Virtual horse racing is a thrilling betting alternative to traditional horse racing with a wide range of popular betting options which are growing in popularity in Ireland.
Bringing together the thrill of horse racing with the convenience of casino games, virtual horse racing is only becoming more popular.
Virtual racing is offered by a number of online betting sites alongside traditional racing markets.
Read on for our guide to virtual horse racing games and services, including details of free bets and bonuses.
When you sign up to bet365 via the link above and your qualifying deposit and wager settle you are able to use your free bet credits on virtual markets.
You will find the virtual section at the bottom of the sidebar, listed in alphabetical order, but it will go to your 'most used' if you frequent it regularly.
There are virtual 1 minute bullet races, flat racing, steeplechase and jump racing all available on bet365, with races going off very regularly so you will not to have to wait.
The quality of the graphics and software are what you would expect from our top choice for virtual racing with a 15-second recap at the end a particular strong point. The user-friendly experience of bet365 sees it take our top spot for virtual racing betting.
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BoyleSports is one of the most popular bookmakers among irishracing.com readers and its bespoke virtual racing output is very good.
You will not find popular virtual tracks like Portman Park on BoyleSports. Instead, courses are named on the Boyles theme, like Boylestown, a National Hunt course, and Down Boyle, the virtual Flat Racing course.
Another positive for BoyleSports is that virtual markets are very accessible on the sidebar and you are greeted with virtual racing live streams immediately on the section.
One reason BoyleSports is very popular is the new customer offer, with €60 in free bets. You can use those free bets on virtual racing markets.
William Hill has been in the industry for over 90 years, and is one of the only Irish betting sites which has the ever-popular track, Portman Park.
Aside from Portman Park, the William Hill virtual racing tab has three options for Flat Racing, Jumps and Sprint. The graphics are super clean and you do not even have to be logged in to watch the action.
The William Hill free bet new customer offer requires an industry standard deposit of €10 and unlocks €40 in free bets, credited as four €10 free bets, a great way to get started in virtual racing betting.
If you would rather claim the William Hill Vegas new customer offer, sign up via the link below.
Novibet is the newest bookmaker in our list of the top five virtual racing betting websites.
Despite that, Novibet has a great virtual racing platform. Races go off every two minutes and there is the option to bet on a horse to finish within a certain amount of places, something missing from more established virtual horse racing platforms.
The Novibet new customer free bet offer is very generous with €70 in bonuses available from just a €10 deposit. Alternatively, you can also find details of the Novibet casino offer below.
Virtual racing on BetVictor is a bit hidden and you have to click through a few times to find it but once you do, you will see a crisp product with races going off every minute from courses like Victoria Springs from jumps action.
The new customer free bet offer is also generous and a great way to start betting on virtual racing.
Check out our guide to the best betting sites and casino bonuses
Virtual racing uses advanced software to simulate racing with realistic graphics, commentary and sound effects.
Races are determined by a random number generator that has been tested by accredited third-party auditors to ensure fairness and transparency.
Like traditional racing, each race has multiple horses with named jockeys, betting odds and markets available to punters.
The number of betting markets will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker but all will offer win and each-way markets, the most popular virtual racing betting option.
Other markets on offer include forecast and tricast, giving you the option to pick the top two or three in the correct order in specific races.
Virtual racing markets are often found in sportsbooks rather than the casino section and it sits at the intersection of the two.
All bookmakers and casino sites that you find on irishracing.com are all safe, licensed and regulated by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), meaning they comply with the appropriate regulations and laws.
The GRAI is the Irish equivalent to the UK Gambling Commission in Great Britain but was only established in 2024 meaning that sports betting sites are in the process of applying for a licence to operate in Ireland.
In the meantime, casinos are not licensed by the GRAI but those found on irishracing.com are allowed to operate legally in the Republic of Ireland.
While virtual horse racing mimics the look and feel of live racing, the mechanics behind the two could not be more different. Live races depend on real-world factors such as the horse’s fitness, weather conditions, the jockey’s performance, and the surface of the track. In contrast, virtual races are determined entirely by computer algorithms and random number generators (RNGs), creating results that are statistically fair and free from human influence.
Because of this randomness, betting strategies that rely on studying form or track bias in traditional racing are not applicable in virtual horse racing. There is no true “form” to follow — only the odds presented by the bookmaker, which reflect probability rather than performance history. Successful virtual bettors tend to focus more on bankroll management and consistent staking rather than trying to predict trends based on imaginary form lines.
In terms of presentation, virtual racing brings the atmosphere of the racecourse to your screen with striking visuals, lifelike commentary, and quick race turnover. While live racing builds anticipation over minutes or hours, virtual races are available every minute, offering instant excitement and convenience. This mix of realism and accessibility is what makes virtual racing such a popular choice among Irish punters looking for fast-paced action.
The most popular virtual racing wager is a simple win bet. Quite simply, you back a virtual horse to win the race and if they are first past the post, you will be paid out.
Each-way betting is incredibly popular in horse racing and it is no different in virtual racing. As with traditional racing, each-way terms will depend on how many runners there are in a race.
Virtual racing each-way bets generally follow the same rules as traditional races.
For races involving five to seven runners, bookmakers will only pay out for the top two. For eight to 12 runners, bookmakers will pay out three places for each-way bets and for any more than 12, they will pay out four places.
This will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker so it is worth checking the each-way terms of each virtual market before placing your each-way bet.
Our first piece of advice when betting on virtual racing is to do your research, and reading this page is a great start.
Here we have detailed above what you need to know about how virtual racing works and the various types of bets that you can place.
We also have a number of strategies employed by virtual horse racing enthusiasts
Usually, our experts study the form of the horse, trainers and jockeys along with the horse’s heritage, the going of the track and the history of the race before picking their tips for the big races.
Unfortunately, you cannot do this to pick your virtual horse racing tips. There is no form for virtual horses, while the jockey plays no role.
As explained on this page, the results of virtual horse races are determined by the results of a series of random dice throws.
This means that you cannot study the form of jockeys or horses to inform your decisions.
One virtual horse racing strategy you may want to employ is dutching.
Dutching essentially means spreading your money across multiple horses in the virtual race, and if one of them wins, you will earn a profit.
Be careful with the amount of money you are spreading across the horses, as this is not a guaranteed way to make money. You are still relying on one of your virtual horses to win for this to be an effective virtual horse racing tip.
Rather than any tips, the most important virtual racing tip is to remember to gamble responsibly.
All of the bookmakers and casinos found on irishracing.com have various safer gambling tools like deposit and time limits.
Virtual races go off every minute so you may lose track of your balance and time spent gambling.
Deposit and time limits will mean you are unable to deposit any more than what you initially agreed while time limits will alert you when you have spent a certain amount of time on an online casino or sportsbook.
If you have any questions, casinos will offer assistance and support to customers, including contact details and FAQs. This includes the possibility to self-exclude - a vital responsible gambling tool.
Our final tip is virtual racing sites players should always read and comply with the terms and conditions of sites.
Portman Park is by far the most popular virtual racing track and it is available by a wide range of betting sites, including William Hill.
Portman Park is a flat racing track produced by technology company 49s Ltd who are also responsible for other virtual racing tracks.
Customers can access Portman Park virtual racing betting markets through regulated online betting sites like William Hill.
The track features realistic graphics that show racing simulations, along with sound effects and commentary making it a very enjoyable 'gameplay' experience.
Betting on Portman Park events works like betting on any other race, virtual or otherwise. Players can place bets on Portman Park virtual racing events, with winnings credited to their account balance.
Away from Portman Park, other popular virtual race tracks include Paddy Power's Glenview Gardens and offerings from BoyleSports like Boylestown and Down Boyle.
1/5 odds are very common in virtual racing and if you are not an aficionado it may confuse you.
It refers to each-way betting which we have detailed above and you can also visit our full guide to each-way betting.
In summary, each-way betting gives you a way of making a profit on your wagers without your horse winning.
Depending on the terms, as detailed above, if your horse finishes within the first three to five, and you have placed an each-way bet, you will be paid out at a fraction of the odds, usually 1/5.
So, when looking to place each-way bets on virtual races, always look for the most each-way places, usually the maximum will be five, and the lowest fraction so 1/4 the odds is better than 1/5.
I joined irishracing.com at the end of March 2025 to help the commercial betting and casino content, including the latest on the best betting sites bonus codes like the bet365 bonus code and educational pieces like this one.
Previously, I worked on the betting section of one of the UK's biggest newspapers helping to provide racing and football tips as well as bringing readers the latest in free bets and betting offers.
My background is as a sports journalist, working for a range of publications including newspapers and the English FA.
Virtual racing is not fixed. Virtual racing and all other virtual sports use random number generators, aka RNGs. RNGs are used like dice to determine various outcomes throughout a race, whether that is how they negotiate a hurdle or the pace they are going.
Unfortunately, there is no foolproof guide to winning in any sports betting or virtual betting market. You simply have to study the form and decide whether you want to accept the odds. Betting at higher odds will return more potential winnings but are less likely to come in while smaller odds return less but are more likely to win.
Outcomes of virtual races are determined by RNGs, effectively dice, and you cannot predict RNGs or dice. A simple RNG does not determine the finishing order but the actions of virtual horses throughout the race and is therefore impossible to predict with 100% accuracy. Virtual horses do have form and that is reflected in the odds which can help you place a successful bet.
There are multiple horse races across the world every day but that does not mean there is a race going off every minute. Virtual racing fills that gap in the market so if you are looking to bet on horse racing, you can be sure that there will be a virtual race starting imminently.
Virtual horse races run every one to three minutes, depending on the bookmaker. This allows punters to place bets frequently without waiting for scheduled live races, making it ideal for those looking for quick results and continuous betting opportunities.
Yes, most online bookmakers provide live video streams of virtual races directly on their websites or apps. These streams feature realistic 3D graphics, commentary, and post-race replays, adding to the immersion and excitement of the experience.
Not exactly. While both use similar formats (fractional or decimal), virtual racing odds are generated by algorithms rather than real-world performance data. They represent probability ranges built into the software, ensuring randomness and fair returns rather than reflecting actual form or history.
