Virtual sports have been around in one form or another since the 1960s, but it hasn’t been until the last few years that all the best offshore betting sites have started featuring the market prominently. With the coronavirus outbreak in 2020, virtual sports became more popular than ever, as real leagues around the world shut down and betting fans needed something to replace them with.
In a nutshell, virtual sports are sports simulations that use computer data to run matchups between non-branded teams that vaguely represent their real-world counterparts. We cover this in depth below, but the main thing to know about virtual sports is that it is computer-controlled with no human interference, and it’s based on actual numbers that sports bettors can research and study, just like the real thing!
If you live in the Philippines and are a new bettor looking for a fun new market – or if you’re a seasoned veteran looking for something to pass the time while your favorite sports are on hiatus or in their offseasons – virtual sports wagering is just the betting ticket! Read on to learn more about this unique new market and how to win real money wagering on virtual sports online.
Is Betting On Virtual Sports Legal In The Philippines?
Yes! Philippine gambling laws do not have jurisdiction over offshore betting sites that operate outside the country’s borders. Domestically, for Filipinos in the islands, gambling is limited to brick-and-mortar casinos or retail lottery and sports betting kiosks, with no online options.
PAGCOR – the nation’s gaming regulator – does operate POGOs, which offer online gaming, but these are only for those living outside the Philippines. However, because our recommended offshore betting sites are legal to use for all PH residents aged 18 and up, you can use them to wager on sports from all around the world, including virtual sports action!
Best Online Sportsbook for Virtual Sports Betting In Philippines
MyBookie Sportsbook And Casino
MyBookie is one of the newer sportsbooks and gambling sites on the Philippine market, but the brand is licensed and legitimate, operating out of Curacao in the Caribbean Sea. MyBookie offers a robust sportsbook with plenty of virtual sports action. However, they also offer another similar market, which is branded sports sims. The site calls this section “SIMS Betting,” and – in addition to other platforms – their sports simulation odds use EA’s Madden and Take-Two’s NBA 2K series engines, just as they come from the publisher. They even offer customized NCAA March Madness betting using the 2K engine, and they publish their stats and methodologies for complete transparency.
MyBookie also offers Filipino gamblers a full international sportsbook (including eSports betting), a full Macao-style casino, and an international racebook. However, unlike other sites, MyBookie does not have a poker room at this time. Still, for virtual sports betting, no site offers more, and you can sign up for free and start betting for real money today!
Best Virtual Sports Betting Sites For Philippines Bettors 18+
| Site Name | Bonus Offer | Age | Accepts Filipinos? | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ |  | Visit Site Review |
 | Up To 7 BTC | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
 | 50% Max $1,000 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
 | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
 | 100% Max $500 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
Virtual Sports Explained
So, what are virtual sports? Well, they’re exactly what they sound like: sports simulations. Simulated sporting events go back to the 1960s in the US, where they were used to test early computer prediction models. While the technology has advanced, the concept is the same: Software pulls in existing data from real leagues around the world and then assigns probabilities to those teams’ play on the field based on that data. When any two teams are pitted against each other, this data – along with random factors – informs the outcome of the contest. As a sports bettor, you can wager on this.
There are two basic kinds of virtual sports on the market today. The first type, due to copyright concerns and branding issues, utilizes fanciful team and player names based on real clubs in their respective sports. For example, instead of betting on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, you might be wagering on LeBaron Jams and the SoCal Gondoliers. The stats these sims are loosely based off use the real player and team figures, but this way, there are no legal issues for the operators.
The other kind of virtual sports betting – one that you see more and more now – uses established, branded video games like EA’s Madden. Here, sportsbooks will set up teams to play each other using Madden’s own stats with no manipulation, and then stream the games live on Twitch or another such service. The games play out per the game’s in-built algorithms, and bettors can wager in real-time on the outcomes. This bypasses branding issues to a degree, but in the future, we expect game publishers and sportsbooks to work together in an official capacity. This type of virtual sports is referred to as sports sims, where the distinction is in the branding and game engines used.
What Is Virtual Sports Betting?
Virtual sports betting is the act of wagering on the outcome of virtual sports. That’s pretty straightforward, right? Now, some seasoned Philippines sports betting fans may have a few concerns, because much of the sports betting strategy that successful punters employ is to factor in the human element, current events and weather that might affect a given player or game, and so on. Fortunately, you can still use this approach.
If you think virtual sports betting is random, it isn’t. There is a degree of randomness (just like in real sports), but all the action is based on the recent historical performances of the teams and players matching up. Thus, experienced sports bettors who typically do plenty of research before wagering can use the same tactics to get an edge with virtual sports betting. For virtual sports, the real-world data is less applicable but still baked in, while with sports sims, all the data used for the simulation comes from real historical performances of the teams and players in question.
Yes, virtual sports might be slightly more like casino games than real sporting events in the truest sense, but it’s a market all its own, taking the best of both worlds.
Virtual Sports You Can Bet On
Each site has its own menu of virtual sports markets, but as a general rule, these are the types of sports that are supported today. As the popularity of virtual sports and sports sims increase, so will this list.
- NBA sims
- College basketball (US) sims
- NFL sims
- NHL sims
- FIFA Sims
- Basketball sims
- American football sims
- Hockey sims
- Soccer sims
- Baseball sims
- Tennis sims
- Golf sims
- + More!
Virtual Sports Bet Types
For sports bettors making the leap to virtual sports betting in the Philippines, there’s actually very little to learn. Virtual sports odds are the same as traditional sportsbook odds in their presentation and bet types. At the top virtual sports betting sites for Filipino players, you’ll be able to choose from all the following:
- Straight Bets
- Spread Bets (aka Asian Handicaps)
- Totals (aka Over/Unders)
- Player Props
- Team Props
- Futures
- Specials
- + More!
Mobile Virtual Sports Betting
Virtual sports betting is a technological advancement in its own right, but mobile betting on virtual sports is where the market truly shines. Most people bet on their smartphones and tablets, and all the best Philippine betting sites have full mobile support for everything they offer. Naturally, this includes mobile betting on simulated sporting events.
Now, you won’t find a MyBookie or BetOnline app in the App Store or Google Play store, because Apple and Google don’t allow offshore gambling products on their marketplaces. But that doesn’t matter, because mobile betting is browser based, and you never have to download or update anything to get a fluid, slick iPhone betting app or Android betting app experience.
As long as you have a modern mobile device, an up-to-date browser, and an Internet connection, you can wager on virtual sports from anywhere in the Philippines!
Live Virtual Sports Betting
Live betting is popular for real sports, and you’re probably used to placing in-game wagers on NBA games or PBA games. In fact, live betting is one of the most popular ways to wager on all major sports. And though virtual sports isn’t quite in the league of these leagues, it’s still big enough that in-game live betting is a desired feature and is available at every top PH sportsbook listed here. For non-branded virtual sports, live betting is usually not an option, as these games conclude in mere minutes, but for branded sports sims, live betting occurs during the games' streaming broadcasts.
Philippines Virtual Sports Betting FAQs
Can I bet on virtual sports at casinos locally?
Nope! While you can wager on sports at Philippine casino venues and betting kiosks, your options are far more limited than those you’ll find at offshore books. This includes virtual sports.
Of course, during the coronavirus lockdown of 2020, you can’t bet at any local sportsbook to begin with, so the question is moot (for now). But even when these venues open back up, if you want to bet on sports sims, the sites we recommend are the only game in town.
Are virtual sports rigged?
No. As a rule, all the sites listed here abide by strict, certified iGaming standards, using RNG (random number generation) technology to ensure that you’re getting a fair shake every time you place a wager.
Virtual sports are entirely computer run with no human interference, and the products are all third-party audited for fair-play compliance.
And this isn’t just true with virtual sports, either. All the top offshore Philippine betting sites are legitimate across the board, with their casinos, poker rooms, and racebooks receiving the same audited scrutiny.
What is virtual reality sports betting?
Virtual reality sports betting is a market that has not yet matured, but it’s coming! In the near future, when VR headsets are cheaper and more available to consumers worldwide, you’ll be able to wager on virtual sports while experiencing the action in virtual reality! This is just one more way that betting is primed to become more immersive going forward.
Can I bet on virtual reality sports games?
Right now, there is no market to bet on VR sports games, even though such games exist. Many sports video games have a VR component, and while that can be a fun way to play, it won’t be until 5G cellular data is widespread before the best offshore sites can really deploy a fully-featured VR sports betting platform.
What is virtual reality sports viewing?
VR sports viewing is separate from both betting and gaming, and it’s a market that hasn’t really caught on yet. A decade ago when 3D TVs were all the rage, many sports broadcasts tried to support 3D. However, the adoption rate simply wasn’t there. With VR sports viewing, these networks and services are pacing themselves, waiting for the VR market to mature.
And when it does, virtual reality sports viewing means that you’ll be able to watch all the games you enjoy as if you were right there on the court or in the ring. And that will make watching the games you love – and betting on them – more engaging than ever!
Is the NBA 2K League virtual sports?
No. The NBA 2K League is an eSports product that is co-owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Take-Two Interactive. While it’s an extremely popular betting market, it’s not dictated or played out via computer.
Instead, real professional video gamers compete against each other, and you can wager on the outcomes. You can visit our eSports Betting section to learn more about eSports and the differences between eSports and virtual sports.
Note: For computer-on-computer sports sims, the NBA 2K game engine is commonly used. Just remember, the difference between this and the NBA 2K League is that the latter is played by human players, while the former is totally AI-driven.