Online casinos and horse racing enjoy a rather intimate relationship in the online gambling market. It's almost a given then that these two worlds would cross even more closely with horse racing lending itself as a theme for slots and other online casino games.
Horse racing slots such as Big Bass Day at the Races and Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven are just two of the most popular horse racing-themed slots that combine the excitement of horse racing with the fun of online slots.
Horse racing-themed slots are an excellent bridge for any horse racing enthusiasts looking to test out slot games and other products on the casino side of their favourite betting sites.
For the most part, the basic gameplay of horse racing-themed casino games remains exactly the same as any other slot or table game; but offer course the symbols and bonus rounds are all based around the sport of horse racing.
A notable example is that the Big Bass Day at the Races bonus mode has you picking horses from a racing form to determine the number of free spins that you receive. While it doesn't require or rely on any racing know-how in order to succeed it's a fun novelty that many sporting fans can appreciate.
Other horse racing slots honour champions of the sport such as legendary jockey Frank Dettori who has two slots games under his name; Frankie Dettori's Sporting Legends and Frankie Dettori's Magic Sevens. Again the novelty of the whole enterprise is the main selling factor for these slots but fans of Frankie will get a good laugh from playing a few spins on these games.
Several popular horse racing games can be found across the best Irish casino sites. These games are favourites of Irish casino players not only because of their theme but for their excellent gameplay options and favourable RTPs.
The racing legend has multiple casino games under his name including this multi-jackpot title.
This is another progressive jackpot slot developed by Playtech that offers a high potential payout to Irish players wagering across multiple online casinos.
This can be seen as something of an upgrade on the Magic Seven slot game with more jackpots and more intricate bonus modes attached to the base game. Any spin of any amount can trigger the sporting legend jackpot even if that spin isn't a win.
However, the higher your bet the greater your chances are of triggering the jackpot.
There are three separate jackpots the daily jackpot, weekly jackpot, and mega jackpot. The daily jackpot and the weekly jackpot can be triggered at the end of the day and the end of the weekly respectively.
The game includes two bonus modes Galloping Wild Respins and Golden Derby Free Games. Galloping Wild Respins are triggered when you land a wild on any of the game reels and land a win at the same time.
Galloping Wilds move right across the reels on each respin increasing the win multiplier for a maximum of 7X your win. Respins will continue until the Wild shifts off the reel or no win occurs.
The Golden Derby Free Games mode is triggered when you land three or more scatter symbols. This mode takes the form of a horse race where you must back one of three horses with a chance to win a multiplier of up to 3X your win.
Your horse's final position in the race determines the win multiplier that is applied to your total free spins win. Land a horse on reel 5 to move it along the race track; the free game ends when any of the three horses crosses the finish line.
We found that during play this horse racing slot was particularly well suited to mobile casino play having displaying good functionality and responsiveness while fitting well within a smartphone screen.
Scudamore's Super Stakes is an example of a horse racing-themed slot done right.
A horse racing slot developed by gambling industry favourite, NetEnt. This slot stands out thanks to its unique betting system and exciting bonus features which is why it can be found at top casinos like LeoVegas.
The Bet Slip feature brings an immersive element to this racing slot. Scudamore Super Stakes dedicates itself to the horse racing theme with a special betting slip feature. In the betting slip feature players choose from any one of the slot symbols in the game; players win by collecting the symbol a certain number of times within a certain number of spins.
For instance, if you were to choose the Wild symbol, you have the option to collect 11 in 10 spins @9/2; collect 23 in 20 spins @15/1 and so on. This is a great example of just how innovative online slots can be while incorporating elements of horse racing to help inform the gameplay mechanics.
This also makes Scudamore's Super Stakes perhaps the best horse racing-themed slot for horse racing fans and new casino players to test out.
Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven is one of the earlier slot games to tackle the horse racing theme.
A classic horse racing-themed slot from software developer Playtech. Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven is a progressive jackpot slot game that has been around for quite a while and it remains popular with players at William Hill Vegas and bet365 games.
The game has 25 potential paylines and two bonus modes the Free Games Race and Magic Seven Bonus.
The Free Games Race asks you to pick a horse and in return, you win free spins; first place can net you 35 free spins; while second nets you 15 free spins, and third place rewards you with 10 free spins. Players must land three or more Scatter symbols in the base game to trigger the Free Games Race mode.
The Magic Seven Bonus is triggered when you land bonus symbols anywhere simultaneously on reels 1 and 5 in the base game. Players pick areas of the race track for cash prizes; again this is another horse racing slot that commits to its theme to allow players a greater sense of immersion.
Beyond these gameplay mechanics, the main highlight of the game is its progressive jackpot. The Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven progressive jackpot operates by having a portion of every wager go toward the jackpot.
The progressive jackpot is connected to the game so it operates over multiple online casinos which means a greater number of players contribute to the ongoing jackpot which also means a larger potential win.
This also means if you choose to play the slot on different online casinos you're still contributing to the jackpot and have an equal chance of landing it.
Big Bass Day at the Races is a much more light-hearted take on the theme.
This is a fun instalment in the popular Big Bass slot game series developed by Pragmatic Play, combining fishing and horse racing themes with high volatility and big win potential.
The game has a theoretical RTP of 96.07% and ten paylines with a maximum win of 10,000x your initial bet.
Big Bass Day at the Races is a humorous take on the horse racing theme and celebrates all the fun and joy of being a spectator on a big day out at the races.
Players have the option to buy into the free spins mode if they so wish. However, the cost of doing so is significantly higher than a standard bet which is why we recommend using caution in relation to this feature because even though it triggers the free spins game mode it does not guarantee that your run on the free spins mode will be successful.
There is also an Ante Bet feature on this slot that gives players the option to select the bet multiplier. Depending on the selected bet the values on the multiplier behave differently. At the higher value, special rules apply which can lead to a higher chance to win free spins and the presence of more Scatter symbols on the reel.
While the bonus features of the game can be somewhat complex the base mechanics of Big Bass Day at the Races are just the same as any classic online slot.
If you are looking for a particularly colourful slot game that treats its theme with humour then you can't miss out on playing Big Bass Day at the Races.
Derby Wheel features a horse racing inspired bonus game behind it's simple base game.
A deceptively simply looking horse racing-themed slot with a 3X3 reels and rows format from software developer Play'n GO. A big wheel bonus round lends players a unique gameplay experience.
Admittedly the horse racing theme is rather tangential and mostly revolves around the Horse Racing bonus mode which is triggered by getting the Horse Racing mark within the scatter wheel. This mode can also be triggered by landing the Horse Racing mark on the Big Wheel.
In the Horse Racing bonus mode players can choose from three betting options; a win (pick the 1st horse), an exacta (pick the 1st and 2nd horses in exact order), or a trifecta (pick the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd horses in exact order).
Skipping horse racing awards a fixed 40x prize; while choosing the betting options allows for potentially higher payouts at the risk of losing the bet entirely.
While this game might appear simplistic at first, there are in fact complex gameplay mechanics at work that can help land rather high potential wins if a player happens to be exceptionally lucky.
These are by far not the only horse-themed racing games available to Irish players and we encourage you to check out the other online slots available at our recommended casinos including games like Big Horsey Fortune, 9 Races to Glory, and Golden Gallop.
While we've already mentioned Big Bass Day at the Races you should also know that there is also a sequel Big Bass Return to the Race, which builds on the mechanics and horse racing theme of the original to deliver another fun, lighthearted gambling experience.
The combination of casino games and horse racing can also lead to interesting variations on classic table games like roulette. For example, games developer Ezugi has produced Horse Racing Auto Roulette which takes classic European casino roulette and adds horse racing inspired betting options and bonus modes which change up the gameplay and allow for an exciting, new online casino experience.
Horse racing themed live casino games are rather few and far between, but Evolution has produced one of the only live dealer games that marries the two together.
Realism isn't the aim of the game here; instead, Race Track is a fun online casino experience with a host overseeing a retro video game style race between six pixelated horses (or Dinosaurs if you choose to play Dinosaur mode).
Each race, the six races are randomly selected from a potential pool of fifty, with each racer having individual states and strengths. The game categorises racers into three categories: strong, average, and outsider.
The horses are assigned to lanes in descending order, with the strongest horse in the first lane and the weakest in the sixth. Odds and payout vary for each race depending on the strengths of the horses in the lineup.
Players can open up the statistics page to see each horse's performance history (you can see how each horse has performed in their last 100 races) to help make a decision on which horse to back.
In terms of authenticity, the game performs admirably compared to virtual horse racing games, which aim to replicate the real thing.
We would argue that Race Track, despite its video game style graphics, offers a much more realistic experience than many virtual horse racing games because it allows players to review a horses performance and this historic performance and the horse's strength does have an affect on the odds and winning payouts of a race.
Of course, there are other virtual horse racing casino games that players can try their luck on which try more closely mimic the experience of the real thing.
These racing games can be broken down into two formats one is instant wins casino games and the other is dedicated virtual horse racing platforms.
Instant wins horse racing games include games like Virtual! Horse Racing at Cheltenham Festival and Virtual Horse Racing both from Playtech. We'll level with you and say that these games aren't very good; they don't mimic the process of betting on horses very accurately and the graphics at this stage are dated.
The best virtual horse racing casinos have set up dedicated platforms on their sites featuring the latest virtual sports software to offer as authentic an experience as possible to their players. Boylesports casino, William Hill and Novibet are just a few casino sites that offer fully integrated virtual horse racing casino games with races happening as often as every two minutes, 24/7.
As with any online casino game player safety is of the utmost importance. Both horse racing slots and virtual horse racing casino games must be operated my reliable random number generators and have been tested for fairness by an accredited third-party auditor recognised by the gambling industry.
This testing is usually done before the game is offered to online casinos by the software developer but oftentimes online casino sites will also have their games tested by third-party auditor as an added indicator of a casino game's fairness and transparency.
At Irishracing we only recommend legitimate, trustworthy casino sites that hold valid gambling licences and likewise we only recommend games that have been produced by reputable software developers.
To avoid any undue risks when playing online please always make sure to play at safe and secure casino sites focusing on well-known horse racing-themed slots which have a proven track record within the industry.
Always make sure to check for an online casino's licensing information before signing up to play and always check the information page of any casino game to make sure of the rules and odds you are playing with.
Mark has written extensively for the iGaming industry, covering topics including casino reviews, how-to-play guides, and articles on gambling regulation and responsible gambling practices. He is passionate about the Irish casino market, constantly searching for the best online casinos and games to offer our readers. Check out his articles like our best online casinos page for his expert know-how on Irish online casinos.
