---
title: "Overview"
canonical_url: "https://apidocs.sportradar.com/resources/virtual-stadium/docs/web/adapter/overview"
markdown_url: "https://apidocs.sportradar.com/resources/virtual-stadium/docs/web/adapter/overview.md"
last_updated: "2026-06-18T10:38:21Z"
---

# Overview

An adapter is the bridge between Virtual Stadium and your betting infrastructure, enabling real-time odds display and betting features within the social platform.

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## What Is an Adapter?

An adapter is a piece of code that connects your data source (such as a backend API or database) to the Virtual Stadium widgets displayed to users. It listens for requests from the widget, processes them, fetches the necessary data, and then sends a response back to the widget.

Think of the adapter as a translator that ensures seamless communication between your backend and the widget, enabling real-time data synchronization for events, odds, outcomes, and betting functionality.

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## Adapter Types

Virtual Stadium offers two implementation approaches:

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### Hosted Adapter

A **integrated solution** where the core code connecting to common data sources is already integrated.

This approach provides a ready-to-use adapter implementation. If you have one of the supported data providers (like Sportradar), you can use this adapter straight out of the box while retaining the options to modify specific parts to fit your needs. It requires significantly less technical implementation effort and enables a faster time to market (2-4 weeks).

[Get Started with Hosted Adapter →](https://apidocs.sportradar.com/resources/widgets/docs/adapter/HostedImplementation.md)

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### Own Implementation Adapter

A **custom solution** that you build and maintain on your own infrastructure.

This approach is for organizations using third-party or mixed odds sources, those needing custom business logic, or teams wanting full control over the integration. It requires dedicated backend developers but provides complete flexibility and control, supporting any odds provider with custom business logic implementation and full code ownership. The tradeoff is a longer development time (1-3 months), and you're responsible for maintaining and updating the code, which requires ongoing backend development resources.

[Get Started with Own Implementation →](https://apidocs.sportradar.com/resources/virtual-stadium/docs/web/adapter/custom/gettingStarted.md)

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