Bookie Of The Month: BetVictor

Virtual Horse Racing

Horse racing is one of the world’s oldest sports to wager on. The thrill of watching the ponies is contagious, and punters regularly identify the biggest races during the year. Bettors also have daily horse races to wager on at tracks around the world. 

Yet, “real” horse racing isn’t the only betting on the ponies punters can do daily.

Virtual horse racing enables punters to wager on horse racing daily from anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection. So, what is virtual horsing racing, and how does it work?

What is Virtual Horse Racing?

Virtual horse racing is incredibly popular with sports bettors. Nearly every major online sportsbook offers virtual horse racing as part of their virtual sports markets. 

Virtual horse racing is simply a simulated, computerised version of horse racing. It provides punters with an alternative to traditional racing.

The glorious aspect of virtual horse racing is that the races take place every few minutes. You don’t have to wait for racetracks to prepare the horses at the gates and clear the course after events. 

You simply need to open the virtual sports markets at your favourite online sportsbook and explore the different virtual races. Once one race ends, the next will begin shortly after that.

Virtual racing is fast, fun, and engaging. These three aspects have made it popular with punters and led to more sports being available to wager on digitally. 

There is an entire suite of online virtual sports to bet on, from horse racing to football to rugby. These sports have a large following thanks to the excitement they offer. 

How does Virtual Horse Racing Work?

Photo of horse racing

Betting on virtual horse racing is very similar to traditional horse racing. Once you open the virtual markets, you will find a variety of races taking place throughout the day.

The great thing about virtual racing is the number of events. Since the races are conducted virtually, events take place throughout the day. 

Some of the racecourses used by sportsbooks are now well-known amongst virtual bettors. The likes of Festival Downs and Victoria Park are considered some of the top tracks for virtual horse races. Virtual races move around to different racecourses daily to give the events a real-life feel

The virtual races begin every few minutes. Most sportsbooks have two-minute breaks between the events. However, some sportsbooks may have longer gaps.

Just like traditional horse racing, you can bet on flat races or jumps events. Jumps horse races are slightly longer in duration. Betting on jumps has a little more risk than flats races, as horses can stumble and fall during the event, just like in real racing. 

Betting On Virtual Horse Racing

Virtual horse racing simulator graphic
Credit: Ladbrokes

Sportsbooks provide virtual horse races to all punters at the same time. You won’t be the only punter betting on a virtual race. Horse virtual games could have hundreds or thousands of bettors wagering on them. 

A list of horses will be available to explore. You won’t have a form card or results from previous races. You may see the same names pop up from time to time, and prices will likely change on the horses from race to race. 

Once you find the virtual racing horse you want to wager on, you can add it to your betting slip. You will bet on the horse just like wagering at a traditional event.

If your virtual horse comes in, your winnings will be added to your account after the race. You can watch the race unfold on the sportsbook’s website.

Graphic of online virtual horse race
Credit: Ladbrokes

Virtual Horse Racing Bet Types

You will often have odds for four bet types, these include:

  • Win – Select the horse you believe will win the race outright. 
  • Each Way – Select a horse to win or place. The bet has two parts, so the stake is double. You will receive a return if the horse wins or places. 
  • Tricast – Predict which horses will finish in the top three places. The order is not important.
  • Forecast – Predict the horses to finish in order from first to second to win.

Tip For Virtual Horse Racing

One of the reasons punters like virtual horse racing is the lack of knowledge needed to win. There is less to know, so it is easier to bet on virtual horse racing games.

You can understand a virtual horse race card even if you don’t have extensive knowledge of traditional “real-life” horse racing. 

Races are run throughout the day. They are never cancelled, and horses aren’t disqualified from competing before an event starts.

You don’t have to research horses and try to find value. However, punters need to familiarise themselves with a few aspects of virtual racing before taking a punt.

  • Flat Racing – Horses run on a flat racetrack. There are no jumps or barriers to leap over. 
  • Jump Racing – Hurdles and steeplechases are the popular jump races in traditional horse racing. Sportsbooks don’t make a distinction between the types of jump races. You may not even know the number of jumps the race features. It is worth noting that your horse could stumble and fall making a jump during a race. 
  • Sprint Racing – Flat and sprint racing are similar. These are quick races some sportsbooks offer alongside the other offerings. 
  • Grand National – The Grand National is the biggest horse racing event in virtual sports betting. The event has computerised versions of real-life horses and is run at the virtual Aintree Racecourse. Punters bet millions of pounds on the virtual Grand National. 

What are the benefits of virtual horse racing?

There are plenty of benefits to betting on virtual horse racing.

The first is the abundance of horse races available to bet on. There are virtual races held 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can bet on virtual events whenever you please, as races begin every few minutes. 

Secondly, you don’t have to be up to date on form cards or know a horse’s past results. You simply select a runner for one of the races, make your bet, and watch the action unfold.

Virtual horse racing could be the future of horse racing. With the traditional sport under threat from animal rights groups, virtual horse racing could one day overtake real racing.

It isn’t just horse racing that is thriving. Sportsbooks offer a variety of sports to wager on virtually, and punters have embraced them. 

Research claims that around 25% of all bets on horse racing are now placed on virtual events.

If you fancy virtual horse racing online, there are a host of online horse betting UK sites which you can wager on. Look for the ones which will offer a free virtual horse racing bet, or a new customer sign-up offer/bonus.

Drew Farmer

Drew Farmer

About The Author

Drew Farmer is a sports journalist, content writer, and producer. Drew has written for a variety of print and online media outlets including Forza Italian Football, Bleacher Report, World Soccer Talk, Soccer 360, Travel Thru History, and many more. He also owns and produces content for the LiverpoolRedsFCBlog website and YouTube channel.

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