Horse Racing Slots (HHR Machines and Racing-Based Sweeps Casinos): How They Work & Where to Play
Horse racing slots, also called historical horse racing (HHR) machines, look a lot like regular slot machines. They have bright screens, spinning reels, and big win animations. Under the surface, though, they are very different from traditional casino slots. Instead of using a random number generator to create each result, these games are based on the outcomes of real horse races that already happened in the past.
You usually find horse racing slots at racetracks, off-track betting parlors, and special HHR gaming venues in states that allow pari-mutuel racing but may not allow full casino slot machines. In the online world, there is a related idea in products like Horseplay Casino (formerly b spot), which links casino-style games to real-world horse racing outcomes instead of pure RNG. However, Horseplay is a little different because it uses live races and a different legal model.
This guide explains what racing slots are, how they work, how payouts are decided, where they are legal, how they connect to the broader horse racing industry, and how online racing-linked products like Horseplay fit into the picture.
What are horse racing slots?
Horse racing slots are electronic gambling machines that look like and function like slot machines. However, traditional slot machines use Random Number Generators (RNGs) to determine whether you win or lose.
Racing slots fall into one of two categories based on how they are structured: HHR (historical horse racing) machines or online games based on current races.
HHR Machines
Horse racing slots are electronic gambling machines that let you bet on the outcome of past horse races, not live races. The races are stored in a large computer database. When you press “spin” or place a wager, the system randomly selects one of those historical races and uses its real finish order to decide whether you win.
Because they use real race results and a pari-mutuel structure, the law treats them as a form of horse race wagering instead of standard slot machines.
Although the cabinet may show spinning reels, bonus features, and other slot-like graphics, that is mostly a visual layer. The important part is still the underlying horse race result and pari-mutuel betting pool.
To comply with racing rules, most machines show at least a short replay, highlight, or graphic that represents the race that decided the outcome. Horse names and track details are usually hidden until after you bet, so players cannot recognize famous old races and gain an edge.
In different places you might hear these called things like historical horse racing machines, “historical racing” or “instant racing,” racing slots, horse racing slots, or ADW (advance-deposit wagering) machines.
Racing-based online games: Horseplay Casino (formerly b spot)
While true HHR machines are land-based products (at least for now) and are tied to past races, there is also a growing category of online products that use horse racing results to power casino-style games. The best-known example is Horseplay Casino, the new name for b spot.
How Horseplay works
Horseplay links real-money horse racing bets to online games in a way that feels quite a bit like HHR. However, Horseplay uses live racing. It also uses virtual credits instead of real money. As a result, Horseplay uses a different legal structure than HHR and is available in some different states.
The site is owned by Game Play Network and uses a system where you buy credits or enter a social/sweepstakes-style lobby. Behind the scenes, those credits are used to place wagers on live horse races through a pari-mutuel network. When you open a slot, spinner, or arcade-style game on Horseplay, the outcome you see is tied to whether those underlying race bets won or lost.
How Horseplay compares to HHR
Conceptually, Horseplay and HHR share a big idea: they wrap casino-style graphics around wagers on real horse races. However, there are important differences. HHR machines use past races stored in a database, while Horseplay links to live races. HHR is a land-based product tied to specific racetracks or authorized venues; Horseplay is an online platform that people can access from home in eligible states. HHR is usually regulated strictly as pari-mutuel horse race wagering at tracks, while Horseplay fits into a mix of pari-mutuel and sweepstakes-style rules, depending on the state.
The main takeaway is that racing-based slot-style games are not limited to physical HHR machines anymore. Players in certain states may see land-based HHR machines, online hybrid products like Horseplay, or both, but they all rely in some way on real-world race outcomes rather than pure random number generators.
How horse racing slots work
Even though they look simple, racing slots have a lot happening behind the scenes.
The race database
Each HHR system connects to a big library of past horse races. This can include tens of thousands of races from many tracks and many years. The finish order of each race is fixed, because these races already happened in real life. When you play, the system randomly selects one race from this database, according to rules set by the manufacturer and approved by regulators. You do not know which specific race it is when you place your bet.
If you are playing on Horseplay, the process is the same. However, the system is connecting to a race happening at that moment somewhere in the world.
Anonymized race information
Before you bet, the machine can show a small “past performance” screen. This might include limited information like post position, odds, or simple ranking numbers. However, it will not show the track name, date, or real horse names. The idea is to give you just enough data to feel like you are handicapping a race, while still keeping the race anonymous so no one can look it up or recognize the result (this is especially important during for historical horse racing machines, since the results are pre-determined.)
Pari-mutuel structure
Horse racing slots are built around pari-mutuel wagering, the same system used for traditional horse racing. In a pari-mutuel system, all players’ bets of a certain type go into a shared pool. After the house and regulators take their cut, the rest of the money in that pool is divided among the winning tickets.
On HHR machines, your wager is structured like a bet on the race. Depending on the game, you might be betting on a single horse to win, on the top two or three finishers in exact order, or on combinations that the game translates into slot-style lines and symbols. The reels, symbols, and bonus screens are ways to display whether your ticket was a winner based on that race’s finish. Underneath the graphics, the math is still pari-mutuel.
Handicapping vs auto-pick
Some players use the small bit of race data to pick their own horses. Others just press an auto-pick button and let the machine choose. From a long-term math point of view, the return to player of the game does not meaningfully change based on whether you handicap or let the system pick. The pool structure and house take drive the long-run results. But some people like to pick themselves to give the sense of more control over the outcome.
Manufacturers and systems
A few specialized companies build and operate horse racing slots. Different states may use different providers, but the overall idea is the same: a regulated system that connects pari-mutuel racing logic to a slot-style display.
Racing slots vs traditional slot machines
To many players, horse racing slots feel like regular slots. You insert money, choose your bet, and press a button. The big difference is how the outcome is decided and how the law treats each type of game. Here is a quick breakdown of the differences:
| Feature | Horse racing slots | Traditional slot machines |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome source | Result of a real past horse race chosen from a historical database or a current race happening somewhere in the world. | Random number generator (RNG) mapping to virtual reels and symbols. |
| Legal basis | Usually regulated as pari-mutuel racing products, often under racing commissions. | Treated as casino or lottery-style gaming, under gaming or lottery regulators. |
| Payout structure | Payouts come from shared betting pools after a cut from those taking the wagers; amounts can vary. | Payouts follow a fixed paytable; odds are built into the machine’s design. |
| Player choices | You can pick horses or use auto-pick; limited handicapping is possible. | You choose bet size and maybe number of lines; no handicapping of events. |
| Where you find them | Online platforms, racetracks, off-track betting parlors, and HHR gaming venues in certain states. | Casinos, VLT locations, and regulated online casinos where slots are legal. |
From a player’s point of view, both games can look and feel similar. You still press a button and hope for a big hit. But in HHR games or other slots tied to horse racing, the graphics sit on top of a racing result. In traditional slots, the graphics are tied straight to an RNG. This difference matters a lot to lawmakers and regulators. In some states, racetracks can offer pari-mutuel products like racing slots but cannot offer regular slots at all.
Payouts, odds, and randomness on HHR slots and other horse racing slots
Players often ask whether horse racing slots are really random and whether they are fair. The answer is that yes, they are. Here’s why:
On a horse racing slot, the randomness is mainly in which race is selected when you place a bet. The system uses an approved process to pick a race at random. The race result itself is not random at all. It is a real historical finish (or a real race taking place live), and that order never changes. The machine simply uses that finish to determine which bets win and lose.
When you place a wager, your money goes into one or more pari-mutuel pools. These might be separate pools for different types of bets inside the game, similar to win, exacta, or trifecta pools at the track. A portion of each pool is withheld as takeout to cover the operator, the track, and regulatory fees. The rest is divided among the winning tickets, so the size of payouts can change based on how many players bet on each outcome.
Just like slots, HHR machines and other horse racing slots are built to return a certain percentage of wagered money over the long run. Independent testing labs and racing or gaming regulators check that the games follow the approved math and meet standards for fairness, security, and auditing. This does not mean a machine is due to pay after a cold streak. Each bet is still a separate event, and losing runs and sudden big wins are both possible.
Modern HHR systems and online horse racing casinos must meet strict standards. Regulators and testing bodies look at how races are chosen, how pools are managed, and how software works. The goal is to make sure the games run as approved and that neither players nor operators can secretly change the odds. However, like any legal gambling product, the house has an edge, and over time that edge generates revenue for tracks and operators. Players should treat HHR games as paid entertainment, not as a plan to make money.
Horse racing slots vs traditional slot machines
To many players, horse racing slots feel like regular slots. You insert money, choose your bet, and press a button. The big difference is how the outcome is decided and how the law treats each type of game.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the differences:
| Feature | Horse racing slots | Traditional slot machines |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome source | Result of a real past horse race chosen from a historical database or a current race happening somewhere in the world. | Random number generator (RNG) mapping to virtual reels and symbols. |
| Legal basis | Usually regulated as pari-mutuel racing products, often under racing commissions. | Treated as casino or lottery-style gaming, under gaming or lottery regulators. |
| Payout structure | Payouts come from shared betting pools after a cut from those taking the wagers; amounts can vary. | Payouts follow a fixed paytable; odds are built into the machine’s design. |
| Player choices | You can pick horses or use auto-pick; limited handicapping is possible. | You choose bet size and maybe number of lines; no handicapping of events. |
| Where you find them | Online platforms, racetracks, off-track betting parlors, and HHR gaming venues in certain states. | Casinos, VLT locations, and regulated online casinos where slots are legal. |
From a player’s point of view, both games can look and feel similar. You still press a button and hope for a big hit. But in HHR games and other horse racing slots, the graphics sit on top of a racing result. In traditional slots, the graphics are tied straight to an RNG. This difference matters a lot to lawmakers and regulators. In some states, racetracks can offer pari-mutuel products like HHR but cannot offer regular slots at all.
Where are horse racing slots legal?
Laws around racing slots, both historical horse racing machines and sweeps-style horse racing slots move quickly. New bills, court cases, and attorney general opinions can change things in a hurry. This section gives a snapshot of the situation right now. However, it is not legal advice, and readers should always check local laws and official regulators for the latest information.
States with historical horse racing machines
There are seven states where HHR machines are currently authorized in some form:
- Alabama offers HHR machines at former greyhound tracks.
- Kansas has legalized HHR at a redeveloped facility near Wichita.
- Kentucky is a major HHR hub, with multiple large venues and strong links between HHR revenue and racing purses.
- Louisiana approved HHR but has faced court cases that challenged the law.
- New Hampshire allows HHR at charitable gaming facilities.
- Virginia legalized HHR to support the reopening of Colonial Downs and now has several dedicated venues.
- Wyoming allows historical racing devices at numerous simulcast betting locations.
States with online horse racing slots
What about other racing slots, the online versions tied to current horse races, such as what is offered at Horseplay Casino? Those are available in the following states:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Kansas
- Montana
- North Dakota
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Vermont
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Obviously, there is some overlap between the two lists. However, putting them together yields 21 states that can enjoy this form of entertainment.
Many players are especially to see some version of New York online casinos, Montana online casinos, and California online casinos. Those states do not have any regulated real-money online casinos, and recent laws have also removed sweepstakes casinos as well. So horse racing slots give millions of US citizens a way to enjoy online gaming and potentially win some cash prizes.
Shifting landscape
Because HHR sits at the edge of racing and casino law, the status in any state can change with new laws, court cases, or attorney general opinions. Before you travel somewhere just to play historical horse racing machines, it is smart to check the latest information from local regulators or from the track or venue’s official website.
The history of horse racing slots
Historical horse racing and other racing slots grew out of a problem: many racetracks were losing money and falling behind casinos, lotteries, and other forms of gambling. Racing slots were designed as a way to give tracks a more modern gaming product while still fitting under the legal framework for pari-mutuel racing.
Early “instant racing” machines appeared around 2000 at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. Over time, they evolved into today’s cabinets, which look and feel more like standard slots but still rely on past races and pari-mutuel pools. And of course, as igaming technology has grown, racing slots have moved online through sites like Horseplay Casino and Giddyup Casino.
In states like Kentucky, HHR revenue has become a major part of the racing economy. It has helped fund large purses, support track renovations, and keep live racing viable even as the sport has declined elsewhere.
Supporters say horse racing slots keep jobs at tracks, helps breeders and trainers, and keeps racing alive in smaller markets. Critics argue that the machines are “slots in disguise” and that they bring casino-style gambling into communities without the same level of voter approval or debate. Court fights in places like Louisiana, Idaho, and Texas show how controversial these machines can be.
How to play horse racing slots step by step
Different venues and different platforms have slight variances in how to play horse racing slots. However, the basic steps are similar almost everywhere:
First, sit down at a machine (or load a virtual one) and load up your credits (if in person, this means you insert cash or a ticket; online, you shouldn’t have to do anything). Then pick how much you want to wager. Many machines let you adjust the bet per play, just like a slot.
Next, look at the race information if you want to. The screen may show a small grid of numbers for each entry in the upcoming “mystery” race. You might see odds, basic rankings, or a simple performance figure, but not full names or track details. You can ignore this if you do not want to handicap.
Then, pick your horses or use auto-pick. You can select the horses you think will do best, or use an auto-pick feature that chooses for you. Over the long term, the house edge will be similar either way, so this choice is mainly about preference and fun, not about beating the system.
Once your bet is locked in, the machine reveals a short replay of the actual race or shows a stylized animation that matches the real finish. Some platforms show more of the race, others show only the end or a more abstract graphic.
Finally, see if you won. If your chosen entries finished in the right spots for the bet type you made, the machine pays from the pari-mutuel pool. The result is usually shown both as a race outcome and as slot-style lines or symbols so you can see quickly whether you hit.
FAQ a bout horse racing slots
No. Horse-themed online slots are standard RNG casino games that just use horse art and sound effects. Racing slot machines base results on real horse races and use pari-mutuel pools like a racetrack.
The selection of which past race you get is random within the system’s rules, but the race result is fixed because it already happened. Regulators and independent labs test HHR systems to make sure they follow the approved math and rules. The games still have a built-in house edge, so the operator expects to make money over time.
Online versions based on current horse races run exactly the same way. They are simply determined by current races, not historical races.
You can study the small bit of information on the screen and choose the horses you like. That can change your experience on a given play, but over the long term, the takeout and pari-mutuel structure control the returns. There is no handicapping method that turns horse racing slots into a long-term winning plan for the average player.
HHR machines are available in Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Wyoming, mostly at racetracks, off-track betting venues, or dedicated HHR gaming halls. If you live in an eligible state, you may also see online racing-linked options like Horseplay Casino or Giddyup Casino, where the outcomes of casino-style games are tied to live horse race wagers rather than an RNG. Those are available in Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
True HHR machines are land-based and tied closely to racing and pari-mutuel statutes, so you usually will not find official historical horse racing slots online. However, some online products, such as Horseplay or Hard Rock’s past-motor-race games in Florida, use live or historical race outcomes to power casino-style games under different legal frameworks. They are not the same thing as regulated HHR machines, but they are part of the same general family of racing-based game ideas.
Some people see racing slots as a creative way to help racetracks survive and keep racing jobs and purses healthy. Others say the machines are simply slot machines dressed up in racing clothes and that they expand casino gambling without clear voter approval. Court fights and attorney general opinions in states like Texas, Louisiana, Idaho, and others show how divided people are on the issue.
In many places, yes. States such as Kentucky, Virginia, and Wyoming have seen HHR revenue flow into purses, track upgrades, and related programs. Industry reports often credit historical racing with helping tracks stay open and competitive with casinos and online betting.
An important note on responsible gambling
Whether you are playing horse racing slots, traditional slots, or betting on live races, it is important to gamble responsibly. Set a budget before you play, never wager money you cannot afford to lose, and take breaks if you feel stressed or upset. If gambling stops feeling fun and starts to feel like a problem, seek help from a trusted counselor or a national gambling helpline in your area.
