Historical horse racing machines are available in some states with limited or no commercial casinos, including Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Wyoming. Las Vegas does not have historical horse racing machines because slots are legal at casinos, airports, grocery stores, gas stations, and taverns. These games serve little purpose in jurisdictions with legal slots, as racetracks often operate attached racinos in those states.
States with ailing horse racing industries have considered these games. It is a way to keep revenue alive at a track that may otherwise lose too much money in operating costs. The expansion of state lotteries, casinos, online gambling, and sports betting all affected racetrack revenues, especially in states where racinos are illegal.
How historical horse racing machines are like slots
Historical horse racing machines look like standard slots. Each has a bill acceptor. These accept cash and tickets. Player winnings are issued through a ticket voucher that may be redeemed at a kiosk or cashier cage. Players choose a bet amount and hit the deal or spin button to start the action. Many historical horse racing machines accept players cards, just like a slot.
Slot machines use a random number generator to determine the reels and payouts. Historical racing devices use past races that could be bet on at sites like TwinSpires.com to determine the amount of a win. The symbols are then arranged to depict this to the player. A small screen shows a shortened version of the race at the finish line. The rest of the race is omitted from the feed.
Fortune Cup and Sigma Derby are versions of casino horse racing games. Think of historical racing machines as a slot version of this game. The horses still run a race like in Fortune Cup and Sigma Derby. However, the outcome is displayed in the corresponding slot reels to show an animated win or loss instead of a full race animation. The race is taken from a database. Players do not know the race chosen, so there is no advantage to having inside information about an outcome or having pari-mutuel betting experience.
Racing commissions approve of machines, while legislators often do not
State racing commissions have rubber-stamped historical racing machines. The claim is that the games are legal because it is allowed at pari-mutuel betting on apps and in off-track betting parlors.
Kentucky has the largest historical horse racing industry. One reason for that is that Tennessee does not have casinos. Kentucky’s other neighbors have casinos. Some historical racing casinos have turned into properties that resemble resorts. Turfway Park is one instance of a racetrack that built a large gaming operation after the state legalized the games in 2021.
New Hampshire charities may offer these games, even though it has been 15 years since the last race was run in the state. Virginia had these games at establishments called Rosie’s, which are tied to the off-track betting operations of Colonial Downs. Wyoming permits its off-track betting parlors, usually found in bars, to have these machines. Alabama has these games at the state’s former greyhound tracks.
While state racing officials may rubber-stamp these games, other leaders oppose them. Idaho repealed an existing historical horse racing industry. The Louisiana Supreme Court struck down that state’s law allowing it, stating it required a referendum. Efforts failed in Nebraska and Texas to legalize the machines. The debate in Minnesota continues.
Companies that manufacture historical horse racing machines
Many of the same companies that manufacture slot machines also make historical racing ones. Many of the same titles may be found in both types of devices. This includes Huff N Puff, Texas Tea, Ultimate Fire Link, Little Shop of Horrors, Lucky Link, Cleopatra, and Quick Hit. These games are made by companies like IGT, Konami, Aristocrat, and Ainsworth. IGT recently announced a partnership with Churchill Downs, a leader in the racing industry.
The payouts on these games are between 90% and 93%. That means the house holds 7% to 10% of the amount wagered. While that is much less than a pari-mutuel pool holds, which can be around 20% depending on the type of bet, historical racing action moves much faster. This means losses can increase quickly, especially during extreme negative variance.
Players who want to play real slots, video poker, or table games must generally visit other states to do that. For example, Kentucky residents can go to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia for casino action. Wyoming and Virginia have some casinos spread throughout the state, while New Hampshire only has charity gaming. Alabama only has video bingo at its tribal casinos. A trip to Mississippi is required for other games.
If you play these machines, understand the high house advantage. It is better to play live tables and video poker.
Last Updated on April 16, 2025 by John Mehaffey
