Sports Sim Betting For 18 & Over

  • Sports SimsThe Best Sites For Betting Simulated Sports Can Be Found Here
  • Make NBA 2K And Madden Sims Bets Online At 18 In The USA

Simulated sports represent a burgeoning interest, and naturally, it appeals to younger gambling demographics, namely, the 18 and up sports betting market. Sports sim betting pits computer-controlled teams against each other using popular video games such as Madden, FIFA/FC, NBA 2K, NASCAR Ignition, MLB The Show, and UFC 5.

Sports sims betting for 18 and over can be accomplished easily by reading through this page and learning about what simulated sports are, the legalities involved in betting at 18, what software is used, and how the gambling works. Don’t venture into video game wagering until digesting the information below first.

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What Is Sports Sims Betting?

Sports sim betting is the act of wagering on simulated sports video games that pit two CPU-controlled teams against each other. There’s no human interaction, but there is historical data to be mined for research because the athletes and teams feature attributes that reflect their human counterparts’ real-life skills.

That means if the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees, or the Los Angeles Lakers are involved, wagers can be made based on their current real-life rosters and strategies.

Sportsbooks layout game lines and odds for sims that resemble the lines of real games, which are detailed in the following section. The simulated games can be seen directly on the sportsbook site or is hosted on a third-party video hosting site like Twitch.

How To Bet On Simulated Sports For 18 And Up

Baseball player Video game betting lines for sims operate just like the lines do in the sport that is being replicated, with the main focus being on the point spread, the money line odds, and the over/under.

The above sims line is for a game of Madden 20 between the Miami Dolphins and the San Francisco 49ers.

Point Spread: The first column to the right of each team’s name reveals the point spread where the 49ers are favored to win by 14.0 points. That means wagers on the 49ers to cover the spread will require them to win by 15 or more. For bets on the Dolphins to win, they must lose by 13 or less. If the 49ers win by exactly 14, the wager is a push, and the entire wager is canceled and refunded.

Money Line: The second column contains the money line odds, which lets gamblers bet on which simulated team they think will win without worrying about point spreads. It also lets you know how much they can earn, as a wager of $100 on Miami at +500 will earn $500, and $900 on the 49ers is required to win $100.

Over/Under: Also known as the total, the over/under is the total number of points that both teams are expected to combine to score. You just need to pick if the total combined score between both virtual teams will be over or under the line.

You’ll also notice the fine print underneath the line that provides crucial video game betting info for these simulated athletes. From the note, we can determine the following:

  • Roster Year
  • Quarter Length
  • Difficulty Settings
  • Accelerated Clock Settings
  • Link To Live Odds
  • Link To Video Feed Of Simulated Game

Sports Sims vs. Virtual Sports Betting

Simulated sports are pretty much the exact same thing as betting on virtual sports. The one major difference between the two formats is the software. They use popular video games like Madden, FIFA, or NBA 2K that feature real players and teams. Odds for sims games are based on the attributes of the real-life players and teams.

Virtual sports software is generic, does not feature real player names or likenesses, and cannot be researched using historical data or the performance indicators of the virtual athletes involved. Virtual teams do feature some reviewable data, but for the most part, it is an uninformed bet and similar in operation to how a slot machine works.

Sports Sims vs. eSports Betting

When betting on eSports or sims it is important to know that each uses the exact same software – off the shelf video games. The major difference that separates eSports from simulated sports is the presence of human gamers controlling the action. The odds are more focused on how good or bad the human gamer is than the attributes of the athletes featured in the software.


Popular Simulation Betting Software

The software that is used for sports sims betting is the same that is purchased off the shelf for home use on personal computers (PCs), laptops, and video game consoles like the PS5, XBOX Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. We detail the software used for the most popular sports simulation betting options below.

Madden 24 (EA)

John Madden coached the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl title in 1977 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. He then went on to become the #1 pro football analyst on television, which is why EA Sports first approached him to include his name in the branding of their NFL video game for the PC in 1988.

Madden NFL has expanded onto video game consoles and is now released with a new version each year. Madden sim betting has also become a phenomenon, as the software offers the most realistic and authentic replication of NFL gameplay.

Gamblers can wager on Madden games at just about any online sportsbook offering odds on NFL sims, but be sure to verify which version, and which rosters are being used prior to placing any wagers. The odds work in almost exactly the same fashion the odds offered for betting on the NFL.

NBA 2K24 (2K Games)

2K first came onto the home video game market with their NBA, NFL, and other professional sports games for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. NBA 2K simulations have become the benchmark in realistic basketball sims.

Simulation NBA 2K odds are featured at offshore sportsbook sites, but just like when betting on Madden sims, be sure to verify which version of the game is being used. NBA 2K22 might be on the market, but they may be using NBA 2K21 or prior.

NBA 2K odds work in a similar fashion to when betting on the NBA, and historical research on the league and players will assist with strategies for making sims wagers.

NASCAR 21: Ignition (Motorsports Games)

There have been a couple of different games that have held the title of “best NASCAR game” over the years, but that designation currently belongs to NASCAR Ignition by Motorsports Games. The game is immensely popular amongst video gamers, gamblers, and NASCAR drivers, too.

Simulated NASCAR 21: Ignition betting odds pop up from time to time at online sportsbooks, and although NASCAR 21: Ignition is the latest version, read the fine print and make sure the book is not using a previous release or even a version of NASCAR Heat.

FIFA / FC 24 (EA Sports)

FC 24 is the latest international soccer game from EA Sports and has been the #1 futbol video game on the market since the early 1990s when it debuted on home consoles. The franchise dropped the FIFA moniker for the 2024 season due to failed contract negotiations between the organization and EA Sports. FC 24 and FIFA sims offer the most realistic recreations of international soccer matches, complete with fans singing their national anthems. Simulations from outdated versions of the software are almost always used when online books offer odds on international soccer sims. The reason is that these eSports sportsbooks like to wait until the majority of player pools have hopped on board with the new game.

MLB The Show 24 (San Diego Studio)

If realistic, perfectly simulated Major League Baseball is what you’re after, then MLB The Show is the game you need, regardless of hardware. Accurate player attributes and field dimensions create the perfect digital environment to replicate MLB sims, and sportsbooks agree.  They use MLB The Show 24 to generate their simulated games, and they base their simulation odds on premium pro baseball betting that doesn’t have to wait for April to arrive.

NHL 24 (EA)

If you want a simulated hockey experience that puts you right on top of the ice, look no further than EA’s NHL series of games. They’ve been the dominant hockey video game franchise since the mid-1990s, and the CPU vs. CPU games that the software creates are perfect simulations of real NHL games. Although all sportsbook sites use NHL 22 or earlier to host their hockey sims, verify which version of the game they use and what rules are in place before gambling.

UFC 5 (EA)

EA also has a strong grapple-hold on the combat sports video game industry with UFC 5, released on October 24, 2023. UFC 5 offers realistic recreations of MMA fighters and accurately simulates their strengths and martial arts disciplines. UFC 5 sims betting lines often resemble real-life UFC match lines and can fill the gap between live events, and information gleaned from historical data can be used to wager.


Over 18 Mobile Betting For Simulated Sports

All of the features of the main sportsbook site can be ported to popular smartphones and tablets (Apple, Android) by clicking on one of the links in the table above using a current mobile browser (Safari, Google, Opera, Chrome, Firefox).

Mobile betting apps are even able to include video feeds of the simulated games for an optimum experience that doesn’t require members to stay at home. As long as you have a solid internet connection and money to wager, all of the experiences of the full sportsbook site can be experienced on the go.

Sports Sims Betting With Bitcoin

Bitcoin (BTC) is the most sought-after and widely-used form of cryptocurrency, and sims betting sites prefer it as well. That’s because the lack of government oversight allows for hassle-free deposits that can be made quickly.

Bitcoin same-day withdrawals are an industry-exclusive, as all other forms of currency feature waiting times of at least 24 hours. If you need any more convincing to use BTC to bet on simulated sports games, some sportsbook sites triple their bonus cash offers when it is used as an 18+ banking method.

Other forms of cryptocurrency accepted at our best sims betting sites include:

Live Betting On Simulated Sports At Eighteen Years Old

Traditionally, wagers have been required to be placed prior to the beginning of the game. That’s no longer the case, as live betting on sims that use Madden, FC, or NBA 2K software operates just like live sports.

Sims odds update throughout the game that can be wagered upon, including quarter leaders, money line winners, and even props on player performances. Stay in the action for the entire simulated game with live, in-game betting at our premium 18+ sportsbook sites.

Sportsbook Bonus Offers For December, 2024

The betting sites that we recommend for 18, 19, and 20 year old patrons offer bonus cash promotions to new members that match a percentage of the very first deposit made. Sportsbooks bonuses can reach as high as $1,000 and will match up to 100% – each site handles it differently. Always read the associated terms of a bonus before taking one, because accepting is not a requirement to join.