An Introduction to Virtual Betting at Bodog Sportsbook

A new form of betting has arrived at Bodog Sportsbook at the perfect time. Virtual betting combines people’s love for sports betting with round the clock casino gaming. At any time of the day, you can put some money on a game, or race, and watch the action unroll through simulated gameplay. Everything feels incredibly lifelike, like you’re watching TV, with the crowds roaring as the athletes showcase their skills in clutch moments. And if the team you picked wins the game, you get to share the glory by getting paid.

While the odds available for the matchups may look like your standard American odds at first glance, the betting experience isn’t exactly the same as with traditional sports betting. Not to worry though, we’ll explain the ins and outs of how to bet on virtual sports like a sports betting pundit.

What is Virtual Betting?

Virtual betting is betting on the outcome of simulated sports games, or a race in a casino. A highlight reel compiling the most exciting moments from the game is broadcast, lasting a couple of minutes. Races, however, are shown in their entirety. If you correctly picked the winner, you win your bet.

How Do Virtual Sports Work?

Improved computer-generated technology is making it possible to view incredibly realistic simulations of live sports games and races on a playthrough loop. When you open the page, you’ll see a list of the sports leagues and different types of races along with a countdown, or the word “LIVE” written beside it. The countdown is for when the game is set to begin, and LIVE tells you that it’s already in progress. If a game has begun, you simply need to wait a few minutes and then hop on board before the next set of games begin.

You’ll need to place your bets before the countdown reaches zero, and then just sit back and watch both teams duke it out on a soccer field or basketball court in 3D graphics. All of the best moments from the game will play on the highlight reel, with basketball games showing five highlights, and soccer matches showing six highlights. At the end, a page with all of the virtual sports betting results will appear.

The results are determined at the start of the round by Random Number Generators—the same technology used in our online casino games. While there is a statistics table that contains information on each team’s records that plays into their odds of winning, there’s no way for anyone to predict with 100% accuracy how the games will unroll, which is why it’s a low-pressure way to bet on sports.

What Virtual Sports Can You Bet On

Team Sports

At this moment, the sports selection is limited to soccer and basketball, but more will likely be added in the future. The leagues divide their teams into groups of two for a game, and multiple games happen simultaneously. Afterwards, they’re matched up with new opponents for another game. This process happens again and again until every team has played every opponent as the home team and away team—until the season is complete and everything is reset. There are four main betting options with virtual sports odds:

Single: A Single bet is an individual bet placed on a basketball or soccer game.

Combi: The Combi bet involves parlaying together two or more bets for a bigger payout than what could be achieved through single bets.

System: The System bet is a series of combination bets that allow you to win even if all of your selections don’t come through.

Split Column: The Split Column bet combines different events by asking you to pick the winning team from at least two different events (must have at least three bets in total). At least one selection from each event must be correct in order to win.

Racing

There is much greater selection on the racing side of things, where you can watch horses, greyhounds, supercars, speedway and even camel racing. There are two options for greyhounds, one has a “V” for virtual and the other has an “R” for real. The Real option uses footage from an actual race, whereas the virtual one is computer generated. Betting options for the races are the same ones you’ll find in our racebook:

Winner: Pick the winner of the race.

Place: Select a racer, and get paid if they finish first or second.

Show: Select a racer, and get paid if they finish first, second or third.

Exacta: Pick the winner and second-place finisher in the correct order.

Trifecta: Pick the top three finishers in the correct order.

In addition to sports and racing, you’ll find a Color-Color game which is a colour-based lottery, and a Spin & Win game that’s a simplified version of roulette.

How to Bet on Virtual Sports with Bitcoin

If you’re wondering how to bet on virtual basketball with Bitcoin—or any sport for that matter—it’s the exact same as betting with a regular currency once you make the deposit. Bitcoin is automatically converted to Canadian dollars when it reaches your account, so you won’t even notice a change. Getting started with Bitcoin, however, does require you to follow some initial start-up steps by downloading a digital wallet and creating an account on an exchange platform. You’ll find directions for this in our Bitcoin FAQ.

Now that you understand the basics of virtual betting, the best way to build on this knowledge is to head over to that side of the sportsbook and play around with a bet slip.