As one of the oldest sports in history, it's no surprise that horse racing aka steed riding was among the first sports to be made available for online betting. But before you can make the most of virtual horse racing, it's worth understanding what it really is all about.

This type of steed racing is the simulated version of real-life steed riding. In these races, fictional thoroughbred characters and their jockeys compete in a (digital) racecourse. One of the main similarities with real-life steed riding is that it lets punters bet on horses before a race, and then watch the digitally-simulated race.

Many digital races today have added components that make the experience feel more and more like the real thing, including a variety of racecourses and riding formats.

How Virtual Horse Racing Works

The main distinction between digital and real-life steed races is that the former isn't affected by the variety of complex factors at play in real-life races, such as weather, racecourse, track length, and jockey form. Instead, a computer algorithm is used to decide the finishing order in the race. With that said, here a few virtual horse riding tips to get the most out of your bets:

Lower Odds Are Safer

Given that digital races are entirely decided by an algorithm, the only factor you can depend on for insight is the stallion's odds. Long odds mean the stallion is less likely to win, while shorter odds mean a higher chance of winning.

You can think of these races as some kind of lottery, with the competing stallions' names inscribed on the lottery balls instead of numbers. The lower the odds for Stallion X, the more balls will bear his name. The higher the odds for Stallion Y, the fewer the balls will be featuring his name. As the lottery machine picks the first ball, it is more likely, on average, to pick a ball with the favorite stallion's name.

High Odds Offer Better Returns

Unlike traditional races, there will be no form of information to look through since the virtual jockeys don't really have careers. Each race is always a one-off, which means you can only choose your thoroughbred based on the odds on offer.

If you are aiming at bigger returns, pick high odds. This is a risk that you might not want to take every time, but it can pay off well when you win.

Finally, do not expect any third-party assistance. Since these races are randomly decided, anyone tipping one stallion or another is only just guessing the outcome. Once the bets for a race are in, the virtual lottery machine picks the balls in the order of their corresponding stallions' finishing.

You can then watch the race simulation for fun and even speculate on the winner while at it. If your stallion wins, you get paid out in the same way as real-life steed riding.

How Much Should You Bet in Digital Steed Races?

The answer is quite simple: bet no more than you can afford to lose. Compared to traditional races, virtual steed races are more of a fun activity to engage in, so think of your bet money as a slice of your entertainment budget.