When it comes to sporting excitement, few sports compare with horse racing, a sport synonymous with betting and winning significant sums of money. The instantaneous nature of sports gambling in the current era, means horse racing fans are never short of options when it comes to betting on horse racing, whether due to the nature of the international calendar (which is more accessible than ever before) or the ever developing virtual horse racing sphere punters can now access. One of the key industries affected by this, however, is horse race gaming in the esports world.
Horse racing games show no signs of returning
It is hard to believe, but in the primitive days of esports in Europe, America, and beyond, plenty of horse racing-inspired games existed on the market. These games allowed players to experience life as a jockey, bookmaker, and owner or trainer. Additionally, many of those games in some ways set the blueprint for the subsequent esports boom.
Games such as Gallop Racer and the G1 Racing Series were international smash hits in the world of horse racing gaming, with players able to experience life in the paddock and out on the race track.
In comparison to some other esports, however, the gameplay required often lacked the subtlety and sophistication of its peers, with soccer games often far outwitting horse racing offerings. The now infamous ‘Button bashing’ used to be a phenomenon back in the 1990s and early 2000s, where simply being able to press the buttons quickly was often enough to yield success on any PC or console. As trends moved on, the gameplay elements simply could not compete, thus horse racing games took a move to more of a mobile phone market.
Here, the games would find some success, becoming an instant hit, with players able to access horse racing gameplay at their own ultimate convenience, and once more, the appeal of being able to bet, train, and race horses. While the horse racing mobile gaming market is still present in 2022, it remains a fledgling operation with a limited number of people playing the games worldwide.
One of the key rationales for this is the advent of live betting. Players can actually bet real money on real horses on a daily basis – meaning entering the esports sphere isn’t always necessary.
In addition, the world of horse racing has made itself more accessible than ever to fans, with live streams, a growing social media following and a whole associated content platform, esports horse racing gaming has an established competitor. However, with more sports than ever before finding ways to burst onto the esports market, think F1 and cricket, there surely is a void for horse racing in the world of esports. Of course, the requires any new games to overcome the gameplay issues of the past. With packed racecourses in the UK, Europe, and beyond every weekend, a sophisticated horse racing esports offering would surely be well received.
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