all selections for the player in one view without requiring an extra click. Vivid Picks, like other apps, offers stats by player for users to leverage when filling out their bet slip. Their player stats are comprehensive, easy to find, and valuable as a research aid before making a choice if you're looking to submit something quickly without going to another source.
For an NFL QB, as an example, it breaks down an overview of their full season performance, weekly averages, and their last five games to date as a recent sample for passing yards, completions, rushing yards, interceptions, and the combo of passing and rushing yards.
Odds, Payouts, and Boosts
Vivid Picks offers different payout scales by sport, giving users the ability to take advantage of variable odds and build sizeable bet slips with more than 100x potential multipliers on wagers. The highest upside exists in the NFL, where users can build a slip with up to eight selections to achieve the coveted 100x peak payout.
This is a stark difference from NBA slips, which are limited to five selections, similar to Underdog, and build up to payouts of 20x at their maximum. Multi-sport entries have the benefit of existing at the upper end of this scale, too, with up to eight slots in a bet slip that match the NFL max payout of 100x the entry fee. When available, the bet slip will sometimes scale up to 10 acceptable selections and a 300x payout.
When submitting an entry, Vivid Picks offers an insured option that allows users to avoid losing their full buy-in thanks to their Vivid Bucks Insurance feature. Vivid Bucks act as the app's currency that counts toward wagers but cannot be cashed out on their own for dollars. When submitting a cash entry, this insurance kicks in and re-supplies 10% of the entry fee to the user for every correct selection up to half of their buy-in.
The other opportunities to improve payouts come in the form of Pre-Packaged Boosts and Social Boosts. The Vivid Picks team will pre-populate players and stats to choose from as a featured option and boost the odds of those picks above the standard rate (i.e., boosting a four-leg entry from 10x to 14x odds).
Social Aspect: Activity and the Arena
A unique feature of Vivid Picks is the chance to interact with other players, share wagering activity, and boost odds. The Activity tab is the hub for users to view others' DFS activity. It offers the chance to follow and track other users' pick activity and gives a collaborative feel to the experience. Users can immediately plug and play an existing bet slip from another user if they're both on the same page, which leads us to Social Boosts.
These build off the social aspect of the Vivid Picks app and allow for multiple users to get a higher payout when wagering together. When users follow others in the Activity tab, the games and picks on which others in their network have taken action will be highlighted in the DFS feed.
When two users who follow each other's picks make identical plays, both receive a boost to their potential payouts correlated to the number of selections in their entries. The more selections, the more significant the boost!
This angle to the social networking side of the app is a legitimate perk that encourages users to band together when making picks and experience a result together.
The Arena allows users to compete in contests over time based on their wagering results. The top finishers in each group, usually sorted by the fans of each team, receive Vivid Bucks and bonuses for cumulative strong performance.
Deposits and Withdrawals
New app users can sign up using our Vivid Picks promo code EWB to receive a $100 deposit bonus in the form of Vivid Bucks. This is a standard welcome bonus in the DFS industry and comes with a 1x play-through requirement attached, which is also standard practice.
Deposits require identity verification, as do other sites, and can be completed via credit or debit card as well as a transfer from online banking.
When withdrawing funds, Vivid Picks does have some work to do. They offer bank account transfers, cutting and mailing checks, and PrizeOut, which can put your withdrawal amount toward a gift card or shopping with a partner brand directly. What's missing is an instant withdrawal method, like Paypal, that allows users to feel comfortable accessing their funds quickly and securely. This will be a crucial addition to their growth potential and user satisfaction.
The app also offers a $50 referral bonus to users when they bring on another user. This is the largest amount we've seen on a DFS app, and it works like these same bonuses on other apps. The referral kicks in once a new user makes a deposit and plays in a contest after using an existing referral code. Once those steps are completed, the referral comes as VividBucks and is subject to the play-through requirement.
The program works similarly to other DFS apps, though the referral bonus is significantly higher.
Customer Support and User Reviews
Vivid Picks now offers users the chance to chat with an agent in addition to submitting a support ticket via email. This was not the case in the past, so it shows the app is listening to users and working to improve their experience.
Vivid Picks has a 4.3-star rating on the App Store and has struggled to its current 3.6 stars on Google Play. On the positive side, people mention liking the platform and the payout options, which have a considerable upside.
To balance that out, some users critiqued the withdrawal process and the methods available as reasons for poor experiences.
Vivid Picks FAQ
Vivid Picks hasn't been around all that long, but they've made a huge splash in the DFS world. Folks throughout the United States have been more than pleased with Vivid Picks and their expansive fantasy sports offerings.
Thinking of setting up a Vivid Picks account but have questions? We can help! Our staff has combed through some of the most commonly asked questions in the following section.
Is my money safe with Vivid Picks?
Yep! Vivid Picks is a legitimate company that abides by a very strict set of rules and regulations. Vivid Picks customers can have peace of mind knowing that their funds are always kept safe.
What types of DFS contests are available at Vivid Picks?
Vivid Picks has an impressive selection! A member of our staff recently commented that he couldn't believe that Vivid Picks offered action on NFL, NBA, NHL, CBB, Soccer, Golf, CS2, LOL, UFC, and NASCAR.
Does Vivid Picks have a referral program?
Yes! One of the best things about Vivid Picks is its referral program. They'll pay you $100 when a friend of yours signs up, makes a deposit, and enters a DFS contest. That's the most generous referral deal in the DFS industry.
Is the Vivid Picks app easy to navigate?
You bet it is! Vivid Picks spared no expense when it cames to creating their mobile app. The layout and the look are both clean, and it's easy to find the sport you are looking for.
What is the biggest weakness of Vivid Picks?
No DFS app is perfect and Vivid Picks is no different. The most inconvenient part of doing business with Vivid Picks is the serious lack of withdrawal options. The only way to receive a payout is via a paper check! That's hard to believe in this day and age. That said, we're confident that Vivid Picks will add more options soon.
Review Summary
Vivid Picks has its work cut out to carve a lane in the DFS space among strong competitors. They are working to do this with enticing betting offerings, customizable payout options, multiple opportunities to boost odds, and the unique social experience they offer to users.
As long as the existing withdrawal methods do not turn off new users, Vivid Picks should have a chance to be a player in this industry and see continued growth in 2024.
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Just Switched and I Couldn't Be Happier!
Rated 5.0 out of 5
April 5, 2024
After years of slaving away at traditional DFS sites like FanDuel and DraftKings, I was ready for a big change! Vivid Picks was just what I was looking for. Their props-style games keep me interested in sports without have to do hours of research!
Nicholas Berault is a proud Penn State alum whose past work has been featured on FantasyPros. He is an avid golfer and a collector of pin flags and sneakers. As a senior writer at EatWatchBet, Nicholas serves as an NFL, CFB, and NBA betting analyst.
