What is Virtual Sports Betting? - Virtual Sports Explained

What is Virtual Sports Betting?

Virtual betting is self explanatory, with players being able to bet on virtual matches and games from their favourite sports.

Outcomes are determined algorithmically with a Random Number Generator (RNG). Virtual markets are available 24/7 with major bookmakers, and remove the likelihood of freak events in real-world football markets.

In virtual betting, you don’t need to worry about the weather or other bizarre external circumstances influencing the outcome of the bet, or whether it's even played in the first place.

Games are played out in as little as two minutes, and bettors can watch the action unfold with pristine live streams, well-designed stats pages, and high-quality graphics.

With official licensing offered on certain competitions, virtual betting is a regularly available, entertaining, and potentially lucrative alternative to wagering on real-world football events.

Our guide explains virtual betting and demonstrates the strategies savvy bettors utilise to profit from the market selection.

Understand Virtual Betting with Real Examples

Virtual betting is available with several major bookmakers, including bet365, Paddy Power, and Sky Bet, among other reputable names.

Each sportsbook offers a slightly different service. However, most gambling sites feature several virtual football competitions, often between two and four.

Unibet offers a fully licensed Bundesliga market, featuring real match footage and team and player names.

The UK-based sportsbook offers several markets on Bundesliga fixtures, including match winner, correct score, over/under total goals, and even several player-prop markets.

A bettor might back Bayern Munich, who are valued at 7/10 (1.70) to beat Borussia Dortmund in the virtual league. 

Bettors can watch highlights unfold through real-match footage and stats pages – if the Bavarians defeat their ‘Der Klassiker’ rivals, they win the bet.

Elsewhere, bet365 offers Pro Evolution Soccer-style unlicensed leagues, such as the Premiership, Euro Cup, and Super League, resembling major real-world competitions.

Teams such as Islington (Arsenal), United (Manchester United), and City (Manchester City) face off in the Premiership every three minutes.

An extensive range of match and player prop markets is available, with form and head-to-head records displayed to aid decision-making.

Different Types of Virtual Betting Explained

While virtual football betting is booming in the UK, several alternative sports are offered by a range of major sportsbooks.

Tennis

Virtual tennis, offered by bet365, Ladbrokes, and Betfred, among others, is an enthralling option. Like football, events are available 24/7, include immersive live streams with realistic crowd noises and courts, feature in-depth stat pages.

Match winner, total points, and correct score are among the most popular Tennis market selections. 

Horse Racing

Unsurprisingly, virtual horse racing is a favourite among UK sports bettors. The market includes full-length live streams with several major bookmakers. Events last a similar amount of time to real horse racing events.

Broadly speaking, although it varies slightly from bookmaker to bookmaker, horse racing events have a return to player (RTP) percentage of 90%. 

Cricket

Cricket is one of several other popular sports that includes a virtual equivalent available with numerous UK-based sportsbooks.

Bettors can place virtual cricket wagers on T20 events, such as the Indian Premier League and internationals.

Unlike real T20 events, which can last several hours, the virtual cricket equivalent concludes within two minutes.

Match winner, total match boundaries, total match runs, total wickets lost, first method of dismissal, and runs off first delivery are among the most popular market selections.

Virtual Betting Strategies

Predicting sophisticated algorithmic outcomes is challenging. In fact, most experienced bettors argue it’s more challenging than wagering real-life events, where an understanding of nuance, years of data, and knowledge indescribable by numbers can provide an advantage.

To succeed in the virtual market, bettors must understand how random number generators work. Despite the name, outcomes are not entirely randomised.

Each team is assigned a score for attack, midfield, and defence, contributing to their overall probability of winning in a given match.

Other influences, such as form and stadium venue, also help to determine results. However, in real-life football, some away stadiums, such as Villa Park and St James’ Park, are harder for top teams to visit.

Virtual football’s RNG does not adjust odds depending on the historical difficulty of a stadium. All away grounds are weighted with proportionate difficulty to others.

Likewise, “a cold rainy night at Stoke” would not be viewed as more challenging for a top team by an RNG than visiting a less hostile away stadium with similar team strength.

So, virtual football bettors must remove their preconceived notions about the difficulty of travelling to a certain away stadium, or a surprising outcome that often occurs when two particular teams meet. 

Instead, decision-making must be centred around odds value. Several rival bookmakers offer similar virtual football fixtures with differing odds and payout structures, depending on the software provider and internal algorithms.

Finding the sportsbook that offers the best odds on a particular selection can be game changing. 

What is Virtual Sports Betting FAQs

Is virtual football betting fair?

Yes. Virtual betting outcomes are determined by certified Random Number Generators (RNGs), ensuring fairness and unpredictability.

How often do virtual football games take place?

Matches are available 24/7, usually starting every 2–3 minutes depending on the sportsbook.

Can I watch virtual matches live?

Yes. Most major sportsbooks stream virtual games with realistic commentary, graphics, and stats updates in real time.