New Jersey Virtual Sports
New Jersey casinos are quick to jump on the latest technologies and virtual sports are one of the fastest growing segments of the market.
Virtual Sports are computer-generated versions of popular sports that are reproduced using a random number generator. Because random number generators create uncertain outcomes, virtual sports betting is possible. It also means virtual sports betting falls under a casino license (more like a slot machine) than a sports betting license.
Games that would normally take two hours in real life are reduced to just a few minutes with action condensed to the most important moments. High-quality graphics let you follow all the virtual action in real time and see how your bets play out.
Basketball, football, horse racing, Greyhound racing, car racing and soccer are among the most popular virtual sports on offer in New Jersey. Exciting new products like V-Play NFLA Legends Football, with 11 teams made up of NFL legends playing each other, are also about to hit the market.
Best NJ virtual sports betting
Where can I bet on virtual sports in New Jersey?
The number of New Jersey casinos offering virtual sports betting is increasing every year with at least three more entering the market in 2020.
Golden Nugget Online Casino
Golden Nugget offers a comparatively limited selection of virtual sports at the moment. There are racing games for cars and motorbikes plus horse racing and greyhounds. The only true “sport” offered is virtual soccer. All titles are from Inspired Gaming.
2020 will see the range expand with NBA Last 90 from Highlight Games. This virtual basketball game uses randomly selected historical highlight footage from old NBA games. The footage is spliced to create the final 90 seconds of a fictional NBA game.
Caesars Online Casino
Inspired Gaming also provides the virtual sports at Caesars Casino. The game offering is the same as the Golden Nugget, but you can grab a $10 bonus for new players and the Caesars Rewards scheme is legendary for its great benefits.
BetMGM Online Casino
Go to BetMGM's sports betting page and you won't find virtual sports. You have to click on the casino tab at the top of the page to find the virtual sports offering. At the moment BetMGM offers the same line-up of games from Inspired Gaming.
Resorts Online Casino
The original virtual sports location in NJ; offers same games and software as others with Inspire Virtual Sports. Resorts signed a deal to offer NBA Last 60 in the coming year as well. Resorts also plans to launch on-property virtual sports in its iGaming Lounge just off the main casino floor.
Borgata Online Casino
Virtual horse racing, stock car racing, motorcycle racing, dog racing and virtual soccer are available at the Borgata online casino. New players get a special Borgata online casino bonus of $20 with no need to make a deposit.
Betfair Online Casino
Betfair is a UK company offering online gambling in partnership with the Golden Nugget. There's a meaty $200 bonus by way of a day of bonus bets for new customers, which makes Betfair a great option for starting out with virtual sports betting.
The game selection also comes from Inspired Gaming, so alongside virtual soccer you can enjoy virtual horse racing, virtual dog racing plus virtual car and motorcycle racing.
Bet365 Online Casino
In a move away from its competitors, Bet365 has put its virtual sports betting right into its sportsbook rather than leave it with the casino games.
This makes sense for a company that already offers advanced virtual sports, such as V Play Football on its global site. The product suite comes from Inspired Games.
Bet365 clearly intends to add more sports and especially more American sports as they become available in the virtual format. New players get the same bonus offer as sports bettors—up to $1,000 in bet credits.
DraftKings Online Casino
DraftKings is not yet offering virtual sports in New Jersey. That is set to change shortly after the company signed a deal with Inspired Gaming. DraftKings is going full bore for virtual sports and will offer Inspired Gaming's full range of products including the V Play advanced sports simulations.
There will be 14 virtual sports available for DraftKings' New Jersey customers. These will include Football and Basketball, through the V-Play NFLA Legends Football and V-Play Basketball games.
Tropicana Casino & Virgin Casino
Neither of these online casinos offers virtual sports as of yet but thanks to a deal signed with Spin Games LLC in 2019 will see NBA Last 60 integrated into the menu sometime in 2020.
Virtual Sports NJ Betting Apps
All New Jersey online casinos offer mobile casino apps which you can download and use for virtual sports betting. That means the full range of virtual sports on offer can be played on your cell phone or tablet.
Both Apple iOS (iPhone) and Android devices are supported so mobile virtual sports betting is already accessible to virtually every online casino customer.
What are virtual sports?
In New Jersey, virtual sports are not considered sports betting. That's why they’ve been available in the state since before legal sports betting began. This distinction comes from the origins of virtual sports as computer generated games. The first virtual sport was a game of fantasy baseball created by IBM engineer John Burgeson in 1961.
In the interim virtual sports has expanded to include various forms of racing (horses, cars, motorcycles, greyhounds) alongside team sports including soccer, football and basketball.
Fast forward to 2020 and SportRadar now even offers a virtual sports version of the Euro 2020 soccer championship. The virtual simulation includes every qualifying team playing 90-minute matches exactly like the real event (which has been postponed till 2021 btw).
For virtual sports bettors, there are over 50 betting markets open for each match pre-game and in-play.
As you can see from the video, the latest computer graphics make for almost-real visualizations of the players and the action. But, of course, there's no real sporting event taking place. All the action is computer generated and that's why, legally, virtual sports in NJ are treated like sophisticated slots rather than physical sports.
Virtual sports in NJ therefore comes under the casino licensing regulations and is available on casino premises as well as online. Matches, races and games are available 24/7 and start every few minutes. They're there when you want them and offer fast action with lots of ways to make your bets.
Which virtual sports games can I play?
The catalogue of virtual sports games is constantly expanding (virtual sports providers now offer everything from virtual darts to virtual cricket), but for the most part, any sport people like to bet on does well as a virtual sport product.
New Jersey players will find the following virtual sports racing right now:
- Virtual Horse Racing
- Virtual Speedway (Stock Car Racing)
- Virtual Greyhound Racing
- Virtual Speedway (Motocross)
Team sports available right now (or soon to be available):
- Virtual Soccer
- NBA Last 60/NBA Last 90
The introduction of NBA Last 60 should be a game changer for the popularity of virtual sports in NJ. Similar games are in development for ice hockey and more.
Several casinos have also agreed to launch the company's V-Play NFLA Legends Football and V-Play Basketball games later this year. The V-Play NFLA Legends Football games use named players from the history of the NFL.
The games themselves are based on adaptations of those players' historical performances. As a result they add an extra dimension to each event. Even though games only lasts 90 seconds, all the key action is packed into that short time to maximize the excitement. V-Play Basketball does the same for America's second favorite betting sport. Watch a clip below:
The other company with a place in the New Jersey virtual sports betting market is Spin Games. It offers NBA Last 60 via a contract with Gamesys which provides many games to US casinos.
While these games are exciting prospects, they are only a taste of what the industry is beginning to produce. SportRadar's virtual Euro 2020 soccer championship isn't available in New Jersey. But soon, there will be virtual equivalents of the NFL Super Bowl and other major American sports events.
Virtual Horse Racing Betting in NJ
Virtual horse race betting is now a well established staple of the New Jersey gambling market. It was the first virtual sports betting application launched in the US and is available at many race tracks as well as online.
Bettors see riders and horses with fictional historical data on each together with information about recent form. All the key information is on a race card, which is a simplified version of a real race card.
In virtual sports there are no non-runners and no late changes of jockey. Bets types available for virtual horse racing are not as comprehensive as those available at the live track, but should satisfy most racing fans.
Races may run every few minutes in the virtual world, but as yet there's no way to put on a parlay that ties together bets on several virtual races.
How do I play virtual sports?
Virtual sports aren’t video games that you sit down and play. The only human element of virtual sports is the capability to bet on the outcomes. When you “play” virtual sports you’re simply watching as a match or race plays out; you have no control over the outcome of the game.
Unlike esports or skill-based games, virtual sports contests are played by the game itself, with the outcomes based on the combination of historical data embedded into the game and a random number generator capable of creating an endless supply of potential scenarios.
Just like in real sports, the better team doesn’t always win. The data makes the players and horses unique and provides a way to handicap the contests and race, and once the odds have been established the random number generator is introduced.
After taking the historical data into consideration, the random number generator then determines the outcome.
How does betting on virtual sports work?
Betting on virtual sports resembles placing a bet in a sportsbook.
- You look at the odds, place your bets, and sit back and watch the game or race.
- Like traditional sports betting, there are multiple betting options for each match or race, with the virtual sports program creating the point spreads and odds, based on the historical data.
Where virtual sports diverges from traditional sports betting is the frequency of events. Because they’re not real, virtual sports contests can run 24/7, which is why virtual sports has done so well in UK betting shops, providing content when no real-world events are taking place.
Furthermore, virtual sports can be programmed to run as often as the purveyor desires. Races can be scheduled to start every 10 minutes or every 2 minutes. Soccer matches can be set for 5 minute halves or 20 minute halves.
Virtual soccer betting will be familiar to most New Jersey sports bettors. The games offer:
- Straight bets
- Moneyline bets
- Over/Under
- Prop bets including final score, which team will score first/last, score at the end of the first half
The new V-play games due soon offer a much wider variety of bets on both basketball and football. Bets can be placed pre-match and in-play. Expect over 50 markets for each game, so as you might expect from a casino, there are more than enough ways to place the bet that suits you.
Bets on racing games are generally simpler. They follow the premise of horse racing bets where you can bet on the winner, the first two or three finishers and so on.
Virtual Sports Betting vs Esports Betting
Virtual sports shouldn’t be confused with esports betting. Especially if you want to bet your hard-earned money.
Esports are computer games where the characters are controlled by the people playing the game. Virtual sports are entirely played by the computer game generation engine. Because there's no human intervention in the outcome, New Jersey regulators treat virtual sports just like slot machines.
Of course there is some room for confusion. FanDuel is involved in a fantasy partnership for the 2020 DRL SIM Tryouts Finals where players pilot virtual drones through complex 3D environments. The fantasy element comes in FanDuel creating a fantasy sports league based on the actual league.
Players can create their own fantasy drone pilot teams and win money based on their picks performance in the real events.
Here there is an element of skill in picking your team, and then the actual drone pilot is using skill to navigate the course. All the games, both fantasy and real are played on computers, but they're not played by computers, so this is an esport.
Virtual Sports vs Sim Sports betting
Simulated sports are sports matches played with computer simulations of games and players. NBA 2k20 and Madden are popular video games used for basketball and football simulations, respectively, but there are others for many popular sports. Many bookmakers now offer markets on simulated sports events.
Instead of human players playing the games, computers play against each other using the video game as the vehicle for the contest. Because the simulations use real team names simulated sports are more akin to Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) than to virtual sports.
On the other hand, because they involve computers playing computers they are closer to virtual sports than to real sports betting.
Is NJ Virtual Sports Betting Safe & Fair?
In New Jersey the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) regulates virtual sports. Online virtual sports entered the legal market after the state legalized online gaming including online casino games in 2013.
Game revenues are taxed at 15% and licensed operators are policed rigorously by the DGE. The regulator is highly regarded worldwide as effective and fair with a strong commitment to responsible gambling.
It is the DGE that ensures that all NJ virtual and online sports betting is safe and fair. You should not risk playing virtual sports at operators not licensed in New Jersey by the DGE.
How to Make a Deposit for Virtual Sports Betting
It is easy to start online betting on virtual sports in New Jersey. Check out our reviews of New Jersey's online casinos and pay particular attention to the new player bonus offers. When you know which casino you want to play at, use the links on the page directly to go to the new player registration page for that casino.
You must fill out a form with your basic personal details. This is a regulatory requirement so that under-age gambling is prevented. There will be a box where you should enter the Promo Code for your casino. You will find the Promo Code on the relevant casino review page.
Once the form is submitted, your account is created and you can check out your new online casino.
To place bets you must make a deposit into your account. Go to the cashier, select make a deposit, and you will see what options for payment methods are available. These will include, credit and debit cards; e-checks and wire transfers; payment processors such as Neteller and PayPal and even cash deposits at the casino cage or 7/11 stores.
Virtual Sports Betting Tips
Virtual sports betting is entertainment with the chance of winning some money; it's not a way to earn regular cash. Always gamble responsibly and don't bet money you can't afford to lose.
You should treat virtual sports betting as a hyper-advanced slot machine. You know the odds are against you but the excitement comes from knowing that there is always the chance to win. Here are a few tips to help:
- For race games, the fewer competitors the more often you will choose the winner. Obviously it's easier to choose from six horses than from 20 cars. But these games are not totally random like slot machines. There is information there to help you increase your edge.
- In virtual horse racing pay attention to the racing card; in virtual football, where there are statistics available, use them to guide your bets.
- Odds exist for a reason. They guide you in knowing how likely you are to win with a particular bet. Long odds mean your payouts will be bigger but you will win less often. Short odds let you win more often but payout less money. Find the sweet spot that suits you.
- Finally, keep an eagle eye out for promotions. Operators spend a lot of money trying to retain their customers. If you take advantage of the promotions they are spending this money on you. If you ignore the promotions, then someone else is getting the bonus.
How realistic are virtual sports games?
The quality of virtual sports products can be seen in the following promotional videos from leading virtual sports providers, Inspired Gaming and Leap Gaming.
Virtual Sports FAQ
Not in most cases. Virtual sports uses generic numbers and fake names for the athletes and horses. However, these players are sometimes based on real world athletes, teams, and horses — which is where the historical data can come into play.
So, while the teams, individual players, and even the horses don’t bear the names of superstar athletes like Christiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady, or Nyquist (the horse that won the Kentucky Derby), they’re all potentially unique with statistics that line up with known real-world athletes.
In the case of NBA Last 60, though, it does use real NBA footage. It pulls clips from a library of highlights from recent NBA seasons but randomly strings them together to simulate the final 60 seconds of a fictitious game.
You have to be 21 to place legal virtual sports bets in NJ.
Check out the casino reviews here to see which NJ online casinos accept PayPal along with their other payment methods.
New Jersey has a population slightly smaller than Greece. When NJ launched virtual sports in 2017, people wagered over $600 million in the first year. Virtual sports betting in the US is still small compared to sports betting, but it is getting bigger and could easily produce 20% of sports betting operator's revenues in the medium term.
Legally speaking yes. In practise the experience is completely different. Virtual sports betting is like and extremely fast version of a sports contest where all the action is compressed into a few seconds.