Virtual sports is not a new concept. Even a decade ago, you could walk into your local bookmaker and place bets on some virtual sports from standalone machines. But the virtual sports market is currently being revolutionised with new additions and a broader market. Learn about the emergence of virtual football and virtual football markets here and how it may just have a bright future thanks to eSports.
What is virtual soccer?
Virtual soccer or virtual football is a new online game and new sportsbook market. It allows online sportsbook users to watch a virtual game and place bets on all of the same markets that you can bet on when watching a real game, such as first match outcome, scorers, number of goals etc. You can usually make in-play bets as well. This follows on from a wide variety of other virtual sports markets, including virtual greyhound racing and virtual horse racing.
How are virtual outcomes decided?
Virtual outcomes are decided in a similar way to slot games. The results are random, but the odds may be slightly in favour of one team over another to create favourites and underdogs. There is also a form table that punters can study to try and work out who is more likely to win or score.
Virtual soccer benefiting from eSports growth
The growth of virtual soccer may be lifted by growth in eSports competitions. eSports is a revolutionary niche of video gaming that allows individuals and teams to compete against each other, with the cream of the crop going head-to-head on stage in arenas just like real sports showdowns.
The whole industry is booming right now, will millions of frequent spectators watching streams or attending venues. The industry has grown so much that the prize funds for winning one of the biggest competitions can be life-changing. And due to its popularity, it has already become a new market on the best sportsbook websites. Interest in these markets grew significantly over 2020 when no sports were taking place.
The familiarity on eSports football matches (FIFA games) that are not real games will undoubtedly help propel the popularity of virtual football games and virtual football. Moreover, the number of people who enjoy watching computerised football games online, such as watching FIFA game highlights on YouTube or Twitch shows, there is already a market for watching virtual games.