The idea of betting on virtual horses has been a gaming concept for a very long time. In fact, many of us can remember the mechanical games that used to delight and frustrate us equally in arcades at seaside resorts. The online market has obviously changed things, and we can find a plethora of virtual horse racing games through apps and bookmakers’ sites. That list includes Instant Horses, a game that pivots itself as the most modern virtual racing game available today. But does it stand up? Is it worth your time and, perhaps, money? Let’s have a look.

About Leap Gaming

Founded in 2014, Leap Gaming makes some of the most popular virtual sports to bet on. The company has other hit virtual sports games, including EuroLeague Instant Legends and Instant Football. The company has big ambitions to bring the virtual sports betting market to the mainstream, with a particular focus on cracking America. It calls its games “an amalgamation of sports betting, esports and slot machines”. That’s a fair description.

Instant Horses Overview

Released in 2019 as part of a next-generation collection of virtual sports games, Instant Horses has been well-received by bettors and gamers. Beforehand, virtual sports games tended to focus too much on the betting alone. Instant Horses, however, saw Leap Gaming make strides with graphics and gameplay. The graphics, in particular, has video games console quality. The addition of professional commentators also added to the overall effect.

Gameplay

As you can imagine, the rules are very simple. You place your bets on the horse you believe will win the race. However, Leap Gaming has also included other options that are more in tune with modern racing, including place bets and forecast bets. There are between 8 and 12 runners in the game, and the tracks, conditions (night and day mode), and so on can also alternate. A new race starts every three minutes.

Betting and RTP

RTP (return to player) is an important concept for virtual sports games. It is the mark of a game’s fairness, i.e., how much the game will pay back to players over time. Instant Horses’ RTP varies depending on the type of bet you place – risk versus reward – but it can be as high as 95%. Bets can be placed from as little as 25c/25p. But make sure you play responsibly.

Free Play

There is a demo mode available if you do not wish to bet real money. Often sports betting websites that carry virtual sports games will allow you to play for free, providing you register an account.
Conclusion

Leap Gaming joins rival Playtech as arguably the best developers of virtual sports games online today. Instant Horses is a testament to that. The graphics, in particular, give this a live-action feel, and you can see why the game is featured on popular online sportsbook sites. If we are to be critical, it’s probably not as exciting if you are not into horse racing, especially if you are playing on demo mode—nevertheless, a top-drawer game and an exciting glimpse into the future direction of virtual sports games.