The popularity of online betting has given rise to a completely new category of sports, known as `Virtual Sports´. Visit any reputed betting site, be it Bet365, 888sport, 10CRIC, or Parimatch, and you will find a virtual sports section to bet on. Under the section, you can find various popular sports like cricket, horse racing, football, basketball and greyhound racing, etc.
In this article, let’s take a look at what is virtual sports, and more specifically what is virtual cricket, how you can bet on it, and what are the different betting markets available.
As the name suggests, virtual sports are a virtual version of popular sports like football, baseball or cricket, etc. To get a better idea, you can visit any of the aforementioned websites, open the menu, and navigate to the virtual sports section to find out the different sports available. Select the sport of your choice, and you will be redirected to a page where you can watch the live feed of that particular virtual sport, just like you would see if a game was actually happening.
The teams, players, stadiums, etc. are all computer-generated, but look extremely realistic. In football, you will be able to see players tackling the ball, occurring fouls, getting red or yellow cards, as well as scoring goals. There is also a half-time break, as well as in-depth pre and post-match analysis by experts, giving a totally realistic feel. The only difference is that rather than lasting for a full 90-minute duration, the matches are considerably concise and are over within a few minutes, focusing only on the main events or the highlights.
Similarly, in the case of virtual horse racing, you will be able to see virtual horses running on a virtual racecourse. You can see the position of each horse with an icon, as well as its progress on the track. The display is complete with stats and the form of each runner, as well as details about the track, including track length and type.
Virtual cricket is similar to other virtual sports, where two teams clash virtually against each other. It is not a real match, but a computer-generated game, where teams play against each other, just like they would in a real match. You can watch the progress of the game in real-time, with computer-generated teams playing inside a stadium, giving a realistic look.
Players score runs, take wickets, and hit boundaries and sixes just like they would in a real game. The games however are not broadcast for the full length, and are usually over within two to four minutes, focussing only on the highlights.
Thanks to amazing advances in game graphics, virtual cricket feels extremely authentic, with some betting sites even using real team and player names. Matches are often accompanied by live commentary, with experts giving their insights on the action happening on the field. There are crowd noises too within the game, giving a more realistic overall feel.
Some top betting sites have an even more detailed approach towards virtual cricket, providing graphs and statistics for each team and player, and giving an in-depth analysis of the on-field happenings.
Betting on virtual cricket is similar to betting in other real or virtual sports. You will first need to find a reputed and secure online sportsbook that takes bets on virtual cricket. 888sport and Parimatch are two great options that one can look at. Once you have selected a site, sign up to create an account. Most sites will require you to submit personal details including full name, date of birth, address, mobile number, etc.
Once you have created an account, you can deposit money in your gaming account to place bets. Most sportsbooks today accept Indian rupees, and you can make deposits using payment methods popular in India, including Net Banking, UPI, and digital wallets.
After depositing sufficient balance in your gaming account, find the `virtual cricket´ option within the menu. You will be presented with a list of games available to bet on. Click on the game to see the various betting markets available for that particular game, along with the odds.
Select the market you want to bet on, add it to the bet slip, enter the amount that you wish to stake, and place your bet. You can now sit back and enjoy the live feed, and wait for your bets to get settled.
Just like with a normal game of cricket, the odds show the possible return on your bets, should you win. The odds are decided using computer algorithms. In real-world cricket, you may find that the odds for various markets are quite similar on different betting sites. But this is not the case with virtual cricket, as each website may be using different software to calculate the odds.
The betting markets available for virtual cricket are similar to those offered for a real game of cricket and may differ from website to website. Some of the most popular markets include:
Absolutely. Virtual cricket results are extremely fair, with no bias either towards the sportsbook or the punter. The games are played in a completely random manner, using a complex computer algorithm known as a Random Number Generator or RNG. This is the same software that is used for games on online casinos like slots, blackjack, and poker. The RNG ensures that no there is no human control on the outcome of each delivery or the final result of a match. Some may even say that it’s fairer than real cricket, where there are chances of match-fixing!
One of the biggest advantages of betting on virtual cricket is that it is available 24x7. To place wagers in real cricket, one may have to wait for days or months for their favorite teams to play against one another, or for a major tournament to start. On the contrary, you can log in to a betting site at any time, and you will be able to find a game of virtual cricket that you can bet on.
Another advantage of wagering on virtual cricket is that the games finish pretty quickly, in most cases within 2-4 minutes, and you can claim your winning amount instantly, while in real cricket, you may have to wait for hours, or even days in case of a test match, before your bets are settled.
As mentioned above, virtual cricket games are played using RNG algorithms, ensuring that there is no human control or bias in the results of a bet.
Virtual cricket betting is rapidly increasing in popularity because of the convenience it offers, to bet 24x7. Also, it gives you ample chances to win as multiple games are offered throughout the day.
However, virtual cricket betting must be done carefully, as it is completely random, and no amount of research can guarantee a win.