That guy under center for the New York Giants sure looks like Daniel Jones. That fellow he handed the ball off to – wait a minute, isn’t that Saquon Barkley? But isn’t he out with a knee injury?
Yes, as a matter of fact, he is.
Take a closer look. A real up-close look. They might be Giants but they’re not the Giants.
They’re a reasonable facsimile. A virtual one, if you will.
That’s not an NFL game you’re watching, it’s an 2020 NFL Sim. Not only can you play these games on your PS5, you can watch them and wager on them.
NFL Sims are popular pursuits for bettors and are available for wagering at all of the top online sports betting sites.
A COVID-19 Conundrum
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, online betting sites were desperate as one by one, all of the major North American sports seasons were put on pause.
First, the NCAA men’s basketball conference championships were canceled. Then March Madness was shuttered. The NBA, NHL and MLB soon followed suit, as did all of the elite soccer leagues around the world.
What’s a betting site to offer to bettors when all the sports they normally bet on go on hiatus?
This wasn’t a virtual dilemma, it was a real-life concern. Fortunately, there was a virtual solution that was already being played in man caves all over the world.
Virtual sports were about to have their day in the sun.
A Virtual Solution
If you asked a veteran sports bettor what the initials AI stood for, the answer to your query might very well be The Answer. Both AI and the Answer were nicknames assigned to legendary Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson.
Of course, in the world of sports sims, it stands for artificial intelligence. If you’ve ever spent a lazy Sunday setting up a Madden NFL game on your PS5 and then just let the computer play both teams against each other, then you know pretty much what a sports sim game looks like.
Unlike Esports, in which humans compete by playing video games against each other, in sports sims or virtual sports, a random number generator determines the outcome of every NFL sims game. The only human element involved in the equation during that Giants-Cincnnati Bengals game you’ve just bet on is you – the human who placed the wager on the sim sport.
Virtual Reality
Virtual sports aren’t a new concept to sports betting sites. In fact, virtual sports have a presence at the vast majority of the top online sports betting sites. Bet365 offers wagering on virtual thoroughbred and standardbred racing, greyhound racing, soccer, football, cricket, basketball, motor racing, darts, cycling, basketball, tennis and speedway.
Bodog carries wagering on many of the same sports as well as its own unique virtual sport – camel racing. BetOnline provides betting lines on Madden NFL sports sims. William Hill offers daily virtual horse racing.
These online sportsbooks offer wagering on all of these virtual sporting events and they do so for exactly the same reasons why they provide betting lines on actual sports. It makes them money and offers additional action to bettors.
“Madden NFL 2020 Gameplayr” by EA is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
In terms of real-world sports, games and tournaments are conducted by a regimented schedule. Virtual sports are that loyal friend who shows up when you’re moving. You can always count on them to be there when you need them.
Virtual sporting events begin when you desire them to commence. Just put down a bet one of them Within minutes, you’ll be watching the game or the race unfold in front of youe eyes. From a betting standpoint, you’ll be offered similar wagering options as you’d expect from a regular Sunday afternoon NFL contest.
They’re Here To Stay
While these NFL sims and other virtual sports filled a much-needed void during the pandemic lockdown of actual sports, what sports betting sites have discovered is that now that necessity has led to many discovering the beauty and convenience of wagering on sims, they aren’t going away.
Suppose it’s Tuesday morning and you’re craving some NFL action. You can pull out your PS5 and play Madden against the computer. Or you could go to an online sports betting site, bet on an NFL sim and then sit back and line your pockets with cash while enjoying some virtual sports action.
That’s a win-win for everybody.
