Virtual Sports Betting - Learn How to Bet on Virtual Sports

A comprehensive betting guide to help beginners who are new to Virtual Sports Betting.

Updated: November 6, 2024 at 11:11 am GMT+0

Virtual sports offer all the same excitement and is one of the few types of sports betting still available. The quality is superb and you’ll find tons of sport to bet on across all major bookies from horse racing to football, motor racing, greyhounds and even track cycling.

Virtual Sports Betting Offers

Advertiser Disclosure:

Content on this site will contain reference to products or services from one or more of our advertisers or partners. We may receive compensation when you view ads or click on links to those products or services.

SpreadEx logo
1
SpreadEx
Bet £10 Get £40 in Free Bets
18+ gambleaware.org. Spread betting losses can exceed deposit. Place a qualifying £10 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. Free bet stakes not included in any winnings from the free fixed odds bets. Free bets expire in 28 days if unused.
KWIFF logo
2
KWIFF
Bet £10, Get £30 in Free Bets
Qualifying bet of £10 at min. odds 2.0 within 5 days of registration, E/W excluded.rnGet 3 x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Football, 1 x £10 Racing, 1 x £10 Acca (Min 4 selections). 7-day expiry. New selected customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Full T&Cs apply
Midnite logo
3
Midnite
Bet £10 Get £20 + 50 Free Spins
Claim Offer
18+ New UK customers. Bet £10 on accas with 4+ legs, min odds 3/1 (4.0). Get 4x £5 Free Bets and 50 Free Spins, valid for 7 days on selected bets and games only. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Betfred logo
4
Betfred
Bet £10, Get £50 in Free Bets
Claim Offer
New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.
BoyleSports logo
5
BoyleSports
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets + £10 Casino Bonus
*New UK customers (Excluding NI) only. £40 in FREE Bets (FB) as £30 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min Deposit £10. Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7-day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Account & Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won't apply. 30 days to qualify. 18+. T&Cs Apply
Bet442 Sport logo
6
Bet442 Sport
Bet £20, Get £20 in Free Bets
#ad. 18+. Gamble Responsibly. Gambleaware.org. New Customers Only. Min deposit £20. Maximum one £10 Free Bet & two £5 Bet Builder Free Bets. Qualifying bet must be placed at odds of Evens (2.00) or greater. Paid as bonus tokens: Token 1 Min odds Req: 4/5 (1.80). Token 2 & 3 are valid for Bet Builder only and are subject to min odds of 2/1 (3.00). T&Cs Apply.
New customers only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 hours within of registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. Full T&C's apply. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly. 18+ #ad
Pub Sports logo
8
Pub Sports
Bet £10 Get £10 + 50% Acca Boost on all Football Games
New customers only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 within registration. £10 free bet must be wagered on sports. T&C's apply. Gamling can be addictive, play responsibly, 18+.
Lottoland Sports logo
9
Lottoland Sports
Bet £10 Get £20 Free Bet
18+, New customers only. Deposit and place your first £10 bet on sports and we'll give you a £20 Free Bet. Minimum odds on qualifying bet 1/1 (2.0). Only deposits via debit cards will qualify. Full T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org
Tote logo
10
Tote
Bet £10, Get £40 in Bonuses
Claim Offer
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.Full T&Cs apply.

The popularity of virtual sports has grown in recent times as fantasy sports video games have become more sophisticated. This has resulted in the introduction of virtual betting, wherein you can create fantasy teams and place bets on computer-generated matches/leagues, covering sports like virtual football betting, horse racing, dog racing and tennis. Many providers even offer Virtual Sports free bets for regular players.


What is Virtual Sport Betting & How Does it Work?

Virtual Sports involves a selection of fixed odds events/games, the outcomes of which are decided either by the algorithms in a simulated environment (a video game, for example) or by a random number generator. All participants see the same schedules and outcomes.

The process involves placing bets on virtual (simulated) games that are set up by your chosen bookmaker. Outcomes are always algorithm-based, with the winner picked in an unbiased way. A virtual betting game can be played at all hours of the day, offering customers betting opportunities whenever they want.


What is the difference between Virtual Sports & Real Sports Events?

Virtual Sports differs from Real Sports Events in that the games/events are not being played out in the real world, and they are usually much shorter and quicker than their real-life equivalents. They are simulations which include visuals modelled on real-life stadiums. With graphics capabilities today, Virtual Sports can look and feel like you’re watching the real thing, often with commentary and highlight reels for an immersive experience. It can never match the excitement of a real event but offers customers the opportunity to get involved whenever they want.


Best Virtual Sports Betting Sites

There are many bookmakers that offer Virtual Sports betting, but the ones that have a reputation as industry leaders are Betfair, Betvictor and Bet365. The live stream features at these sites are impressive and immersive, and you can get involved whenever you like, with fully-featured odds and betting options to enjoy.

BetVictor Virtual Sports Betting

BetVictor offers plenty of Virtual Sports betting options covering a variety of sports including horse racing, dog racing, football, motor racing, speedway and even track cycling in the velodrome. BetVictor are one of the world leaders in virtual sports betting with 24/7 coverage and virtual races going off every few minutes.

Virtual horse races are displayed in stunning HD quality and come complete with some innovative touches such as real life stadiums, crowd sound effects and atmosphere that make the match or race you are watching feel just like the real thing.

If you are new to BetVictor you can also claim up to £30 in free bet bonuses when you register and stake just £5. (18+, Full T&C’s apply)

Betway Virtual Sports Betting

Betway Virtual Sports betting offers you 24/7 excitement across a wide variety of sports, with Football, Horse Racing, Cycling, Greyhounds, Motor Racing, Speedway and Trotting all available in stunning HD quality.

Prior to each Virtual Football Match, you can make your selections and place your bets using the odds display. The match then commences streaming a highlight reel of goalscoring opportunities, with the result shown on a Match Result Card and your bets settled accordingly.

Simulations of Virtual Sports Betting on Betway are scheduled every few minutes, so once one event finishes there will always be another available shortly thereafter.

A well-established and respected name in the betting industry, new customers with Betway can also claim up to £30 in a 100% matched free bet bonus on their first deposit (18+, Full T&C’s apply).

Bethard Virtual Sports Betting

With Bethard, Virtual Sports Betting is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

There’s a vast array of sports available to bet on, with Instant Virtual Football, Virtual Football, Instant Virtual Trotting, Virtual Racing Trotting, Instant Virtual Speedway, Virtual Racing Speedway, Instant Virtual Racing, Instant Virtual Horses, Virtual Racing Horses, Instant Virtual Greyhounds, Virtual Racing Greyhounds, Instant Virtual Cycling and Virtual Racing Cycling covering most of the bases.

Although Malta-based Bethard are a relatively new brand, they have made a splash in the betting market thanks to their alliance with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and for having been shortlisted in the EGR Operator Awards in 2017.

New customers with Bethard can claim a bonus of £5 in real cash for every £100 you wager anywhere on their site, up to £50 (18+, Full T&C’s apply).

Bet365 Virtual Sports Betting

As one would expect from one of the world’s most highly regarded bookmakers, bet365 offers a superb range of Virtual Sports Betting options, with Cricket, Darts, Bullet Horse Racing and Bullet Greyhounds being the latest to become available.

With bet365, a virtual betting event takes place every 3 minutes for Football and every 2 minutes for Horse Racing and Greyhounds. Bet365 also provide a wider variety of betting markets on their Virtual Sports Betting events than almost any of their industry rivals.

The minimum stake per bet is just £0.10 and there’s a maximum daily payout of £50,000 per customer.

New customers to bet365 who sign-up and deposit £5 or more to their account can claim a 100% matched qualifying deposit in Bet Credits of up to £100 (18+, Full T&C’s apply).

Opt in required. Min £20 on virtual sports. Free Bet valid for 3 days from acceptance. T&Cs apply. 18+ only. #BeGambleAware

ComeOn! Virtual Sports Betting

With ComeOn! Virtual Sports Betting, a virtual betting event takes place every 3 minutes for Football and every 2 minutes for Horse Racing and Greyhounds, so you’re never going to be waiting long for the next thrilling event to start.

There are always a decent number of bet types available for all three sports with ComeOn! too and events are shown with great HD graphics.

ComeOn! are a well established name on the betting scene. Launched in 2010 in Stockholm, ComeOn! are now based in East London.

ComeOn! look after their Virtual Sports Betting customers, with a Virtual Sports £10 Free Bet every month! Simply bet £10 on Virtual Sports and receive a £10 Free Bet on it (18+, Full T&C’s apply)!

Betfair Virtual Sports Betting

The Betfair Virtual Sports Betting offering covers a wide variety of sports, with Horse Racing (covering Flats, Jumps and Sprints), Greyhound Racing (6 Dog Flats and Jumps), Football, Speedway, Motor Racing, Cycling and Tennis all being available.

In terms of scheduling the Virtual Events for each sport will take place every 3 minutes, other than for Tennis, where the events will occur every 4 minutes.

Although not currently available, in the recent past Betfair customers invited by an email sent specifically to their account just needed to wager 3 x £10 bets to receive a £10 credit bonus for a Virtual Sports bet. As a bookmaker renowned for their promotions, it’s an offer that could well return (18+, Full T&C’s apply).

Coral Virtual Sports Betting

As you would expect from a long established household name in the betting industry, Coral Virtual Sports Betting features a wide spectrum of events delivered in high quality video streams.

There’s something to suit the requirements of the vast majority of punters with Coral Virtual Sports Betting, with customers being able to select from Horses, Greyhounds, Football, Tennis, Speedway, Motor Racing, Cycling, Darts and Boxing.

With all events supplied in fabulous HD and available every few minutes, there’s plenty to keep you interested.

With Coral sports betting, new customers making a Qualifying Bet of at least £5 win or £5 each-way, will have their account credited with 4 x £5 free bets (18+, Full T&C’s apply).


Which Virtual Sports are Available?

The most popular sports available at the best Virtual Betting sites are:

  • Football
  • Horse racing
  • Dog racing
  • Tennis
  • Basketball.

There are sophisticated tools available for simulating these sports, and bookmakers deliver an engaging and enjoyable experience for customers placing bets on these Virtual Sports.


  • Win – bet on the final outcome of a virtual game/event.
  • Forecast – this type of bet requires you to predict which selections will come 1st and 2nd in the correct order.
  • Tricast – a common bet in horse/greyhound racing whereby the customer must make the correct selections for a finish in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
  • Each way – divide your bet into a win bet and a place bet. Your selection must either win or finish in one of the predetermined places.
  • Goals – bet on the first goal scorer, or on a specific player to score at some point in the fixture.
  • Correct score – this requires you to guess the exact final score of a fixture.
  • Match odds – choose to back or lay any of the listed possible outcomes of a match.

Virtual Sports Betting Tips

Virtual football betting tips – always follow a strategy in order to bet on Virtual Football games. For example, the ‘Weak Team Strategy’ involves betting on a team that has lost 7 games in a particular season. The ‘1.5 goals option’ is also quite effective, whereby one should start betting a smaller amount, and as the profit grows to 25%, increase that amount. Success with Virtual Football requires patience, so find a good strategy and stick to it.

Virtual horse racing tips – in Virtual Horse Racing there is no form to study, edges to spot or whispers to cash in on, so virtual racing tips are few and far between. The odds play an even more important part than in real life betting, and you need to carefully manage your risk-reward ratio to limit losses and maximise winnings.


Virtual Sports FAQs

How to place a single bet on virtual sports?
First, select the sport and event you want to bet on. Then, click the price and your selection will appear on your betslip. Enter your stake, and you will see your potential winnings. Finalise the bet by clicking the 'Place Bets' option.
How to place a multiple bet on virtual sports?
Choose your selections as you would for a single bet, and your betslip will create the multiple automatically. Then, choose your bet type and add your stake amount, before clicking the 'Place Bets' option.
Can I cash out my virtual sports bets?
Cash Out isn't available for Virtual Sports bets.
Can I combine virtual selections with Sportsbook selections?
No, with a Sportsbook selection in your betslip, you cannot add Virtuals to the same betslip.
What is a virtual football league?
It's the same as a real-life football league but made up of virtual or 'fantasy' teams that compete in simulated matches to accrue points and rank in their league.