Best Virtual Betting Sites in Ireland 2026

In this guide, we look at what virtual sports betting is, how it works, the most popular virtual sports with Irish bettors, and compare the best virtual betting sites in Ireland. We also guide you on how to choose your perfect bookie for virtual betting, and highlight every important thing you need to know about virtual sports in Ireland, including betting on virtual football, horse racing, and tennis.

What Are Virtual Sports?

Before starting to bet on virtual sports in Ireland, you must first understand what virtual sports are and what makes them different from other types of betting formats. Virtual sports are typically computer-generated sporting events that mimic real sports. The events don’t really take place in real life and are just simulations with virtual odds that you can bet on.

Many Irish bettors tend to confuse virtual sports with eSports, but they are not the same thing. eSports involve real people playing competitive video games or simulated versions of postponed real matches from a cyber or an indoor venue. In virtual sports, there are no real people. Instead, algorithms or specialised software programs simulate virtual events, displaying computer-generated images of the matches or games taking place. These algorithms are similar to Random Number Generators (RNGs) that run online casino games.

Results and outcomes of virtual sports are also determined by RNGs rather than human experience or the bookie. In each virtual sport, an RNG assigns every runner, team, or player a weighting, and then draws results from those weightings. It then simulates a race, game, or match event based on already decided outcomes.

Another key feature of virtual sports is that they are available 24/7, and matches, races, and games often run every few minutes on a fixed schedule, all day, every day. That means you can bet on virtual sports anytime, including late at night. 

Many Irish bettors also enjoy betting on virtual sports because some factors that affect real-life sports events don’t influence virtual sports. For instance, there are no injuries, weather conditions, suspensions, team news, or non-runners that can influence the outcome of a virtual event.

Popular Virtual Sports Explained

As mentioned, virtual sports mimic real-world sports. And just as there are tens of regular sports you can bet on, the best virtual sports betting sites offer plenty of virtual sports for betting. The most popular options with Irish bettors include;

Virtual Football

Virtual football is one of the most popular virtual sports with bettors, and matches are relatively similar to actual football. For example, they are played by two teams or international clubs. However, virtual football is fast-paced, with matches running two to five minutes. They are also organised into small virtual football leagues and knockout competitions with regular kick-off times. Each game features virtual football betting markets such as Match Winner, Correct Score, Double Chance, Total Goals, and varying odds depending on the market.

Virtual Horse Racing

Virtual horse racing is another popular virtual sport at the top virtual betting sites in Ireland and allows you to bet on virtual horse races. These races often feature eight to 12 runners, and they run for two to three minutes. Whether you like betting on flat, jumps, or sprints, virtual horse racing betting covers all types of races, catering to all bettors’ preferences. You can also bet on a wide range of markets, including Win bets. Bigger virtual horse racing fields also get Each Way markets just like in real-world racing, but the ‘Place’ fraction for odds is fixed and set by the RNG rather than by the number of runners.

Virtual Greyhound Racing

This is another great option for Irish bettors who enjoy betting on virtual races. Both virtual greyhound and horse races follow a very similar format, but in greyhounds, the races feature six to eight runners and races typically run 30–60 seconds. That short nature of the greyhound races also makes it perfect for bettors who want instant results.

Virtual Tennis

Virtual tennis is yet another heavily bet-on virtual sport at top-rated virtual betting sites in Ireland. And like other virtual sports, it features fictional players, realistic animation, highlights, and live statistics.

Beyond virtual football, horse racing, greyhound racing, and tennis, the virtual betting bookies that we recommend in this guide also offer other virtual sports you can bet on. For example, you can find virtual sports like virtual motor racing, virtual cycling, virtual basketball, virtual cricket, virtual American football, and virtual darts, among others.

What to Look for in a Virtual Betting Site

There are plenty of online betting sites in Ireland offering virtual betting, and we’ve listed the best ones at the top of this guide. To choose a bookie that suits your betting preferences and needs, there are a few things you should look for.

First, check the range of virtual sports and betting markets the bookmaker offers. We recommend that you choose a site with a wide range of markets to bet on, not just one or two basic formats. The best virtual betting site should give you the option to choose simpler virtual markets or place complex virtual bets, based on your betting style.

The second factor to consider is clarity around results and bet settlement. All virtual sports are fast-paced, and a single match or race concludes quickly. So, the bookie should be clear on how virtual bets settle.

Another factor to look out for is whether the RNGs running virtual sports at the site are independently tested and certified for fairness by reputable third-party agencies. The betting site's RNGs should be regularly audited, just like at the best online casinos in Ireland, to ensure outcomes for virtual sports are random and can’t be rigged.

In addition, the best Irish virtual betting site should have a sleek mobile app and site that lets you place virtual bets fast and smoothly on the go and at any time, whether you’re using an iOS or Android device. The mobile site and app should also feature great design and graphics that support high-quality virtual sports simulations. If you'd rather bet on real skill and form, our guide to the best snooker betting sites in Ireland covers many of the same operators.

Best Virtual Betting Sites in Ireland

Here are nine top virtual betting sites popular with Irish bettors. Each of these bookies holds a valid licence from the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), and we’ll highlight what each is best for in virtual betting.

bet365

bet365 is our top pick for the best virtual betting site in Ireland. It leads in virtual sports variety and virtual betting markets. At the bookie, you can bet on more than 17 virtual sports categories, including football, basketball, American football, cricket, and darts. You can even bet on virtual Counter-Strike, which is a different betting product from the regular Counter-Strike eSports game. Each of the virtual sports at bet365 also offers a wide range of betting markets, including some bet formats you won’t find at any other Irish virtual betting site.

Paddy Power

With an Irish heritage and solid reputation, Paddy Power is another leading virtual betting site in Ireland. The bookie is particularly the best virtual horse racing betting site, and you can find a race to bet on every two minutes. You can also bet on flat, jumps, or sprints virtual races, with the option to predict on Win and Each Way markets. Other top virtual sports you can bet on at Paddy Power include virtual greyhounds, motor sports, and football.

BoyleSports

BoyleSports is the best virtual sports betting site for live streaming. Each virtual sport at the bookie has live streams, and you don’t need to log in to your account, make a deposit, or even place a bet to access live streams for virtual sports. So, whether you’re a fan of horse racing, greyhound racing, football, motor racing, and speedway, you can watch the live simulations while placing your virtual bets. The bookie also has a ‘Results’ button where you can check who won previous matches or races.

Betway

Betway is another reputable virtual betting bookmaker in Ireland that we highly recommend for the virtual sports variety. It offers a wide range of virtual sports, including horse racing, golf, multiple types of virtual football, harness racing, table tennis, stock car racing, and greyhound racing. Betway is also excellent for mobile betting, and you can access and bet on all virtual sports from your smartphone, iPhone, tablet, or iPad. Whether you prefer using the mobile site or the Betway app, both platforms also boast a great interface that makes it easy and quick to place virtual bets.

Coral

Coral offers more than nine virtual sports that you can bet on, but it stands out for virtual horse racing and virtual football. At the time of writing, it offers over nine virtual horse racing events, including National Chase, Victor Park, Steeple Chase, Surrey Downs, and Wokingford. For football, you can bet on English League, World Cup, Elite Stadium, Champions Football, and English football. Other virtual sports you can find at Coral include virtual greyhounds, classic football, cricket, basketball, motorsports, tennis, and American football.

TonyBet

Another top Irish bookmaker for virtual sports betting is TonyBet, and it offers multiple virtual sports to choose from. Whether you’re a fan of virtual football, virtual horse racing, virtual greyhounds, virtual basketball, or virtual tennis, there are around 100 virtual events you can bet on at any given time. You can even bet on virtual motorsports, cycling, and cricket events anytime, and they all offer a wide range of virtual betting markets that you can bet on.

NetBet

Unlike most virtual betting sites in Ireland that only offer regular virtual sports, NetBet goes a little further, offering unique virtual sports that you can enjoy betting on. For example, it offers the Crazy Marble option, where you bet on which virtual marble will reach the finish line first. No other Irish bookmaker that we’ve tested offers this virtual betting option. This makes NetBet the perfect bookie if you’re looking to try something different besides betting on standard virtual sports like football, greyhounds, cycling, and drag racing. Read our full NetBet review for more on its standard and unusual markets.

LiveScore Bet

LiveScore Bet is a top virtual betting app in Ireland, and it has a highly rated mobile app for both iOS and Android devices. The app has a sleek design and responsive interface that make it quick to place virtual bets. The bookie also covers a wide range of virtual sports, with horse racing, football, and tennis being its main offerings. And if you enjoy watching live streams while placing your virtual bets, the bookie also offers live streaming of all virtual sports events.

talkSPORT BET

Lastly, we have talkSPORT BET, which is the best virtual sports betting site for virtual basketball betting in Ireland. Typically, you have top virtual basketball betting options: you can either bet on the Basketball US League or Basketball League 2, and both offer a wide range of markets to bet on. If you prefer betting on other virtual events, the bookmaker also offers virtual greyhound racing, football Euro Cup, Football Club, horse racing jumps, and horse racing flat.

Understanding Virtual Sports Betting Markets

The best virtual betting sites offer an extensive selection of virtual betting markets that you can choose from. If you’re a beginner and just learning how to bet on virtual sports in Ireland, here are the most common markets popular with bettors.

Match Winner and Correct Score

If you’re a fan of virtual football betting, Match Winner and Correct Score are the most bet-on markets at the best Irish virtual betting sites. In Match Winner, you bet on which virtual team or player you think will win a specific match. The market works similarly to the real-world market equivalent and is the simplest of all virtual betting markets.

Correct Score, on the other hand, requires you to predict the final score of a virtual match. Compared to most markets, it’s one of the hardest bets, as you must predict the exact score for your bet to pay out. Even so, it offers the highest returns as it’s high risk and the chances of predicting the exact score are low.

Win and Each Way

These virtual betting markets are popular for both horse racing betting and greyhound racing betting. The win bet targets the horse or greyhound that finishes first in the race, or the runner that wins the race.

For Each Way, it combines two bets in one. That is, you bet on a horse or greyhound to win a race while the other bet is for the horse or greyhound to finish in the first two, three, or four runners, depending on the field. The market works similarly to betting on real horse races and greyhound races. So, your virtual bet is split into two equal parts, one for the runner to win the race and the other half for the runner to ‘place’ in the top positions.

Whichever market you choose to bet on, keep in mind that virtual betting markets settle within minutes. This is because virtual sporting events last a few minutes, unlike real-world sports where a single event can run for hours or even days. So, once you place a bet, you get the outcomes fast, often within two to three minutes for most virtual horse racing events and in less than a minute in virtual greyhound races.

Are Virtual Sports Fair? RNG and Return to Player Explained

All virtual sports operate using Random Number Generators (RNGs) to ensure unpredictability of results and fairness of outcomes. Typically, the RNGs generate random sequences that simulate real-life sports events. They use complex mathematical algorithms to produce outcomes that are both random and fair, rather than fixed or manipulated outcomes. So, every outcome in virtual sporting events, including goals scored and race winners, is determined by these algorithms within milliseconds. This removes human bias and guarantees transparency.

RNGs at the best virtual betting sites in Ireland are also regularly audited by third-party agencies such as eCOGRA, iTech Labs, and GLI. These agencies ensure that the RNGs are transparent and offer fair Return to Player (RTP) payout rates. The RTP is simply the amount a virtual sport returns to bettors as ‘returns’ or ‘payouts' in the long-run, often expressed as a percentage.

Also note that the RTP for each virtual sport is set by the software provider, which powers the virtual sport. So, if two bookies have virtual football events powered by different software providers, the events will likely have different RTP rates. So, always check the provider and the RTP for the virtual sports you want to bet on rather than assume they are identical across all bookies.

In addition, the fairness of virtual sports also doesn’t negate the need to consider the bookmaker margin when placing your bets. Over time, the bookies are bound to make profits from virtual betting markets, just as with regular sports and eSports. Therefore, you should sign up at virtual betting sites with low bookmaker margins.

Virtual Sports Betting Apps

Using virtual betting apps is one of the best ways to bet on virtual sports. Compared to betting on the desktop, mobile apps let you access and bet on all virtual sports and betting markets you would get on the desktop from your mobile device. This makes it convenient to place virtual bets even while you’re on the go, travelling, or outdoors, as long as you have a stable internet connection.

To choose a virtual betting app, pick an app that offers clear result history on all virtual sports, which can help you plan your next bet. Also favour apps with quick repeat bet options to help you place bets fast. The perfect virtual betting app in Ireland should also feature a simple design and intuitive interface. This is to help you navigate and switch between different virtual sports easily and fast. It should also load fast with zero lag and have clear menus and buttons.

Before you sign up, we also recommend that you compare different Irish virtual betting apps to make sure you’re joining trustworthy apps offering an extensive range of virtual sports and betting markets. The apps and sites we recommend in our guide offer a diverse variety of virtual betting options, including virtual football, horse racing, tennis, basketball, cricket, and greyhound betting. Each virtual sport also has plenty of markets to choose from.

Why Virtual Sports Appeal When There's No Real Sport On

Even though virtual sports are just simulations and no event is real, they are becoming quite popular with Irish bettors, and many bookies are adding more virtual sports and betting markets frequently. Some of the reasons many bettors nowadays are opting to bet on virtual sports are;

24/7 Availability

Unlike real-world sports where you have to wait for a game or event to take place, virtual sports are always available. You can bet on a wide range of virtual sports at any hour, including late at night or early morning, making it ideal if you’re looking for instant betting.

Think about it: if you’re looking for real football or horse racing betting, you might have to wait for the weekend or sometimes months (during the off-season) for you to bet on your favourite team or runner. But with virtual sports, there’s no waiting. You can place bets any time you want, all year long.

Consistent Short Events

Nearly all virtual sports are fast-paced, and a typical virtual event takes just a few minutes, unlike traditional sports that can take hours to conclude. Some may even be delayed or postponed, which can be frustrating if you had placed a bet.

With virtual sports, however, you don’t have to wait for long to know the outcome of your bets. You can get the results in just a few minutes, or even less than a minute if you’re betting on virtual greyhound races. This makes virtual betting ideal for bettors looking to make multiple bets or if you don’t have the time to wait for hours to know the results.

As you can see, virtual sports betting is available all the time, all year round. This is why responsible betting matters more in virtual sports than on real-world sports, as we’ll discuss below.

Responsible Gambling

Unlike traditional sports, it’s easier to lose control of your betting habits when betting on virtual sports in Ireland. This is because virtual events are available every minute, all day, and 24/7, which can encourage rapid repeat betting in a way that real-world sports don’t. So, you should use session reminders and time limits to help you take regular breaks. You should also set a budget and bet limit for the amount to spend per betting session or per wager. This can help you avoid overspending, chasing losses, or excessive betting.

Additionally, you should only bet on virtual sports for entertainment purposes. Don’t place bets to chase returns, earn income, or as a way to make money. You should bet at the best virtual betting sites in Ireland to have fun and for enjoyment. Also make sure that you’re at least 18 years of age and only sign up at Irish betting sites licensed by GRAI.

The virtual betting sites and apps we recommend in this guide also offer effective responsible gambling tools that can help you stay in control of your betting habits. For example, you can use deposit limits, time-outs, reality checks, and self-exclusion. And if you start struggling with problem gambling or your virtual betting habits begin getting out of hand, reach out to local responsible gambling organisations like the National Gambling Helpline Ireland (you can call them for free on 1800 753 753) and Gamblingcare.ie for support and counselling.

Conclusion

Virtual sports betting is rapidly growing as it’s always available 24/7, unlike real sports. The best virtual betting sites in Ireland offer great betting experiences, and we’ve listed and reviewed the top bookies you can sign up to at the top of this guide. Before you register at any of the sites, we recommend that you compare the range of virtual sports, as well as RNG certifications, to make sure you’re choosing a site that suits your betting preferences. For the complete picture beyond virtual sports, see our guide to the best betting sites in Ireland.