Review of the Top Virtual Sports Betting Sites in the UK

What are virtual sports?

A new innovation that has taken the sports betting industry by storm is virtual sports. There are many sporting events taking place in the virtual sphere these days, which has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for punters around the world. To put it in simple terms, virtual sports are essentially video games where contests, races and sporting events are played by computer software. The results of the events are determined by advanced algorithms which take into account the participants’ skills and the basic elements of similar events taking place in the real world. Virtual sports are vastly different from e-sports, as the latter features games played by real players.

The high-grade computer-generated graphics in these virtual sporting events are quite advanced. The viewers and punters get an experience similar to watching a high-quality video game. Because of the popularity enjoyed by virtual sports these days, many sportsbooks have started including them in their offerings. Since there is no need for a real-world event to place the bets, virtual sports have helped in increasing the velocity of bets on the betting sites.

What virtual sports are there?

Virtual Football

Football is one of the most loved and followed sports in the world so naturally, a virtual version of the game would do quite well too. Virtual football, which was released in the first wave of virtual games, does a really great job of providing punters with some excellent betting opportunities. Punters can place a number of bets on virtual football games. The commentary on the virtual football games is also quite nice, however, the realism slides a bit in the highlights portion of the game. The advantage is that the games in virtual football come quick and fast, which makes betting quite fun too.

Virtual Greyhound Racing

With the option of virtual greyhound racing, punters will no longer have to worry about the ethical dilemma that comes with betting on real dogs. The greyhound races in the virtual space are rendered so beautifully that the viewers often end up forgetting that they are animated. The dogs also display variations in their behaviour, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and dynamic UI. The betting system in greyhound racing is pretty simple. Punters have a choice of betting on 6 or 8-horse dog races, with options of straight bets, tricast or forecast.

Virtual Horse racing

Virtual horse racing was the game that first started the trend of virtual sports. Over the years, it has remained the favourite virtual sport to bet on for many punters. Virtual horse racing games often feature different number of runners, and also the options of choosing between flat races and jump races. With virtual horse racing, you do not have to wait for hours for the next race. You can find new races to bet on every three or four minutes.

Virtual Tennis

If you thought betting on tennis was limited to real-world events, then you were wrong. Virtual tennis is an incredibly fun game to bet on, with excellent visuals providing a real-world feel. Recently, the Madrid Open also considered hosting a virtual tennis event. The results in the virtual tennis games are determined by random number generation. Virtual tennis differs from a real-world tennis match as only one game is played instead of a 3 or 5-set match. This is done to facilitate the quick turnover of the betting options, and the punters are able to find out within a span of minutes whether or not they have won.

Virtual Motorsports

Placing bets on virtual motorsports is pretty much the same as betting on the real races. The only difference in virtual motor racing is that the result is determined by a random number generation software. Virtual motorsports events are not concerned with the quality of the participants. Punters can find a variety of odds in virtual motorsports. When the odds are higher, the likelihood of that car winning decreases. The best part about these races is that they take place in a matter of minutes, which means that there are always plenty of betting opportunities.

Virtual Darts

Virtual Darts have set a new standard in the world of virtual sports. It essentially combines the latest 3D visualization technology with an extensive betting offering. Virtual darts are also known as Rush Darts, and these events are often similar to watching a Premier League Darts event. Punters have the option to bet a variety of markets in virtual darts, like 180 in a match, Match Winner, and nine-dart finish, besides other checkout markets.

Is virtual sports betting legal?

Yes, betting on virtual sports is very much legal. Virtual sports betting became very popular in early 2020 when majority of the punters started relying on virtual sports for their entertainment. Punters can go ahead and wager on virtual matchups and virtual games offered on most online sports betting sites. Even though virtual sports are vastly different from regular sports, punters can still win the same kind of money through virtual sports betting. The only difference is that with virtual sports, the bookies decide when the event occurs and who will be competing. This is why virtual sports betting often takes place at regular intervals in a fast-paced manner.

How do you bet on virtual sports?

Betting on virtual sports is no different than esports or traditional sports betting. In virtual sports listings on the sportsbook, punters can find the betting line, and then take action on the odds they want. The virtual betting lines would not be very much different from the others. One of the teams will be favoured over the others, and there will be odds for the spread as well as the totals. Punters can bet on who wins and by what margin. They can also bet what the over/under will be for the combined score. Most sportsbooks also offer a variety of proposition bets for each kind of virtual sport. For instance, trifectas and exactas in horse racing, or the number of goals in a football match.

In certain virtual betting games, the stats of real-world counterparts of the game determine the odds. This kind of virtual sports betting is roughly the same as real-life sports events. In the more common type of virtual sports betting, however, betting is done on fictional teams, which makes betting more of a game of chance rather than skills.

Best virtual sports betting sites

Ladbrokes

Being one of the bigger names in the sports betting industry, you cannot go wrong with choosing Ladbrokes for virtual sports betting. The virtual sports offerings on Ladbrokes consist of –

·      Virtual horse racing (flat racing, jump racing and grand national)

·      Virtual football (regular games and football rush)

·      Virtual motorsports.

The sportsbook offers a great stream of virtual sporting events, with a game taking place every few minutes. Punters can bet up to a maximum of 6 hours in advance for all virtual sporting events. For virtual football, punters can wager on the correct score, full-time result, double chance, total number of goals and over/under 2.5 goals.

BoyleSports

One of the oldest bookies in the UK, Boylesports has also ventured into the space of virtual sports. Boylesports offers the following virtual sports –

·      Virtual horse racing (flat racing, national hunt and grand national)

·      Virtual football

·      Virtual greyhound racing

·      Virtual motor racing and speedway.

This betting site offers a great choice of popular markets to bet on, and the matches take place every few minutes. However, the streaming services offered by Boylesports can feel a little inferior, when compared with the other bookmakers.

BetVictor

BetVictor is one of the best online sports betting sites for virtual sports. Its virtual sports offerings consist of –

·      Virtual horse racing

·      Virtual greyhound racing

·      Virtual football

·      Virtual motor racing

·      Virtual speedway

·      Virtual track cycling

Being the leading virtual sports betting company, BetVictor provides 24/7 coverage for the sports and the virtual races take place every few minutes. The virtual horse racing segment is especially great, with excellent HD quality videos, crowd sound effects, and other innovative scenes. It essentially captures the essence of watching a real-life horse racing event. New users can also claim free bet bonuses (up to £30) when they sign-up and place a bet of £5.

Unibet

Unibet also launched its virtual betting platform recently. Its virtual sports offerings consist of –

·      Virtual football

·      Virtual Champions Cup

·      Virtual World Cup

·      Virtual basketball

·      Virtual horse racing

·      Virtual greyhound racing

·      Virtual Tennis

This is one of the only few bookmakers which provides virtual sports betting for a football league table. Punters have the option to bet on several markets like top 5 finishers, season winners, and bottom 3 finishers. Besides this, Unibet is also known to offer weekly virtual sports tournaments, which give players an opportunity to collect points every time they win a bet. Punters who collect more points win more cash, and the ones that finish on top also receive a reward of £3000.

Bet365

Bet365, being one of the leading bookmakers in the world, offers a great range of options in virtual sports betting. Punters can bet on –

·      Virtual cricket

·      Virtual bullet horse racing

·      Virtual darts

·      Virtual bullet greyhounds

The virtual sports betting events on Bet365 take place every 2 minutes for Greyhounds and Horse Racing, and every 3 minutes for Football. The betting site also provides a wide range of betting markets for virtual sports events. Bet365 provides its users with a minimum stake of £0.10 per bet, while the maximum daily payout remains £50,000 per customer. Whenever a new customer signs up on Bet365 by depositing £5 in their account, they can claim a maximum of £100 in the form of matched deposit in their Bet Credits.

Virtual sports betting tips

If you want to succeed in virtual sports betting events, understanding the basics is not enough. Betting on virtual sports requires strategic wagering and making the best use of promotions. You need to analyse the odds and compare them to increase your chances of winning, even though the results are based entirely on random number generator software. Here are some tips on maximising profit and fun while betting on virtual sports –

1. Understand the workings of RNG software

Since the results in virtual sports events are dependent on random number generator (RNG) software, it is important to understand how they work. The RNG software helps in ensuring complete fairness in the games, however, a punter needs to be prepared for certain unusual and unexpected results.

2. Wager smaller amounts

Betting smaller amounts is advisable when you are starting out with virtual sports betting. Even if you don’t end up winning big with small wagers, you will not incur huge losses either. Smaller amounts will help you in recovering your losses in an easier manner. Given the unpredictable nature of virtual sports betting, this aspect should not be underestimated.

3. Understand the odds

As a punter, you can be tempted to bet on higher odds to gain more profit in virtual sports betting. However, the key to winning in this format is smaller and consistent wins. You can always bet on the favourites, which tend to have lower odds.

4. Manage your betting bankroll

You need to manage your bankroll strategically when it comes to virtual sports betting, as you can end up losing a lot of money fairly quickly. It is advisable to try the approach of flat-betting, in which you can allocate 1-5 per cent of your bankroll in every play.

5. Don’t chase losses

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in virtual sports betting is attempting to recover your losses by upping bets. It is best to set a limit for the bets, and ensure that you do not stray from it.

Virtual Sports FAQs

a. How are virtual sports results determined?

 The outcomes in virtual sports are always based on the algorithm of the random number generator (RNG) software. This ensures that the winner is picked in a fair and unbiased manner.

b. Can I win real money on virtual sports betting sites?

 Yes, it is possible to win real money when you place real money bets on virtual sports events. Sportsbooks allow users to cash out their winnings when they meet the required terms and conditions.

c. Can I cash out on virtual sports bets?

 The option of cash out is not yet available for virtual sports betting.

d. Can I combine virtual sports and real sports on a betting slip?

No. Majority of the sports betting sites do not allow punters to combine a virtual sports bet and a real sports wager in a single slip.