Virtual horse racing has proved to be an enormously popular alternative to its real-life counterpart since the first computerised horses were saddled up almost 20 years ago. All of the leading bookmakers offer virtual horse racing but it can be hard to know which ones are most worthy of your time and money. So we’re here to take you through the best virtual horse racing betting sites and provide a few virtual horse racing tips along the way!
Breaking News from the World of Virtual Horse Racing
Silks, the first NFT horse racing game based on real-world thoroughbred racehorses, is set to launch and digital art will reflect real-world events on US racetracks.
Each Silks Horse NFT you purchase is linked to an actual thoroughbred racehorse, allowing you to experience the thrill of thoroughbred ownership and more.
Earn from your Silks Horse based on their real-world counterpart’s performance on and off the track. Unlock token rewards each time your racehorse wins real races or breeds offspring.
You’ll even have the ability to purchase NFTs for Land and Stables in the Silks virtual metaverse where you can house your Silks Horses and take your place in an immersive community.
To access the Game of Silks, you’ll need to secure a Silks Avatar NFT which represents your unique identity in this ground-breaking world. The Silks Genesis Avatar collection whitelist sale begins 27 April. There’s a limited supply so connect your wallet now and get early access.
The first batch of Silks Horses drop later this year with Land and Stables to follow. So don’t miss out on all the action, come join the new reality of thoroughbred horse racing. Welcome to Silks!
#1 Virtual Horse Racing Site
- First P2E metaverse game of its kind
- Silks Horses linked to real-world thoroughbreds
- Buy, sell & trade NFT in-game assets
Our Top 10 Virtual Horse Racing Betting Sites
- All
Bet £50 and Get £25 in Free Bets + 10 Free Spins
Bet £50 and Get £25 in Free Bets + 10 Free Spins
- Horse racing specialist
- Unique site features
- Top quality virtual horse racing graphics
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets for new customers at bet365
- One of the biggest bookmakers in the world
- 20+ betting offers for all customers
- Big selection of virtual horse races including the Grand National
Bet £10 Get £50 in Bonuses
Bet £10 Get £50 in Bonuses
- Generous welcome offer
- Special offers reward regular virtual horse racing punters
- On-demand virtual horse racing available
Deposit & Stake £10, Get £30 In Free Bets
Deposit & Stake £10, Get £30 In Free Bets
- Virtual horse racing owered by Kiron Interactive
- Traditional pools betting available
- Loyalty club
50% Back up to £35 Free Bet + 10 Free Spins
50% Back up to £35 Free Bet + 10 Free Spins
- Virtual horse racing loyalty bonus
- Virtual events powered by Inspired Entertainment
- Daily free bet offer
50% First Deposit Bonus Up To £50
50% First Deposit Bonus Up To £50
- Strong welcome bonus
- Good range of virtual horse racing markets
- On-demand virtual horse racing available
Bet £10 Get £20 + Free Bet If 2nd To SP Fav
Bet £10 Get £20 + Free Bet If 2nd To SP Fav
- Grand National virtual race available
- Comprehensive range of betting offers
- Acca Loyalty deal perfect for accumulator bets
How We Rank the Best Virtual Horse Racing Sites
The huge amount of sportsbooks offering virtual horse racing cards can make it very difficult to pick which one to bet with, especially with so many presenting very similar virtual products.
However, our years of experience when it comes to betting on horse racing has led to an understanding of what matters most to punters when it comes to selecting a new virtual horse racing betting site:
- Safety – Our main priority is always security and safety, so any site we recommend must always be regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. In addition, any of their software partners must also have their regulatory ducks in a row. And in our experience, when it comes to trustworthiness you can never go wrong with one of the most established names in the betting game, such as William Hill.
- Types of Horse Racing – Every betting site will offer both jumps and flat racing virtual horse racing cards, but some may also offer sprint races and even trotting. And bet365 ticks all four boxes!
- Markets – Some sportsbooks will only offer the opportunity to bet on the winner of a virtual horse race, or place an each-way bet on a horse to finish in the top two or three places. However, others such as 10Bet will provide forecast and tricast betting opportunities, where you can select the top two or three horses.
- Promotions – In our experience, when it comes to virtual sports most sites do not offer existing customer offers such as Free Bet deals. However, Betfred do have a “Bet £20, Get £5 in Free Bets” deal, as well as a weekly virtual cashback offer. While Quinnbet offers five free spins on selected slots for every £10 spent on virtual events. And as with any offer, don’t forget to check the T’s & C’s in advance!
- Software – There are a huge selection of reputable software providers out there, but we are always on the lookout for those that can offer something different or unique, such as the easy-to-use software at Midnite.
- Other Virtual Sports – Virtual horse racing enthusiasts may also want to dabble in other virtual events, so it’s important that any site we feature has a good range of virtual sports to pick from. And Vbet leads the field, not just with a wide range of virtual sports but four different software providers to pick from.
What is Virtual Horse Racing and How Does it Work?
Virtual horse racing involves betting on computer-generated races and just like in the real horse racing world, bookies offer both flat and jumps racing. Your betting options are the same as with any other horse race, including race winner, each way, tricast and forecasts.
However, when it comes to picking a potential winner, punters have far less information to go on than in proper horse racing. However, to help them make a betting decision each horse will always be given virtual horse racing odds and sometimes an indication of their recent form, whether it be a star rating or a recent virtual horse racing results guide, all of which has been computer-generated beforehand.
Virtual horse racing results are determined by random number generators (RNGs) that do take into account the virtual horse racing odds, but certainly don’t guarantee that the favourites will win each time!
Races take place every few minutes with the leading bookies and some even offer on-demand races whenever you fancy a flutter. And with some top software providers on board the graphics are usually excellent.
However, the biggest question surrounding virtual horse racing is of course, “Is virtual horse racing fixed?”, which we can answer with supreme confidence that as long as you are betting with a reputable bookmaker licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, the answer will always be no!
And the first reason we can say this with absolute confidence is that betting regulation is as thorough in the UK as anywhere else in the world and part of securing a licence from the UK Gambling Commission is proving that your virtual races are above board.
And that involves virtual racing programmes and RNGs being independently tested by specialist companies such as Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), who partner with William Hill and many other bookmakers to test their software.
The second reason you can bet on virtual horse racing with confidence is that the bookies already have an advantage because not only are punters unable to use their own knowledge against them, but virtual horse racing odds are always far less generous than they are in the real world.
And added to the fact there are hundreds of races, 24 hours a day, seven days a week providing a steady flow of cash into the bookies’ coffers, even if they could, bookmakers have no motivation to risk their entire betting operations by fixing virtual horse racing.
Virtual Horse Racing Cards & Virtual Horse Racing Bet Types
Part of the reason that virtual horse racing is so popular is that it really suits novice horse racing punters that may want to bet on the Sport of Kings but find picking a potential winner so daunting, with so many variables such as the jockey, ground, form, breeding and much more!
So reducing it to a pure game of chance is actually quite attractive to many bettors, who don’t have to worry about not having built up a bank of horse racing knowledge and can just log in whenever they want and play!
And when it comes to the type of virtual horse races found online today, these are the most common ones found at virtual horse racing betting sites:
- Flat Racing – This is the simplest form of racing, where runners compete on a flat surface, with no fences or hurdles, so if Royal Ascot or Glorious Goodwood are your favourite meetings then this will be the virtual racing product for you!
- Sprint Racing – Sprint races are basically shorter versions of the standard flat encounters and with the horses going at full pelt from beginning to end they are often the most exciting ones to watch.
- Jump Racing – These types of races are generally longer than flat encounters and have more participants, with the addition of fences or hurdles adding some extra spice to proceedings and even increasing the chances of a big-priced win!
- Grand National – The Grand National is the biggest jumps race in the world and its virtual counterpart is now available on-demand at selected betting sites. Just like in real life, 40 horses compete at an exact virtual replica of the Grand National course at Aintree, complete with Bechers Brook, the Chair, the Canal Turn and the Elbow.
- Trotting – A new form of virtual horse racing that has been introduced at some virtual horse racing betting sites in recent years is trotting. Most popular in France, jockeys are pulled along in a two-wheeled cart rather than sitting on their horses, giving the races the unique feel of a Roman Chariot race!
Virtual Horse Racing Software Providers
Given that virtual betting is such a complex business, the vast majority of bookmakers use virtual horse racing software provided by reputable third party software providers, who are tasked with providing a high-quality and reliable product that performs as well on mobile devices as it does on desktop platforms. And here are three of the biggest fishes in the virtual sports ocean!
Inspired Entertainment
Inspired are one of the biggest names out there when it comes to virtual racing and they have an enormous portfolio of high profile partners worldwide, including some of the biggest names in betting the UK.
And a major feather in their cap is the virtual Grand National race, widely known as the gold standard of virtual horse racing.
Virtual Horse Racing Sites Powered By Inspired Entertainment
- William Hill – Bet £10 and get £50 in Free Bets
- bet365 – Bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets
- QuinnBet – £35 Free Bet + 10 Free Spins
Kiron Interactive
Kiron Interactive call themselves “The home of virtual sports” and they can certainly back that claim up thanks to over two decades of industry experience and a portfolio of over 50 virtual game titles.
They are also at the forefront of new technology thanks to their use of AI to replicate the atmosphere of live sports events, and an award-winning in-house design studio also ensures the highest quality of graphics for punters to enjoy.
Virtual Horse Racing Sites Powered By Kiron Interactive
- The Pools – Deposit and Stake £10, get £10 in Free Bets
Betradar
Founded in 2001, Betradar has built up a client base that must be the envy of many of their competitors, with over 900 sports betting operators in 120 countries taking advantage of the services they provide.
And when it comes to virtual horse racing in particular the Betradar product is one of the best out there, with excellent visuals, historical results and odds, live race rankings and several customisation options.
Virtual Horse Racing Sites Powered By Betradar
- VBet – Bet £10 and get a £10 Free Bet + 20 Free Spins
Why Bet on Virtual Horse Racing?
To many punters who are unfamiliar with virtual horse racing, it seems strange that anyone would want to substitute real-life equine betting drama with virtual horse racing results that are essentially a game of chance.
In fact, one of the main disadvantages of virtual horse racing is that it is far less immersive than the real thing. However, in the age of “Snackable Gaming”, where consumers are happy to dip in and out of different games in the little leisure time they have, quick and easy betting events such as virtual racing are actually hugely attractive.
And that’s not the only reason why virtual horse racing is proving to be so popular:
- Convenience – There are only a certain number of actual race meetings each day, all with around six or seven races on their card and around half an hour between each encounter. So that’s quite a large time commitment if you want to have a bet on the horses. However, with virtual horse racing, you could theoretically bet on 15 races within half an hour, perfect if you only have a shorter window to do some betting.
- Larger Selection of Races – No matter what time of the day or night you can log on and find a virtual horse race within a minute or two, and many sites also offer on-demand races.
- No Prior Knowledge of Racing Needed – There are so many different factors to consider when betting on a real-life horse race that many punters just don’t have the time to research them all. With virtual horse racing, there is no need for any in-depth racing knowledge, which makes the whole process much easier!
- Simplicity – When it comes to betting on virtual horse racing it’s often the case that the only betting market is the winner, which makes life a whole lot simpler for punters. And even if there are a couple more markets on offer, generally they will be as easy as predicting the first two or the first three finishers, in a specific order or any order.
- No Surprises – Steward’s Enquiries, impeded horses, jockey error and the myriad of other factors that can deny your horse victory are not present in virtual horse racing.
Virtual Horse Racing Tips
Even with an increased knowledge of the mechanics of virtual horse racing, before placing your first bet there are still some important factors to consider. So we’ve got some top virtual horse racing tips to help get the most out of your virtual betting experience!
- As with any form of gambling, virtual horse racing should be looked at as a fun pastime rather than a way to make money.
- The shorter the odds, the better chances that the runner will win, but it’s important to realise that the favourite won’t come out on top every time. And the RNG’s that are at the heart of virtual horse racing mean you could feasibly bet on a large number of consecutive races without the favourite winning, so it follows that you should not always bet on the shortest-priced horse!
- Take advantage of forecast and tricast bets where you try and predict the first two or three horses, not only to provide a different betting experience but to bump up the odds and potentially secure a big win!
- If you experience a losing run it’s important to remember that this does not mean the game is rigged! There is no way for bookmakers to influence the outcome of races and no good reason for them to do so.
- If you do experience a bad run then don’t try and chase your losses by increasing your bets because that is a sure-fire way to burn through your bankroll!
Bottom Line
As we have outlined in this article, modern technology has meant that virtual horse racing is intuitive, open to all, hyper-realistic, safe to wager on and consequently enjoyed by thousands of punters throughout the country each and every day. And if you’re thinking of trying virtual horse racing for yourself, be sure to check out our top 10 virtual horse racing betting sites before backing your virtual runners and riders. And as ever, we wish you the very best of luck!
Our #1 Virtual Horse Racing Betting Site
Bet £50 and Get £25 in Free Bets + 10 Free Spins
Bet £50 and Get £25 in Free Bets + 10 Free Spins
- Horse racing specialist
- Unique site features
- Top quality virtual horse racing graphics
