What are Parimutuel-Powered Games and Horse Racing Slots?

Both parimutuel-powered games (PPGs) and horse racing slots operate using the parimutuel system. This is different to the way traditional slots function on the casino floor or on the best online casino apps.

With PPGs and horse racing slots, you’re wagering with other bettors in a shared pool. With traditional slots, you’re betting against the casino, and the results are determined by random number generators (RNGs).

Let's look into exactly what parimutuel-powered games and horse racing slots are. We'll explain how they work, where you can play them, and what sets them apart.

🟣 What is parimutuel betting?

Parimutuel betting is a form of betting typically associated with horse racing in North America. If you’ve ever bet on the Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes, you were most likely betting under parimutuel rules.

It is a pool betting system, and the odds are not fixed. The odds can, and typically do, fluctuate with parimutuel betting even after you place your bet. 

All the money wagered on an event is pooled after the event's result is determined. The betting action decides the final payout odds in parimutuel betting.

⚫️ Parimutuel betting pros and cons

As with any casino table games or other wagering activities, there are pros and cons. Here's the good and bad of parimutuel betting:

🟡 What are parimutuel-powered games?

Parimutuel-powered games, also known as PPGs, are gaining in popularity. Various types of sports betting and prediction markets have parimutuel betting options, but these are different to slot-like games powered by the parimutuel wagering function.

The outcomes of PPGs are directly tied to real, live horse racing events. Sites like GiddyUp Casino operate through licensed racing frameworks instead of unregulated gaming models.

Here is an example: 

Say you’re playing a PPG slot machine. The symbols revealed do not appear at random, like a typical slot machine. With a PPG slot, these symbols appear based on the result of a horse race that is happening at the same time. 

This represents a loophole for some states without legal real money online casino gambling because these games use live horse race outcomes to determine results instead of RNGs.

When you play a parimutuel-powered game, you are required to buy one or more “tickets.” These tickets are then put into a giant pool of live horse races. 

When the races end, the results are then shown through interactive games. These games simply display the results of what has already been determined.

🏇 What are horse racing slots?

Horse racing slots are the OGs when it comes to online parimutuel games. They are often called “historical horse racing” slots, or “HHR" for short.

HHRs use a database of anonymised real life race results as a substitute for a random number generator, and these historical results are displayed in a familiar slot machine-like format.

Many HHR games allow the player to pick the horse they want prior to spinning. You can view a limited amount of handicapping information (usually jockey and trainer stats) to influence your wager, but ultimately it is impossible to identify the particular race in question.

If you do not select a horse, the machine will pick a horse for you automatically.

Calculations and payouts are strictly parimutuel and, although HHR graphics mimic slot play, remember that these games are not slot machines. They use the parimutuel gaming format to legally operate in locations where traditional casino games are restricted.

A big appeal when it comes to horse racing slots is that the jackpots can be quite large, even on a small bet. The downside is that there are typically fewer frequent wins than normal real money slots, and there is no chance to apply any strategy.

🆚 What is the difference between PPGs and HHRs?

The main difference between PPGS and HHRs is that PPGs use live horse races to determine outcomes while HHRs use races from the past. Some HHRs use horse races that go all the way back to the early 1990s.

PPGs use current results, so the bank of results that PPGs are pulling from is infinitely smaller. PPGs are designed to assign your bet to the next available live race around the world.

💰 What is ADW?

For parimutuel-powered games, you deposit funds using a method called "advanced deposit wagering (ADW)." PPGs use ADW to route player bets into live parimutuel pools.

Bettors first deposit money in an ADW account and then purchase tickets that are placed into the pool.

The reason for this is security. By using ADW instead of a “bookie,” you ensure that your money will be protected, and you know how your bets will contribute to the pool.

🌎 Where are parimutuel-powered games legal?

Parimutuel-powered games are currently available across a large number of U.S. states:

• Alabama
• California
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Kansas
• Montana
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming