In cooperation with our partner.
With not much sport on, you might think there’s currently nothing to bet on either. That’s where you’d be wrong, outside of the political and TV special bets, most online sportsbooks also offer something called virtual sports betting.
Even if you’re unfamiliar with the term, you might be able to guess what these are just based on their name. In this guide, we’ll be going over what virtual sports are, where to bet on virtual sports and the advantages of betting on them.
What Exactly Are Virtual Sports?
Virtual sports are a type of fixed-odds game that can be found at online sportsbooks. They are controlled by a computer which uses RNG (random number generation) to determine the outcome based on the odds of the event.
For example, regular sports have odds on events like Team A beating Team B. The odds for this even are based on what the bookies feel is the most likely outcome. With virtual sports, however, the game is based on maths and random chance. The odds that you see for Virtual Team A beating Virtual Team B are the representation of the actual chance of that event.
Virtual Sports Advantages
Here are some of the main advantages and the reasons for virtual sports growing in popularity each day:
- Great availability of games – Virtual sports are available to bet on 24/7 with no shutdowns for holidays, season endings or any other factor. If you’re looking for sports to bet on and coming up short, there’s always virtual sports available.
- A unique form of entertainment – Virtual sports provide a level of entertainment like no other. Special software and 3D graphics help to create immersive realism and bring you closer to the action. Games are also much shorter than a regular match, meaning you can place bets more regularly.
- No prior knowledge of sports is required – Unlike actual sports betting, extensive sports knowledge won’t help you much here. Knowing who the best manager is or the head to head and statistics of the teams aren’t needed to make successful bets.
- External factors don’t influence thegames – In real sports, the outcome of a game can be decided by a freak injury or unfortunate suspension. This isn’t the case with virtual sports, where the only thing that influences the outcome is the odds of the event and the RNG.
- Virtual sports betting is fair – Because virtual sports use RNG, they are completely fair and can’t favour certain players, teams or outcomes. While real sports can sometimes be cruel and unfair, virtual sports are based almost entirely on chance.
Where to Find Virtual Sports
You can find a good selection of virtual sports at most major bookmakers in the UK. Sports include tennis, football, racing, horse racing and many more. You’ll be able to watch the action take place after you place your bets. You can usually find virtual sports in their own separate category on the online bookmaker. Many retail locations also offer virtual sports. If you’re unsure, you can check with a member of staff or live chat.