UK-based William Hill is offering virtual horse racing at the Silver Sevens and Plaza Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
William Hill is the largest race and sports book operator in Nevada, and the state’s Gaming Commission last year approved William Hill’s license for virtual horse racing.
William Hill is using virtual horse racing to liven things up and provide more betting opportunities, primarily during weekdays, when fewer live races are run.
Virtual races are run every five minutes, with legendary race announcer Tom Durkin calling the action. Each race contains eight to twelve virtual horses, and bettors can lay wagers to win, place, show, as well as exactas and trifectas, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
William Hill conducted test runs of the virtual racing product prior to obtaining its regulatory approval last year, and now says about 18 percent of its revenues from horse racing now come from virtual racing at its UK operations.
William Hill says it has no predictions for its Nevada operations, where interest in horse racing has declined in recent years, as well as nationally.
The Jockey Club-commissioned a study indicates the number of horse racing bettors and fans are declining, along with race revenues.
The study shows horse racing generated $15.2 billion in revenues in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico in 2013, but that among declined to $10.6 billion in 2015.
A recent Harris Poll indicates horse racing ranked 13th among favorite sports of those polled., with just 1 percent calling it their favorite.
Thirty years ago, Harris Poll results indicated horse racing was the eighth-ranked favorite sport, with 4 percent calling it their favorite.
William Hill did not speculate on the potential popularity of virtual horse racing with Millennial-generation visitors, who greatly favor immersive, interactive, and technologically advanced gaming options to traditional slots-based gaming.
Millennials grew up with online gaming and advanced gaming systems, and virtual horse racing might prove more popular with them than live racing or slots.
While William Hill has taken virtual racing to Nevada, London-based Lotter.com says it want the Oregon Lottery to enable international players to access the state lottery via Lotter.com.
Lotter.com recently petitioned the Oregon Legislature to changes its rules requiring hand-filled lottery slips to participate and regulates the type of paper slips accepted.
Lotter.com wants online players to be able to buy Oregon Lottery tickets, which would boost the lottery’s annual sales, which currently is some $1.1 billion, which pays for a variety of state and local programs.
State officials, though, say lottery revenues likely will decline due to competition from the Cowlitz Tribe’s $510 million Ilani Casino, which is slated to open soon in nearby Washington State.
The state estimates it could take in another $50 million annually via online lottery sales and offset likely revenue declines after the Ilani Casino opens.
