A new app is looking to merge real-money sports betting with Uber-style user rankings, all while trying to avoid earning the ire of US law enforcement.

Bait, a new app created by Chicago resident Ian Peacock, attempts to satisfy Americans’ desire to bet on sports while not resulting in jail time for either bettors or its creator. The app, which is currently in beta release, hopes to make its official debut before the start of the upcoming 2015 NFL season.

Bait works by accessing a user’s phone contact list. Bettors can set up head-to-head wagers – straight up, over/under, against the spread – with friends and family using Las Vegas betting lines. The app will initially offer wagers on college and pro football, basketball and hockey, while golf will likely be added in a few months.

Once the outcome of the wager is known, Bait automatically notifies each sides of the bet. The losing bettor is then asked to click the app’s ‘pay’ button, which takes he/she to the winner’s account on Venmo, the mobile payment subsidiary of PayPal.