Online Horse Racing Next Big Thing?

People have been betting on horse racing ever since the equine creatures were first trained to compete against each other on the track.

Online betting on horse races has become big business, but with the horses having to compete with the likes of other forms of sports betting plus online casinos and online poker - there is still plenty of room for growth.

Natural Advantage

Horse racing has a natural advantage over the competition in the United States, as it represents the only legal means of Internet betting across the country. While poker and other forms of gambling are still struggling to receive recognition, Americans are free to place a bet down at the racetrack or through a range of traditional betting sites.

Yet in many ways the industry has failed to take advantage of legal horse racing. Websites offer the same guides and odds that have been offered on the Triple Crown and other races for more than a century. While that's great for the committed fan, it doesn't appeal to the huge chunk of the public who are looking for a simple, slot-like version of the races.

Innovation in Horse Racing

Enter online services like Derby Jackpot, which allows players to wager on the outcome of real horse races, but without providing any information about the competitors other than their names and odds. And even these details, are presented in a colorful, appealing way, with terminology like win and show bets changed to "The Monkey" and "The Granny."

Online gambling is a big deal, but social gambling has become even bigger, and the horse racing community will have to catch on that fact in the same way as the casino and games community has. Derby Jackpot is possibly just the beginning, if gaming operators realize the potential horse race betting has.

Bet the Traditional Way

Of course, horse racing still has its traditional following, and two of the most popular online bookmakers that offer betting are William Hill and bet365. Both offer their services to the UK and Europe, providing odds betting on all the major horse races and racing carnivals from around the world.

For these two bookmakers horse racing truly is big business, as shown by promos like "Best Odds Guaranteed" and their commitment to providing multimedia previews of each day's racing.