Virtual Sports Betting Explained: How It Works, Is It Safe, and Where to Play

The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Sports

Virtual sports, also known as virtuals, are sporting events that are completely generated by a computer, which uses a random number generator (RNG) to decide the outcome of each match. 

To some, virtual sports are a complement to traditional sports betting; to many, they serve as a more fast-paced way of enjoying betting on popular sports without having to worry whether a game is on or not. In either case, understanding how these virtual matches work is fundamental to having the best possible experience betting on virtual events.

The virtual equivalents of real-life players and teams are often programmed to play like their real-world counterparts: "Manchester Blue" is often designed to be as good as Manchester City.

A Look at All Popular Virtual Sports

Online casinos and virtual sportsbooks offer the following types of virtual sports, all working with RNG mechanisms that ensure randomness and impredictibility:

• Football
• Tennis
• Basketball
• Cricket
• Motorsports
• Horse Racing
• Hound Racing

How Does Virtual Sports Betting Work?

Virtual sports betting is a mix between casino betting and eSports bets. The way the work is rather simple for the player, even if complex in the background:

Although virtual sports betting and classic sports betting work very similarly, virtual sports betting offers a more compact experience with fewer available markets. Since players are made up and don't actually exist, there are no prop bets. 

Casino Wizard Tip

You won't see the entire event when partaking in virtual sports. You'll be shown highlights of the predetermined outcome. Be sure to understand this before placing virtual sport bets. 

Random Number Generators (RNG) in Virtual Sports

Virtual sports use random number generators to determine the outcomes of every single event. Random number generators, better known as RNGs, generate unpredictable numerical values that determine what happens in each virtual event. 

What you see on your screen is a consequence of the RNG's result. The outcomes are predetermined from the moment the event starts: the random number is generated, the outcome is decided, and the highlights or full event (depending on the sport) appear on your screen and you get to bet on them. 

Odds and Implied Probability Function

You'll notice that, even though these events are virtual and outcomes are predetermined from the start, different teams have different odds, which implies that some teams and players are more likely to win than others.

This goes in-hand with what we told you before: although events have randomly-generated outcomes, the RNG is more likely to give a win to a team that is programmed as the favorite, much like the RNG of an online slot is more likely to make low-paying symbols appear over high-paying and special symbols.

Because of it, these events have underdogs and favorites. The virtual bookmaker interface does take into consideration the potential outcome of virtual sports based on the RNG. In fact, since these use an RNG and don't depend on player skill, odds become much more significant, as they represent the actual chances of a team to win. 

Event Frequency and Betting Cycles

Virtual sports are designed to be fast-paced versions of their real-world counterparts that occur 24/7. We've noticed two clear patterns that vary between classic sports and racing events:

• Virtual sports like football, basketball, cricket, and tennis have event duration set to 3 to 5 minutes in most cases. During the events, you'll be able to place "live" bets, with potential winnings changing based on what the screen is showing on the highlights. Software studios keep the betting cycle open during most of the match.
• Racing events have shorter cycles and rarely allow live betting; the general take place every two minutes. Most software developers allow betting cycles to only remain active between races.

Racing events have a clearer cycle and rarely allow live bets, so most of your hound racing or sporting events go like this:

• Betting phase: 40 seconds
• On-screen animation: 65 seconds
• Results and payouts: 15 seconds

You can expect to place new bets every couple of minutes on most racing-style virtual sports. 

RTP and House Edge in Virtual Sports

The real RTP depends on the bookmaker’s margin (which is called the overround) that is fixed in the odds of each market. The higher the combined implied probabilities exceed 100%, the larger the margin and the lower the expected return to bettors over time. It is not possible to know the actual overrun of virtual sports, though, as developers don't make these values available to users.

The overround is the bookmaker’s margin. It basically means that implied probabilities exceed 100%, which ensures that the sportsbook has a profit regardless of the game's outcome.

RTP

When you bet on virtual sports, the RTP varies depending on the market that you choose. The house edge of these games works very similarly to the bookmaker margin. Much like in regular sports, the expected RTP is based on data and statistics, but it can be defined in two categories:

• Straightforward bets, such as match winner or 1x2 in football, have the lowest house edge and therefore the biggest return rates.
• Alternative markets like football's correct score, basketball's over/unders or racing's tricasts have lower average return rates.

Since players can choose which type of market to partake on, there's no set RTP on virtual sports. The potential return can largely vary from one player to the next, as is the case with sports betting. 

House Edge

Virtual sports may look like the real thing, but these are more akin to luck-based video games: the casinos, or virtual bookmakes, know how much money they will earn based on the fact that matches are decided before they happen instead of the actual performance. It's just like a casino game.

Since the RTP isn't fixed, neither is the house edge, but this software is designed to always yield a long-term profit for the house. The profit varies widely. 

Casino Wizard Tip

Although the RNG ensures that these games work like a casino game, it's better to approach virtual sports as if they were regular sports. 

Types of Virtual Sports Betting Markets

Due to how virtual sports work, you'll notice that the types of bets are far more limited than those you can place in these sports, though pre-match and live options exist all the same. Before placing a bet on virtual sports, you should understand the main markets in which you can partake. 

Match Result Markets

These are the markets that let you bet on the outcome of an event: home, draw, or away in sports like football, outright wins or losses on basketball, or choosing a winner in a race. 

Goals, Totals and Over/Under Markets

Total markets involve predicting how many points or goals will be scored in a game, regardless of the winner. These are the most common "alternative" bet in virtual sports, and you can find odds discrepancies to maximize the value of your bet slip.

Correct Score

Some virtual sporting software allows you to attempt to predict the final score of a game in certain sports, but these types of bets are most commonly found when betting on virtual football. 

Racing Markets

As well as betting for the winner of a race, greyhound racing and horse racing allow you to make a wider selection of winners to place stakes on underdog participants and other competitors, increasing your chance of winning more money and adding thrill to your betting experience. 

These are the most common racing markets available on virtual sports:

• Forecast: Predict the first and second finishers in the correct order.
• Tricast: Predict the first three finishers in exact order.
• Exact Order: Similar to forecast/tricast but may include different combinations depending on operator rules.

Virtual Sports vs eSports

Virtual sports and eSports are two completely different activities: the first one is purely luck-based and depends on an RNG, whilst the latter pits real players against one another in competitive environments where skill decides who the winner is.

Many modern sportsbooks offer markets for both eSports and Virtual Sports. They're often separated, though: you'll find virtual sports on a separate section or located within the "Casino" side of the site. 

What Are eSports?

eSports are competitive videogame events, often scheduled and set up by an organization, where professional teams and players compete against one another in various types of games. They are played like sport leagues, and involve games like historical giants Dota 2 and CS, as well as newer competitive games like Valorant.

Betting on Virtual Sports vs. Betting on eSports

The main and most crucial difference between virtual sports and eSports is that virtual sports don't involve real people, while eSports consists of real people playing videogames in a competitive setting. As such, eSport betting is much more akin to traditional sports betting than virtual sports themselves. 

• Analyzing performance in tournaments or previous matches plays a key role in eSport betting, which gives it a higher entry doorway for beginners. Since virtual sports are random, anyone can bet and win. 
• Virtual sports are purely based on the outcome of the RNG, while eSports depend on other elements like roster changes and team form.
• You have to be strategic about when you bet on eSports and plan ahead, while you can jump into virtual sports betting at any point. 

Virtual Sports vs. Real Sports Betting vs. Casino Games

Both virtual sports and casino games use an algorithm to determine outcomes of bets, no matter the stake amount. Real sports betting is different, though; let's take a look at what makes each activity special before you start making bets on virtual sports including football, tennis, basketball, and cricket.

The Main Differences to Keep in Mind

• Skill involvement: Sport knowledge plays a much smaller part in virtual sports, to the point where it's basically irrelevant. Odds show which team is favored to win, but results, players, and tactics don't really matter.
• RNG presence: The existence of an RNG makes the past performance of virtual sports teams irrelevant; signings don't matter, nor do injuries, which makes these bets more akin to casino game betting.
• Data relevance: You know how casino games have rounds that are independent from one another? The same thing applies to virtual sports. Unlike traditional sports betting, keeping track of data to make informed bets isn't relevant. You should pay attention to in-game statistics and use the data provided by the game to make your decisions. 
• Event frequency: Virtual sports are always on, no matter the time of the day or season of the year. You'll always have access to virtual sports betting, much like you would online casino games. 
• RTP structure: Like we said, these virtual sporting events use an RNG; they don't have a set RTP or profit structure apart from what each software studio programs the games to have via the explained overrun mechanics. 

Are Virtual Sports Legitimate?

Virtual sports are regulated by the same entities that oversee and license software developers. This is done as a measure to ensure that the outcomes, even if dependent on an RNG, are actually randomized as well as fair. Due to the popularity of virtual sports in the United Kingdom, the UKGC, which is Britain's main regulator, licenses many of the world's leading virtual sports studios.

These are the six studios that develop virtual sports and their respective licenses.

• Inspired Entertainment (United Kingdom, Malta)
• Kiron Interactive (United Kingdom)
• LEAP Gaming (United Kingdom, MGA, Romania, Gibraltar)
• GoldenRace (United Kingdom, MGA)
• Vermantia (Romania)
• 1x2 Network (Malta)

Casino Wizard Tip

If you find games made by another studio, check their license to ensure that the company is properly regulated before you play them.

Can Virtual Sports Be Manipulated?

The aforementioned software providers allow casinos to use their software, but it cannot be manipulated by the gambling sites themselves. If you come across a rigged game, the fault lies in the hands of the developer, not the operator, which is why it's important that you only play virtual sports games created by reputable studios and offered by companies with licenses that ensure their legitimacy. 

The quality of an operator is much more significant when deciding where to play. Virtual sports can't be rigged, but casinos can refuse your withdrawal.s 

Where Can You Gamble on Virtual Sports

Virtual sports are not legal per se in many countries, but they're available in every jurisdiction where offshore casinos are popular. Since most virtual sports developers are licensed in Malta, you'll find their games in casinos that accept players from most of South America, Canada, Africa, Asia and some European countries with looser gambling laws.

They are explicitly legal in the UK, though, which is why so many studios have an offering that reflects popular UK events like football, cricket, and horse racing. 

Virtual Sports Betting Sites with Verified RNGs and Valid Licenses

Like we've been saying across this entire guide, it is of utmost importance to wager on virtual sports in reliable, licensed online gambling sites only. Avoiding unlicensed websites is imperative, as the games themselves may not be rigged, you you can easily get your withdrawals rejected if you win serious cash in an unregulated platform.

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How We Evaluate Virtual Sports Betting Sites

Due to the random nature of virtual sports betting outcomes, we take the same elements into consideration when evaluating these platforms as we do when we review traditional online casinos. These are the most important  aspects that we keep in mind for our virtual sports betting reviews: 

• Licensing: Licenses give legitimacy to online casinos and are the first thing we look for in a gambling site before recommending it. 
• RTP transparency: Virtual sports betting is more akin to casino games, which is why it's important for the sites that we recommend to be properly licensed by entities that check for transparency. 
• Market variety: Although markets are far more limited in virtual sport events, a good selection of sports and markets is a good indication that the games are provided by a worthwhile software developer.  
• Software studios: There aren't too many studios developing sports betting events, so we take into consideration that the sites that we recommend offer games from top companies like LEAP Gaming or Kiron Interactive.  
• User interface: Virtual sports betting should be easily accessible and the platforms must be easy to manage no matter how experienced a player is. 

You'll notice that sites recommended at The Casino Wizard comply with additional factors, such as offering fair bonus terms and large overall game catalogs. This includes the virtual sport sites that we recommend. 

Strategy and Expected Value in Virtual Sports Betting

Trying to strategize to bet on virtual sports is rather similar to doing so to play online slots. There's an RNG that ensures an element of randomness that makes trying to predict outcomes more difficult, meaning that long-term winning strategies don't exist. Don't be fooled by anyone that tells you otherwise: sports betting and virtual sports betting are fundamentally different. 

Also, unlike in traditional sports, you cannot take advantage of matched betting in virtual sports. Casinos rarely offer free bets for these events, and even if you find one, the outcome randomness nullifies the low-risk element that makes matched betting what it is. 

• Luck over skill: Results don't depend on  team form and tactics, so there's no point analyzing teams like you would in traditional sports.
• Expected value in virtual sports:  Due to the existence of an RNG and an RTP, the expected value of your bets is always negative over time. It cannot be overcome like it is in traditional sports betting. 
• The importance of bankroll management: Since virtual sporting events are happening every few minutes, managing your bankroll is even more important than it is in traditional sports. 

How to Use Bonus Money to Bet on Virtual Sports

The vast majority of casino bonuses are not usable on virtual sports, and the same thing occurs with sports betting bonuses. There's a workaround, however, that allows you to use cash earned with bonuses to place bets on sports:

Casino Wizard Tip

You can do the same with sports betting bonuses as well. If you want to bet on virtual sports with them and the rules don't allow you to, liberate the cash and use it afterward.

Virtual Sports, a Great Alternative to Real-Life Sports Bets

Virtual sports betting achieves a balance between online casino games and traditional sports betting. The low entry barrier, defined by the fact that outcomes are purely RNG based and don't depend on skill, makes them accessible to anyone, no matter their knowledge level.

If you're going to play virtual sports games, do so in online casinos that are properly licensed and be sure to play the games of one of the developers that we've mentioned here. Remember that outcomes are luck-based - use in-game statistics to determine how likely an outcome is, and forget about what you know about real-world sports.