Ever loaded a computer sports game, either on your laptop or mobile device, or perhaps a game player and then let the computer play out the game while you watched to see the outcome?

If so, then you’ve already got yourself a pretty fair handle on what it looks like to watch and wager on a virtual sporting event at an online sportsbook. All of the leading online sports betting sites now carry virtual sports as part of their repertoire. 

Virtual sports are computer-simulated games. Other than the person placing the bet on the outcome of the event, there’s no human element involved in the equation. Whether it’s a football game, a NASCAR race, an NBA game or an international soccer match that action that you will be betting on is a 100 percent computer-generated simulation.

The technology for virtual sports is hardly new. There were versions of computer-generated games dating back to the early 1960s. They began to soar in popularity in the 1980s and as software technology improved and the games became more and more realistic, the virtual sports empire exploded into prominence.

Around the same time, the internet became readily available to the general public. The connection of virtual sports and the world wide web was a natural for betting houses. These sportsbooks saw virtual sports being capable of filling the void of downtime when there’s no actual game action.

Suddenly, online sportsbooks could provide players with the opportunity to bet on a game – a virtual game – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

It’s Always There For You

Virtual sports are the perfect receptacle for today’s instant gratification society. Who wants to wait until 8 p.m. for that NHL game to take the ice? And then, wait another three hours to discover if your moneyline bet on the outcome of the game will prove to be a winning ticket. 

Sporting events generally follow a regimented schedule. It’s not likely that a bettor will find a game to wager on at 10 in the morning on a Tuesday. With virtual sports, they don’t have to wait for later in the day to get in on the action.

Virtual sporting events are there for your convenience. They begin when you want them to get underway. Simply place a bet and watch the contest unfold in front of you. It generally won’t last much more than 15-20 minutes in real time. And bettors will be afforded the same level of live betting action that they’d get from a real-world sporting event. 

Where To Bet On Virtual Sports

Venerable British betting house William Hill has been taking sports bets from punters since the mid-1930s but no one can accuse this online sportsbook of not keeping up with the modern technology. William Hill has offered virtual sports wagering since 2016 and today, estimates that 20 percent of the handle they take in is wagered on virtual sports. 

British online bookmaker Bet365, one of the most lucrative online betting sites in operation, offers an extensive menu of virtual sports betting. They provide wagering on football, basketball, horse racing – both thoroughbred and harness breeds – greyhounds, soccer, cycling, stock cars, speedway, tennis, cricket and darts.

It’s important to note that none of these sportsbooks have any control over how the virtual sporting event unfolds. It’s entirely programmed based on a random number generator (RNG) that will decide the outcome. Due to the random nature of the outcomes, virtual sports betting is considered by regulators to be the same as playing a virtual slot machine. 

These programs do take into account the actual skill level and talents of the real people that the virtual players are based upon. However to ensure that no legal issues are encountered with pro leagues, no real players or team names are included. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the temporary shutdown of almost every major sport, these online sportsbooks truly discovered the value that virtual sports were offering as part of their betting product. The coronavirus may have prevented bettors from wagering on the English Premier League. However, the virtual version was just waiting for someone to place a bet and queue up the next match.