Best Virtual Betting Sites UK

If 24/7 betting without waiting a few minutes until the next race or match gets underway sounds good, then it might be time to open an account at a virtual betting site.     

But which one in particular? Keep reading as we tell you which are the best virtual sports betting sites for different things, including which is top for each of the different virtual sports. We’ll also tell you how the technology works that powers virtual sports betting, explain how to place a bet on it and give you some tips to get the most out of your overall experience.

Top 10 Virtual Sports Betting Sites

Ladbrokes 

The fact that they offer eight computer-simulated sports to bet on - horse racing, football, tennis, motorsports, cricket, greyhounds, American Football and basketball - is a good starting point, perhaps an even better one, being that they have five different types of events to bet on for both football and horse racing. I also liked the fact that they offer a greater variety of virtual horse racing markets than others, while their selection of American Football markets, one of my favourite sports to bet on, is probably the best in the business from across all the different virtual betting sites. That’s why this site is best for American Football virtuals betting.

Unibet 

Another favourite of mine is virtual football betting, so I was impressed that Unibet had matches from the Bundesliga, World Cup, and Euro Cup to choose from; but there’s also horse racing and greyhound racing, tennis, and cricket available. With over 20 different football betting markets ranging from match winner to double chance and correct score betting, you’re spoilt for choice on the number of markets, as well as the number of football competitions. That’s why I’ve picked Unibet as the best Sportsbook for virtual football betting. 

Betfair 

There’s a good supply of virtual sports to choose from and that already contributes to it being one of the best virtual sports betting sites out there. But what I really liked about the Betfair virtual betting site was the availability of each-way betting on horse racing, greyhound racing and motorsports. Given that’s my preferred way of betting on those sports in ‘real life’, then it follows that those are the ones I want to bet on when it comes to RNG betting. And I’ll go a step further by saying that this is the best site for each-way betting on virtuals. 

As for the Virtuals visuals, they’re of the highest HD quality with Betfair branding featured on all streaming, irrespective of the sport.  

Betfred 

As you can see from the table above, Betfred offer virtual sports betting on eight different sports and for the record, they are: football, horse racing, greyhounds, speedway, motor racing, darts, cycling and tennis. Not many virtual betting sites offer that many different options, so that’s why for my money, Betfred are the best when it comes to the variety of sports they offer. 

I won some money when betting on tricast and forecast markets on their horse racing product but lost some when betting on their darts option. Shame about that, but at least they offer darts betting, something no-one else on the Top 10 list seems to. 

Coral 

Another betting site with virtual sports, offering eight different sports to bet on. 

I don’t generally bet on the likes of motor racing or speedway when it comes to ‘real’ sports, but I gave the virtual versions a go here and was very impressed with what I saw. 

Like with all live streaming of virtual sports, the graphics are more similar to a video game than the actual sport, but that makes it perfect for what virtual sports betting is all about and after all: if you want to bet on the actual sports, you of course have that option, too!   

But it’s not just those two sports above that they’re particularly good at. There are five different virtual football betting competitions you can play, which is probably more than at any other betting site with virtual sports and that includes one type no-one else offers: women’s football. 

So all in all, they’re top for the variety of football competitions available.

What Are Virtual Sports and How Does the Technology Work?

So what exactly are virtual sports, also known as instant results betting or RNG betting? 

They’re computer-simulated sporting events that mimic real sports like horse racing, football or tennis. Though the rules and formats are the same in virtual sports as they are in real-life, the graphics are more similar to what you’d find in a video game available on a PlayStation or Xbox than what you’d see live on TV. 

One important element to highlight is that, unlike in say horse racing, where the ‘going’ of the turf, rain or strong winds can affect how the horses perform, these aren’t factors when it comes to virtual sports.   

However, when it comes to the gambling element of things, virtual sports are actually very similar to playing the likes of blackjack, roulette or even slots, in that the games are run by what’s called a Random Number Generator (RNG). 

An RNG is a process used to generate an unpredictable series of numbers, but it can be used for other things as well, such as which cards are dealt in a game of Blackjack or which number the ball falls on in roulette. 

In all cases, including of course, virtual sports, the outcomes of the games are generated by the RNG and are therefore completely random. 

In all cases, how much is bet on them or what type of bets are placed has no effect on the outcome of the virtual sports game. In fact, the outcome of the virtual sports game has been pre-determined by the RNG before it even gets underway. 

There are four main providers of virtual sports betting: Betradar, Kiron, Golden Race, BeterGaming. 

Betradar are known for offering the most sports, having the most realistic action thanks to advanced motion-capture graphics, and incorporating statistics and commentary into their product. Betradar virtual sports include football, horse racing, tennis and basketball. 

Kiron Interactive is best-known for its football and racing products and specialises in events that have very quick turnarounds, so please always take responsible gambling into mind when playing their games. Kiron virtual sports also include slightly under-the-radar ones like table tennis, speed skating and even rodeo! One of the reasons many bookmakers like their product is that their data-light events require low bandwidth.   

Golden Race, on the other hand, are the market leader for their immersive presentation, including 3D simulations that mirror real stadiums, athletes and camera angles. So they’re as close to the real thing, without being the real thing. They’re also well-known for offering the best combat sports products.

Then there’s BeteGaming. Optimised for mobile, their big strengths lie in simple gameplay, lightweight graphics and the fact that you can play much longer tournaments than just one-off games that are over in a couple of minutes. 

Finally, just because these games are virtual isn’t to say it’s a free-for-all and that normal rules don’t apply. Virtual sports outcomes need to be regularly tested for fairness, similar to RNG casino games, and any virtual betting sites offering them need to display their RTPs, which are typically between 85% and 89%. 

What Virtual Sports Can You Bet On? 

We’ve mentioned some of the sports available in the world of virtual sports betting already, but let’s take some time to go into them in a little more detail. 

Virtual Football

Virtual football betting competitions to bet on include World Cup, ‘Club Football’ Euro Cup and women’s football. Betting markets mostly mirror the ones you bet on when wagering on real football, such as match result betting, correct score betting, double chance and over/under 2.5 goals. As with all virtual sports betting, the games are fast-paced, lasting on average 1 to 3 minutes. If it’s virtual football betting you like, then Coral is probably the site for you.

Virtual Horse Racing

Types of virtual horse racing include: Horses flat, Horses Jumps, Horses Sprint, Dash Horses, National Chase and Surrey Downs, with a few others also available from time to time. Once again, the markets on offer are many of the same as when betting on proper racing, including: the winner, each-way betting, tricast, forecast and Top 3 finishes. The graphics for virtual horse racing betting are remarkably realistic, and many of the races come with animated commentary. PaddyPower ticks the most boxes for all of the above. 

Virtual Greyhounds

Virtual greyhound betting follows the UK format of six dogs per race, rather than the Australian version, which often has more than six. A bit like with virtual horse racing, the graphics are superb and for a second, you need to make sure it’s just video games-like animations you’re seeing rather than the real thing! Winner, tricast, forecast and each-way betting are all available depending on the online virtual sports betting site, with Betfair the pick of them. 

Virtual Cricket

When betting on virtual cricket, you don’t just get to see the action and bet on it, you also have access to replays, scorecards and a load of other stuff to boost your enjoyment. Markets you can play include: match winner, how many runs will be scored in the next over, total sixes and how many runs named batsmen will score. Betway is the best site out there at the moment if it’s virtual cricket that floats your boat. 

Virtual Basketball

A virtual sport where you may have to pinch yourself and check you’re not at Madison Square Garden, but instead just watching basketball in virtual sport mode! Such is the quality of the graphics. Betting markets include handicaps, total points, half time/full-time, winning margin and of course, the money line, or winner market if you prefer. Matches generally last two minutes (in real time), with BetVictor currently the best site for it. 

Virtual Tennis

In addition to the usual high-quality graphics and commentary, you can also see the stats for the game in progress. This is generally one of the sports with the fewest betting markets available, but there are at least three: winner, total points, and correct score.  Betfred has a particularly good product for virtual tennis betting. 

Virtual Motor Racing

This is one of the sports that isn’t so readily available, with only some of the best virtual sports betting sites offering it. The pick of them is probably PaddyPower, where races are contested by 10-11 different drivers and with both win and each-way markets waiting for you. Races typically take place every three minutes.

Virtual Sports vs. Real Sports Betting: Which is Better?

One of the key questions concerning virtual sports betting. Let’s have a look…

Conclusion

If you’re a casino player, consider this: virtual sports betting is similar to playing slots, with the only real decision being the size of your stake per spin, whereas regular sports betting is more like playing roulette or blackjack, with strategy and decision-making coming into play. 

So if your primary objective is just pure entertainment and you’re not too fussed about your profit and loss, by all means play virtual sports. It has the added advantage of being available 24/7, so it fills gaps in between real sporting events taking place. 

But virtual sports probably aren’t for the savvy, experienced gambler who believes research and discipline are essential and who looks for good betting opportunities, rather than putting their money in the hands of random events. 

So it really depends on what type of gambler you are.

How to Place a Bet on Virtual Sports 

Here's how to go about placing a wager at a betting site with virtual sports, starting at the very beginning. 

1. Choose one or two Sportsbooks from our list of recommended virtual betting sites. 
2. Open an account at the site, complete your KYC as soon as possible, and make a deposit. 
3. Navigate to the virtual sports tab, which will either be on the homepage or the A-Z list of sports. 
4. Choose the virtual sport you want to play from the list, and within the sport, the specific event you want to bet on.
5. All bets on virtual sports need to be placed before the event begins, so choose the market you want to bet on and select your stake before it gets underway. 
6. Watch the action unfold and see if you have a winning bet on it.
7. When you’re ready to withdraw your winnings from virtual sports betting or anything else, go to the banking section, then withdrawals, and choose the amount you wish to withdraw. 

Virtual Sports Betting Bonuses and Promotions

Virtual sports bonuses that can only be used on virtual sports are pretty rare, but you occasionally see them. 

But the good news is that most welcome offers allow you to use free bets and deposit bonuses on virtual sports, though William Hill are a good example of a bookie’s welcome offer that doesn’t allow you to use it on virtual sports betting. So always check the ts and cs to be sure. 

But in all other cases, the advice is to use your free bets and other bonuses making up the welcome offer on virtual sports rather than risking your own money, just to see if you like them and can achieve decent results playing them. 

Expert Tips and Strategies for Virtual Sports Betting

We might as well cut to the chase straight away: there’s really no such thing as strategy when it comes to wagering at virtual betting sites. 

However, there are some valuable tips to put you on the right path. 

Stick to Sports with Fewer Markets

The temptation is inevitably there to play several markets if they’re available. So, assuming you’re playing primarily for entertainment purposes, play virtual sports that only have 2-3 markets on offer which will help you enjoy the ride without you feeling the need to place too many different bets. 

Manage Your Bankroll

Just because there’s a new event in every virtual sport starting every 2-3 minutes doesn’t mean you need to play every last one, far from it. Just as with real sports betting, set yourself a budget, stick to it, and if you’re new to the whole thing, keep stakes low as you find your feet. 

Check RTP/Pay Tables

In the absence of skill, the most important factor here is the house edge: the lower, the better. Some sites, of which BetGoodwin is a good example, publish tables telling you what the RTP is for each of their virtual sports. It’s preferable to play at these virtual sports betting sites because at least you know what the deal is.

Our Experts' Opinion: Are Virtual Sports Worth Betting On?

The slightly unhelpful answer is: it depends. Not on the virtual sport in question but rather: what your priorities are. 

Virtual sports betting is a good option for a beginner to online betting who wants to bet on simple markets, doesn’t want to do complicated research and wants to know whether they’ve won on their bet, or not, in quick time. It’s also a good choice for the bettor who wants a new event starting every 2-3 minutes, rather than what happens in horse racing or greyhound racing in the ‘real world’, where you may have to wait 15-20 minutes till the next race gets underway. That said, even punters in search of regular action should always gamble responsibly and take breaks between placing their last bet and their next one. 

For the punter whose priority it is to win money in the long term, they’re not such a good option. High house edges, the absence of skill, no research involved and the lack of in-play betting limit your ability to be in control. 

But if that doesn’t put you off, make sure you only bet a virtual betting site that holds the UKGC license. For the record, we only endorse UKGC-licensed bookmakers, so whichever one you choose from our list certainly ticks that box. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Virtual Sports Betting