From Racing Cars to Racehorses: Games Where You Can Bet, Ride, or Win

Car racing, at least, is well-represented in the world of video games. Forza. Gran Turismo. Need for Speed. Mario Kart. These titles are fun both for the fact that they allow you to virtually experience cars you’ll probably never lay eyes on, and because they are competitive. You can race against friends, or put your skills to the test online.

Horse racing is not as frequently featured in video gaming. While there are some titles dedicated completely to raising and riding horses, others make you really hunt for your equine experiences.

From race cars to racehorses, what games let you dive head-first into betting, riding, and winning? Let’s get into it.

Grand Theft Auto

Should it come as any surprise? Grand Theft Auto is famous, and sometimes infamous, for its minigames. In 2004, the game San Andreas shocked the world with a mini-game called “Hot Coffee.”

In the sequence, your main character CJ has sex with his girlfriend while you exercise (very limited) control over his movements. The scene was naturally enough scandalizing, very briefly earning the game a very rare “A” for adult rating. The controversy sparked congressional hearings and industry-wide changes to game ratings.

It’s pretty mild by today’s standards. Both characters are fully clothed and the graphics are very 2004.

The franchise hasn’t let up with its minigames, at least. Betting options are a frequent staple. Most of the Grand Theft Auto games will have multiple casino options where you can play slots and card games. These gambling features have become increasingly sophisticated with each new release.

Horse race betting is a pretty consistent option within the series, though never is it more developed than in GTA Online where the player has the most robust betting options.

The Inside Track betting parlor offers a detailed simulation of horse racing gambling. You can wager on one of several horses, placing bets up to $10,000. You can then watch the race play out through a very simple graphic. The feature mimics real-world horse racing odds and betting structures with surprising accuracy.

Can you use the game as a way to test your best horse racing betting strategy in a low-stakes environment? Eh. “GTA realistic,” is not the same thing as real-life realistic. While the mechanics are good, the best way to get better at betting on horse racing is to start watching the sport with more regularity.

Saints Row

Saints Row, for those that do not know, is, or at least has become, a bit of a GTA satire. Where the first installment in the series is a gritty, open-world gang sim, the later titles dial up the absurdity to eleven, allowing your character to become not only the president of the United States but also a…. superhero.

Racing fans, at least, can rejoice. Saints Row puts you in the driver’s seat. Literally. Racing is a consistent mini-game within the franchise. These high-speed challenges appear across all titles in various forms. Rather than placing wagers on races, as is the case in GTA, you control the avatar and win money and vehicle upgrades for producing good results. The rewards provide tangible benefits that enhance overall gameplay.

The races are mostly optional but for many players, they are an immensely popular feature not to be ignored.

Red Dead Redemption

Another success from Rockstar is the western game Red Dead Redemption. With two editions, the game turns GTA into a western, allowing the user to do racing but with horses instead of cars.

Besides that you can do almost all the activities you can do in Grand Theft Auto, but with the excitement of early XX century western drama. There is poker and blackjack, several side quests, lots of shooting and you can equip your horse just like you can equip your car in GTA.

RDR2 is the most recent title, where you play as Arthur Morgan and follow his character arc story as an outlaw. One of the most celebrated titles and a must have for anyone who enjoys racing. The third installment is in production, but will likely only be available in late 2027.

Other Racing Games

Looking beyond minigames in larger titles, you’ll find horse racing, raising, and betting as a fairly common niche concept.

Rival Stars is easily one of the best and most popular options available to you. This game puts you in the position of a stable owner trying to breathe new life into a once-thriving family business.

In the spirit of so many other great sims, you are able to customize your property, breed horses, and then race them. The breeding mechanics are particularly detailed, allowing players to create thoroughbreds with specific traits and characteristics. The game is available on PC, iOS, and Android with a VR version in development as well.

Are there other horse racing/raising/betting games out there? Sure. You’ll find that new titles are often added to the mix—particularly on app stores where development times tend to be quicker.

There Are Always More Games

As a famous cell phone company used to say, “There’s an app for that.” We spotlighted some of the biggest titles that allow you to race cars and horses. Know, beyond any doubt, that there are many dozens more we didn’t mention.

For example, even in Zelda, Ocarina of Time, there is a horse racing mini-game that allows you to unlock our silent protagonist’s famous horse, Epona. Probably, there are many more titles with similar features. For gamers, it’s that sense of discovery that adds joy and excitement to the hobby.