A majority of the United States is preparing to reopen for business after a lengthy COVID-19 shutdown, but major sports are still on hold for at least the next few weeks. During this pause in the action, odds on video game simulations have been given the spotlight at top-rated offshore betting sites.

One of the largest and most trusted offshore sportsbooks in the industry, Bovada, has jumped into the video game sims betting ocean with both feet, presenting The Sim Classic, a tournament of simulated NFL games using Madden 20 as the software.

The Sim Classic began on May 9^th and will last until the 24^th.  There will be a minimum of sixty simulated NFL contests that can be seen in the Sim Classic section of Bovada’s sportsbook. Links will also be provided in the betting line to view the stream directly on Twitch.

Futures odds on which teams will advance to the round of 16, division winners, and which team will be declared the champion of the Sim Bowl are offered. Live in-game betting is an option, as well as parlays for multi-game action.

The style of play is similar to that of FIFA World Cup Soccer tournaments. Each four-team NFL division will compete amongst themselves, with the top two teams advancing to the sweet 16 where it becomes a loser-goes-home, winner-take-all tournament.

Last season’s rosters will be used, with the game skill setting at rookie level. The contests will be quite lengthy with fifteen-minute quarters but will be slightly accelerated with a 20-second play clock. Weather will not play a factor in these matchups as conditions for each game will be set to partly cloudy.

The games at regulated offshore casinos are run by software that is held to the highest industry standards and offer glitch-free play. The same cannot be said for Madden 20 as glitches can occur that affect final outcomes. If any glitches occur during Sim Classic matchups, it will be considered a game occurrence and will not void any betting odds.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans +7.0

• Straight: Jaguars +215, Texans -295
• Total: 55.0

Just like in the real NFL playoffs, all contests must feature a winner. Since there is no human involvement in these simulated games, there is the potential for lengthy matches that last for multiple overtimes.

The Sims Classic is ongoing for the next two weeks, so there is ample opportunity to wager on several games, but don’t wait too long. Below are more examples of the betting lines offered for the tournament.

Sim Bowl Winner

• Baltimore Ravens +650
• Kansas City Chiefs +650
• Green Bay Packers +725
• Dallas Cowboys +750
• New England Patriots +750
• San Francisco 49ers +800
• New Orleans Saints +850
• Seattle Seahawks +1400
• Minnesota Vikings +1600
• Pittsburgh Steelers +1600
• Philadelphia Eagles +2200
• Houston Texans +2800
• Tennessee Titans +3300
• Atlanta Falcons +5000
• Indianapolis Colts +5000
• Los Angeles Chargers +5000
• Los Angeles Rams +6600
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6600
• Carolina Panthers +8000
• Chicago Bears +8000
• New York Jets +8000
• Buffalo Bills +10000
• Oakland Raiders +10000
• Cleveland Browns +12500
• Denver Broncos +12500
• Jacksonville Jaguars +15000
• New York Giants +75000
• Arizona Cardinals +100000
• Cincinnati Bengals +100000
• Detroit Lions +100000
• Miami Dolphins +100000
• Washington Redskins +100000

AFC Conference Winner

• Baltimore Ravens +325
• Kansas City Chiefs +325
• New England Patriots +375
• Pittsburgh Steelers +750
• Houston Texans +1200
• Tennessee Titans +1400
• Indianapolis Colts +2000
• Los Angeles Chargers +2200
• Buffalo Bills +3300
• New York Jets +3300
• Oakland Raiders +3300
• Denver Broncos +4000
• Cleveland Browns +5000
• Jacksonville Jaguars +5000
• Miami Dolphins +25000
• Cincinnati Bengals +30000

Division of Sim Bowl Winner

• AFC East +650
• AFC North +450
• AFC South +1200
• AFC West +550
• NFC East +600
• NFC North +500
• NFC South +650
• NFC West +450

AFC East Winner

• New England Patriots -200
• New York Jets +210
• Buffalo Bills +1000
• Miami Dolphins +4000

To Advance from Division

• Arizona Cardinals +750
• Atlanta Falcons EVEN
• Baltimore Ravens -800
• Buffalo Bills +225
• Carolina Panthers +175
• Chicago Bears +300
• Cincinnati Bengals +750
• Cleveland Browns +350
• Dallas Cowboys -1200
• Denver Broncos +175
• Detroit Lions +1000
• Green Bay Packers -700
• Houston Texans -225
• Indianapolis Colts +115
• Jacksonville Jaguars +185
• Kansas City Chiefs -650
• Los Angeles Chargers +120
• Los Angeles Rams +375
• Miami Dolphins +550
• Minnesota Vikings -600
• New England Patriots -900
• New Orleans Saints -500
• New York Giants +550
• New York Jets -275
• Oakland Raiders +150
• Philadelphia Eagles -600
• Pittsburgh Steelers -650
• San Francisco 49ers -700
• Seattle Seahawks -800
• Tennessee Titans -145
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers +135
• Washington Redskins +700

AFC East – Division Exacta

• Patriots, 2. Bills +1000
• Patriots, 2. Jets +125
• Patriots, 2. Dolphins +600
• Bills, 2. Patriots +1200
• Bills, 2. Jets +4000
• Jets, 2. Patriots +375
• Jets, 2. Bills +750
• Jets, 2. Dolphins +8000
• Dolphins, 2. Patriots +20000
• Dolphins, 2. Jets +6600

The presidential election season is heating up in the United States and candidates from both sides of the aisle are hunkering down in preparation for months of battling it out from state to state. Betting on political outcomes continues to become more popular with each passing election cycle, but where can bettors located in the United States go to bet on elections legally?

Although PASPA was repealed in 2018, allowing for states to decide the fate of sports betting in their region, this left the waters for entertainment betting murky. The entertainment category is where political betting finds itself alongside other popular categories such as the Academy Awards, the Grammys, and reality shows such as Big Brother and American Idol.

Las Vegas sportsbooks offer no form of entertainment betting of any kind. For those states that have allowed for in-state regulated gambling and sportsbooks, they have followed the example put forth by Las Vegas and also prohibit entertainment betting. All betting lines offered in those self-regulated regions are for sports only.

That leaves only one political betting option for those living in the United States, and that is a licensed, regulated offshore sportsbook. Our recommended offshore sportsbooks are currently accepting wagers on a variety of political outcomes and are creating new categories frequently. Typically, any offshore sports betting site will also provide betting lines for political outcomes. The best part is, almost all US states allow for offshore betting.

BetOnline is offering these current odds on which candidate will end up being the Democratic nominee in 2020.

Democratic Nominee for the Presidential Election

• Bernie Sanders +100
• Michael Bloomberg +225
• Joe Biden +700
• Pete Buttigieg +1000
• Amy Klobuchar +2500
• Elizabeth Warren +3300
• Hillary Clinton +3300
• Tom Steyer +6600
• Michelle Obama +8000
• Tulsi Gabbard +8000

Judging by the odds presented here, Bernie Sanders is the current front runner and is expected to win the Democratic nomination. Of course, if you feel that one of the candidates toward the bottom of the list still has a legitimate chance, then place your bet now while the odds are at their highest so you can earn the best payout.

The odds list some candidates that are not currently running for president, such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Imagine what their odds would be if they were actually running. Tulsi Gabbard is currently rated at worse odds than Clinton and Obama and should probably consider dropping out of the race at this point. Clinton has been rumored to be attached to Mike Bloomberg’s campaign, but as of August of last year, Obama has no intention of entering the presidential race.

Speaking of dropping out of the race, betting lines have been offered for who will drop out next.

Next Candidate to Drop Out

• Tulsi Gabbard -150
• Elizabeth Warren +275
• Tom Steyer +500
• Joe Biden +700
• Amy Klobuchar +1600
• Michael Bloomberg +3300
• Pete Buttigieg +5000}
• Bernie Sanders +10000

The next democratic primary is in South Carolina on February 29^th, and a candidate will likely drop out shortly after the results are revealed. Current odds list Bernie Sanders as the favorite in South Carolina, but Joe Biden is listed just behind him. Can Joe pull a fast one in the Gamecock state and get his campaign back on track?

Odds to Win South Carolina Primary

• Bernie Sanders -120
• Joe Biden +100
• Tom Steyer +1600
• Pete Buttigieg +2000
• Amy Klobuchar +2500
• Elizabeth Warren +5000

*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Games of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6.*

“When you bet the Game of Thrones, you make a profit or you lose.”

And if you’re right, how much profit often depends on when you placed a bet.

A majority of bettors at offshore betting sites correctly picked which character would rule the Seven (or Six, rather) Kingdoms of Westeros at the end of the final episode for HBO’s hit television show Game of Thrones.

What made GoT unique was the fact that any character could die at any moment, creating a sense of tension in each episode that is often not found in television dramas.

Even before Season 8 began, it was pretty much anyone’s game. But the betting market essentially forced the bookmakers to crown a new favorite heading into the GoT’s final season.

As we now know, Bran Stark ended the series as the Ruler of Westeros — though, the Iron Throne is no more — but he’d never been the favorite at any of the offshore betting sites.

Even as late as March 2019, many offshore sportsbooks had Bran’s odds listed somewhere between +1400 and +2000, giving him around a 4-6% chance to win the Games of Thrones.

But in the weeks leading up to the start of Season 8, a popular fan theory began making the rounds on social media. The theory claimed that Bran was actually the Night King and would rule Westeros when it was all over.

Because the theory seemed plausible and was backed up by quite a bit of evidence, bettors flooded the offshore betting markets to put money on Bran, causing him to skyrocket to the top — ahead of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, and the Night King — and rightfully claimed his place as the favorite.

Heading into Season 8, Bran’s odds to rule Westeros at the end of Game of Thrones were listed between +100 (or even) to +200, which meant he know had anywhere from a 33% to 50% to be named King.

But after the Night King was killed in Episode 3, and the fan theory had been debunked, Bran was still listed as the favorite. But why?

Well, that’s when another leak surfaced, and this time, it detailed and provided evidence for not only why Bran will rule Westeros, but predicted exactly what would happen to the Clegane brothers and said that Daenerys, aka the Mad Queen, would burn King’s Landing to the ground.

Once both of those came true in Episode 5, bettors slammed their tickets on Bran, causing his betting odds to go from +200 (his worst odds) to a staggering -500 before Episode 6 aired last Sunday.

At -500, Bran now had an implied chance of 83% to rule Westeros, and by the end of the GoT series finale, we now know he had a 100% chance since he did become the ruler of Westeros when all was said and done.

If you bet money at an offshore betting site before the final episode, then you got a modest sum. Before the season began? A 2-to-1 payout.

But if you bet back in March, then congrats because even at +1400, a $100 wager netted you $1400 last Sunday.

So, what’s the lesson here?

The early bird (or Raven, if you will) gets the worm. It’s always good to be “in the know,” especially when betting on a TV show.

And at the end of GoT series, the early bettors got the best payout.