What is Virtual Sports Betting
While you, like most of our other readers, might be familiar with eSports as a betting avenue, virtual sports betting is not quite the same. In Virtual Sports, a computer software plays out sporting events such as races, matches or games. These softwares account for the skill of the participants and factors like probability and luck to create a simulation of real-world sporting events.
Virtual Sports aren’t limited to showing numbers on a screen. The software behind virtual sports is advanced enough to generate stunning graphics that provide visual stimulation. The graphical content of virtual sports is comparable to the experience offered by present-day gaming consoles.
These virtual events conducted on advanced software have slowly started to gain popularity among bookmakers as it allows for bookmakers to create betting avenues without having to wait for real-world events to come around, allowing them to offer a higher number of sports bets than usual.
What Virtual Sports Can You Bet on?
There are virtual counterparts for most sports that are available in the world today. Some of the most common virtual sports that you can bet on are:
How Do You Place Bets on Virtual Sports?
Much like betting on real-world sports, it’s fairly straightforward to bet on virtual sports. The key differentiator between the two is that sportsbooks have the liberty of deciding when virtual events take place – and at what frequency.
The bookies also get to decide which teams are playing, should the demand for top teams ever wane. The rest of the steps that a bettor needs to take to place a bet remain almost identical to the conventional method of placing a bet on an event like a horse race or boxing match. Odds are used to determine betting outcomes.
Virtual events are known to offer more variety thanks to the endlessly customizable nature of the digital medium. Unlike real sports, there are no dependencies on athletes, promoters, agencies and broadcasters to make an event happen. Bookies get creative and come up with unique matches that are irresistible to punters, ensuring that they always have something to look forward to while going after a virtual bet.
Virtual sports betting offers just as much chance and excitement as real sports games.
Tips While Placing a Virtual Bet
Understand How the Algorithm Works
In regular sports, real teams and athletes compete against each other. In this situation, one side is usually favored to win, which reflects in the odds of an event. Athletes are human, and are therefore unpredictable. There’s always an element of luck or misfortune involved when sports take place in the real world – resulting in the favorite side losing.
In an ideal scenario, the team or athlete who is pegged to win on the odds will emerge on top, but that’s not always the case. The algorithms of virtual sports also factor in luck while determining the outcome of a virtual sports event which means it’s closer to the random number generator found in online slots and black casinos.
Don’t Look for Patterns
When betting on real life sports, it becomes easy to spot patterns that one can rely on to generate long-term profits. Usually, these patterns are decided by the long term performance of a team, or the kind of odds offered by a particular bookmaker.
However, with software-powered virtual sports, it is virtually impossible to spot patterns or predict outcomes. Since the algorithms behind these games are developed by some of the top engineers and developers in the world – and also independently tested by third party auditors, it is highly unlikely that a virtual sport would give away a clue or patterns that punters can fall back upon.
Human Emotions Don’t Exist in Virtual Sports
Since the outcomes of virtual sports are dictated by algorithms, the digital athletes participating in these games do not experience emotions. Therefore, they are not subject to feeling pressure when trailing, or feeling confident when performing well.
Further, digital athletes don’t experience the extra motivation that comes with playing against arch-rivals or in a high-stakes competition. The lack of human emotions makes virtual sports betting a bit of a dry proposition when compared to real-world sports involving real athletes. If you are a football fan, just remember not to rely on emotions before you partake in some virtual football betting.
Virtual sports Are Similar to Casino Games
Virtual sports are the latest addition in a long list of online gambling options that rely on an RNG or random number generator. Online casinos have famously been using RNGs to generate results since their inception.
Similar to online casinos, the outcomes of virtual sports are decided by RNGs. We advise you to follow an approach similar to what you would employ while gambling online if you ever decide to place bets on virtual sports.
Take Advantage of Virtual Betting Bonuses
Since virtual sports are a relatively new phenomenon, it’s easy to earn bonuses through this format of wagering. The two most common bonuses available are free bets and deposit bonuses.
In a free bet, you place a bet and if you lose, you are given a chance to recover your losses by placing another bet free of charge. In a deposit bonus, the bookie matches your deposit up to a certain limit. As always, we strongly suggest you read the terms and conditions of each bonus on offer before you decide to go through with one – bookies often have a stringent set of criteria to meet before you can claim bonuses.
Only Play With Reputable Betting Sites
Remember to read reviews and look out for the following warning signs:
- Non-payments
- Slow payouts
- Poor customer service
- Lack of licensing
- Faulty games
- Ambiguous bonus terms and conditions
When you play with the top virtual sports bookies, you can be sure that you will have a smooth and secure betting experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
While the option to bet on sports that are played by computers can be a hard sell for some, virtual sports betting sites are gaining popularity with younger punters. In case you have additional questions, be sure to check out the FAQ section below or feel free to visit our other guides to the world of virtual sports betting.
What is virtual sports betting?
In virtual sports betting, sporting events are played out by computer software. These algorithms account for factors like luck and player skill to simulate real-world sporting events.
What kinds of sports are available?
Virtual sports betting has evolved to accomodate a wide range of sports such as cricket, football, ice hockey, basketball, horse racing, greyhound racing, and motorsports.
What operators offer virtual sports bets?
You can find the option to bet on virtual sports with most of the top bookies that are available today. Some of the best sites that allow you to bet on virtual sports include operators such as Ladbrokes.
