Both hugely popular, horse racing and online slots in many ways represent two sides of the same coin. The former featured in the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece, dating back at least as far as 700BC, making it one of the oldest sports in the world. The latter, on the other hand, has only really surfaced in the last 20 years – but it’s certainly giving the old girl a run for her money (excuse the pun).
So which of the two is more fun? Well, that depends entirely on your point of view and what you’re looking to get out of either. But in order to provide a more thorough comparison of the two, we’ve laid out their relative merits below for your perusal.
The case for horse racing
As one of the oldest forms of leisure activity in the world, which is still going strong today, horse racing certainly has a lot going for it. Its advantages over online slots include the following:
- History. Any activity that has remained popular for millennia must be able to tap into the human psyche and keep its followers engaged – and horse racing has certainly achieved that. There’s something about the raw power of a wild beast, tamed by man to do his bidding, which speaks to our primal instincts, and all those years of history only make that more impactful.
- Skill. Dedicated horse racing enthusiasts are in it for the long haul. Many of them spend hours poring over the list of runners prior to an event, researching their track records and staying up to date with the latest form news. As such, they can leverage this knowledge to their advantage and beat the odds by picking a winner from among the field of candidates, adding an extra air of satisfaction to their victory.
- Thrill. Perhaps horse racing’s strongest suit is the trackside experience. There’s very little like the thrill of attending a racecourse, feeling the bite in the air and the smell of fried onions, horse manure and excitement on the breeze and chewing the cud with your fellow gamblers. That’s an element that try as it might, the online sphere simply can’t replicate.
The case for online slots
While horse racing is certainly popular for a reason, online slots have made up significant ground on their rivals in the popularity stakes in recent years. Here are just a few of the reasons why:
- Variation. As exciting as a horse race may be, once you’ve seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all. A field of equine runners mounted by diminutive jockeys holds little in the way of variation. Online slots, on the other hand, are constantly changing and innovating. The increasing popularity of the Sugar Rush video slot, recently released by Pragmatic Play, is an excellent case in point, as gamers love to try something new.
- Accessibility. Getting down to a racecourse in the flesh might bring in-person excitement – but it isn’t half a palaver. Organising transport to and from the ground is expensive and irksome. By contrast, anyone can log onto their computer and find a multitude of online slots to keep them busy. Now that’s accessibility worth shouting about.
- Simplicity. The exact reason mentioned above which makes horse racing so attractive to some people is the same one why it’s a turn-off for others. Some casual gamblers don’t want to invest hours learning the ins and outs of the discipline. Slots offer unbeatable simplicity, which means that there’s no steep learning curve involved at all – just relaxing entertainment.
There’s a case to be made for either horse racing or online slots being more fun, but in the end it comes down to personal preference and what you’re looking for from your activity of choice.
