Company Info
Game Play Network
Website
Supported States
AL, CA, CO, DE, FL, KS, MT, ND, NH, NM, NY, OK, OR, RI, SD, VT, WI, and WY
Welcome Bonus
$20 Freeplay With First Credit Purchase
Currencies
Cash, Credits
Payment Methods
Debit/Credit Card, Bank Transfer
Gaming Software
High 5 Games, IGT, Aristocrat Gaming, and more
Gaming Categories
70+ Slots and 8 Arcade Games
Support Contacts
support@horseplay.com, live chat, and FAQs
General Ratings
Horseplay Review
Horseplay is a very unique sweepstakes casino. Combining horse racing and online casino-style games — in some ways, Horseplay works very similarly to other online sweepstakes casinos. But there’s one big difference. Instead of your winnings being determined by a random number generator (RNG), they are determined by the results of horse races.
It might sound a little weird. However, the end result is that it functions pretty much the same as any other sweepstakes casino — and with dozens of games from a variety of developers, it’s definitely one that has caught the eye of many players. Deposits start out at $10. Plus, when you make your first deposit, you’ll get $20 in freeplay.
For a quick rundown on Horseplay, check out the below table. Otherwise, read on for our comprehensive review on this exciting and innovative gaming site.
Pros
- Good First Purchase Bonus
- How Winnings are Determined is Transparent
- Safe
- Great Customer Support Team
Cons
- Lack of No Deposit Bonuses
- Select of Games Could Be Better
- Only Legal in 18 States
Horseplay takes a unique approach for how to legally offer players across the US real money casino style games. I have no problem with swapping out RNG for horse racing. However, since it operates as a racebook, its availability is severely restricted. Add into that the fact that there’s no sign-up bonus or any way to acquire freeplay without first needing to make a deposit and it starts looking even less like the sweepstakes casinos that you’ve come to expect. Whether or not that’s a good thing though, will depend on what you’re looking for.
Legal States
Despite operating similarly to a sweepstakes casino, for legal purposes Horseplay is considered a racebook. What this means is that it needs to acquire the proper licensing to operate in a state. Currently, the states that it has a license to operate in are AL, CA, CO, DE, FL, KS, MT, ND, NH, NM, NY, OK, OR, RI, SD, VT, WI, and WY. And as a racebook, you must be at least 21 to sign up and play.
How Horseplay Works
As we’ve already explained, Horseplay combines horse racing with casino style games. There is a dual currency system in place. However, how it works is very different. When you make a real money deposit, your account will be credited with cash — this cash cannot be used to play casino games directly. Instead, you use them to buy credits.
When you buy one of these credit packages, the site is essentially placing a bet for you on a series of horses for the equivalent value of that package.
Credits are then used to play casino games. But rather than RNG determining whether you win, your total wins will be decided based on how the horses wagered. Any funds won will be returned to your cash balance where you can either make a withdrawal or purchase a new credit package.
Horseplay Bonuses
Due to the way that Horseplay operates, they are not obligated to offer a no deposit bonus. And unfortunately, there is no no deposit offer. Fortunately, to make up for this they do have a pretty good first purchase wherein you’ll receive $20 in freeplay once you purchase your first credit package.
Credit packages start at just $10, so this can be an easy way to triple your initial deposit. Though do keep in mind that this bonus is subject to x2 wagering requirements.
Bonuses Review
| No Deposit Bonus | N/A |
| Promo Code | None |
| First Purchase Bonus | $20 Freeplay on First Credit Purchase |
| Daily Free Credits | N/A |
| VIP Program | N/A |
| Mail-in Bonus | One Entry into Each Yearly Sweepstakes Draw |
| Referral Bonus | N/A |
Undeniably though, the most important bonuses to know are the silver, gold, platinum, and emerald bonus that is attached to every purchase of credits.
The Hit Big or Land Easy bonus is a unique type of bonus that’ll apply to a good chunk of your credit purchases and has to do with the results of the races that you bet on. With it, when your bets return less than 20% of your credit purchase, you’ll be automatically bumped up to winning 20% of your stake as part of the Land Easy bonus.
Even better though, when you score a win worth more than 330% of your stake — you’ll get a bump up to 600% of your credit purchase with the Hit Big bonus. Personally, over the past six months of reviewing this site, I hit it three times. This added up to total extra winnings of almost $500.
To show you how this works in theory, let’s assume you purchase the gold $20 package.
- Winnings of $4< will trigger the Land Easy bonus, and winnings will automatically be taken up to $4.
- Winnings of $4-$65.99 will yield the exact amount you won.
- Winnings of $66-$119.99 will trigger the Hit Big bonus, and will be taken up to $160.
- Winnings of $120> will pay out the exact amount you.
The Big Player bonus is only open to players residing in CA, CO, MT, NY, OR, or WY. However, if you live in AL, DE, FL, KS, NH, NM, ND, OK, RI, SD, VT, or WI, you’re eligible for a similar bonus called the Multistate Big Player Bonus.
While the above are what I consider to be the main bonuses at Horseplay, they aren’t the only ones you’ll find. Below, we’ll give you a brief overview of all the bonuses available for both new and existing players.
- First Purchase Bonus — $20 freeplay
- Second Purchase Buy One Get One Free — For your second purchase, if you purchase one of the credit packages worth $20 or more, you’ll receive an extra $20 in freeplay.
Earn Up to $40 in Freeplay Every Week — Purchase credit packages from Monday to Thursday 11:59pm PT to earn up to $40 in freeplay every Friday. Purchase at least $100 of packages to get $10 freeplay, $200 to get $20, or at least $300 worth of packages to score yourself $40 freeplay.
- Hit Big & Land Easy Bonuses — When you win big, win even more with the Hit Big bonus. Or if your package performs poorly, cushion the blow with the Land Easy bonus.
- Yearly Sweepstakes Draw — For every eligible credit package you purchase, you’ll receive one entry into the corresponding yearly sweepstakes draw. The top prize currently sits at $1,000,000.
- AMOE Sweepstakes Draw — Send a letter to Horseplay headquarters with the relevant information to receive a maximum of one additional entry into each of the sweepstakes draws.
- Horseplay Tournaments — Compete in monthly Horseplay tournaments to claim your slice of the $10,000 prize pool. This is a pretty simple one to understand. Play eligible slot games and earn one point for each cent that you win. At the end of the month, the top 200 players will earn freeplay, with first place taking home $500 in freeplay.
Promotions & Bonus Assessment
Horseplay Casino-Style Games
Horseplay currently offers 77 games provided by a range of developers. Of these games, 8 are arcade games, while a further 69 are slots. All games are available without needing to be unlocked, and while horseplay may not offer a free currency, all games are available in both a paid and a demo mode.
Games and Software Review
| Our Top Picks | Free Hand Video Poker, In the Black |
| Number of Slots | 69 |
| Jackpot Games | No |
| Table Games | No |
| Other Gaming Options | 8 Arcade Games |
| Gaming Vendors | High 5 Games, IGT, Aristocrat Gaming + More |
One thing to keep in mind especially for the slots is that while you may be able to find RTP and volatility data about them, this information isn’t relevant for Horseplay due to the result being determined by real horse races.
Slot games at Horseplay are divided into four categories: New Releases, Spinners, Reel Classics, and More Great Games. From these categories, you don’t get a lot of information on what type of slot they are. No doubt they could definitely improve on that. Though even so, besides themes there’s not a lot of variation between games.
You won’t find any scatter-based games, megaways, or games with a tumble-down feature — which is a real disappointment. And since RTP is determined by horse races, there’s very little incentive to shop around. Another criticism that I have to give is that the minimum bets are pretty high, and I couldn’t find any slots that let you spin for less than $0.40.
For my money, the Horseplay arcade games are the real highlights. The majority of games are either based off of bingo or scratcher mechanics — however, you can find some pretty exciting games. To start with a real highlight, I was thrilled to see that video poker is offered.
Additionally, they also have a unique game called In the Black. This is a game that I haven’t seen anywhere else and requires you to race against the clock to clear black squares and lock in wins while also avoiding the white squares which will result in a game over. I had a lot of fun with it. Though it definitely isn’t one that I’d recommend playing on your mobile, as more than once I tried to tap a black square but accidentally ended up hitting one of the white ones.
Games Assessment
Horseplay Banking
Banking at Horseplay is remarkably simple. Deposits can be made via credit/debit card or online banking. Whichever you use, you’ll follow a similar process of needing to enter in the relevant details, choosing any amount between $10 & $250 — and then clicking the confirm payment button. Once you do, your payment method will be automatically debited and your funds will be instantly available in your account.
Once you do this, you’ll be able to go to the credits page and purchase the credit package of your choice. Remember, when you buy credits, you’re really placing bets on a selection of horses. As you do, you can check which horses you’re betting on by clicking ‘See Wager Details’. From there, you can either confirm your credit purchase, or if you don’t like your selection of horses, you can opt to reshuffle your wagers.
Payment Options Review
| Horseplay Banking | Purchases | Redemptions | Average Redemption Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit/Debit Card | Yes | Yes | 5-10 Business Days |
| Online Banking | Yes | Yes | 5-10 Business Days |
Withdrawals are also simple. Though keep in mind that you’ll only be able to withdraw in the same way you made a deposit. Again, regardless of how you choose to make your withdrawal, you’re looking at an advertised waiting time of 5-10 business days.
Payments Assessment
Is Horseplay Casino Legit?
Operated by Game Play Network and first launched under the name b spot in 2012, Horseplay has a pretty spotless record. Since there’s an element of sports betting to their business model, they’re governed by significantly stricter laws than that of a typical sweepstakes casino. One of these requirements is that they must be licensed in each state in which they operate. In this case, Horseplay does have these licenses.
Additionally, because of the way they operate they have an unusual level of transparency based on how their games work. When you purchase credit, you are betting on a series of horses. If you want, you can then track the results of your horses and use that information to ascertain how much you should earn from your credits. To test Horseplay’s claims of legitimacy, I did exactly that. And from it, I can tell you that the results all lined up and that I’m comfortable marking Horseplay as 100% legit.
Company and Safety Review
| Company | Game Play Network |
| License | Yes |
| RNG-tested Games | No. Results of games are determined by horse races. |
| Age Restrictions | 21+ |
| KYC Checks | Yes |
| Website Encryption | Yes |
| Operating Since | 2012 |
Responsible gambling is something that is taken very seriously at Horseplay. With their b safe program — players are given the following tools to help:
- b safe Awareness — From the moment you sign up, Horseplay will show you their responsible gambling features.
- Deposit Limits — Set a limit for exactly how much you can deposit in a given timeframe.
- Set a Timeout — Set yourself an imposed timeout of your choice where you’ll be unable to log in or make any new deposits.
- Self Exclude From Wagering — If gambling is having a significant impact on your life then you can permanently exclude yourself from Horseplay.
In addition to the above, players are given full access to their responsible gambling page and can access and view a wide range of helpful tools.
Safety Assessment & Trust Score
Horseplay Customer Support
Another area that Horseplay really shines in is with their customer support. They’ve got one of the most comprehensive help centers I’ve ever reviewed — and to boot, they also have live chat and email.
My only real criticism is that I’d like to see them a little more active on their social media pages, and a support number would also be something nice to see.
Contacts Review
| Phone | No |
| support@horseplay.com | |
| Live Chat | Yes |
| FAQ page | Yes |
| Other Contact Options | / |
| Response Time | Minutes via live chat |
Horseplay Support Assessment
Horseplay UX
At its heart, Horseplay is a pretty simple casino. For that reason, it should be no surprise to find that the interface is also pretty straightforward. In my opinion, games could be a little bit better sorted — but apart from that, there’s really not a whole lot to complain about.
A mobile app is available for Apple users.
And from what the other reviewers have told me, it’s pretty good — with a similar look as the desktop site, although with mobile-optimized features like bigger buttons. Personally, I’m an Android user. As such, I was using their mobile site. It was a pretty good experience and seemed fairly similar to what my iPhone using colleagues experienced — however, one issue that seemed to plague me as well as another Android reviewer was that we sometimes had to launch games multiple times as they had a tendency to freeze up on the loading page.
Accessibility Review
| Apps | iOS |
| Mobile Casino | Yes |
| Mobile-Specific Features | Bigger Buttons |
| Filtering Options | Seven Game Categories |
| Number of Mobile Games | 77 |
| Aspects That Are Missing on Mobile | Android App |
UX Assessment
Horseplay Sister Sites
Horseplay is a one-of-a-kind site. From my research, it’s clear that parent company GPN has no immediate plans for launching a new casino, nor does it seem like they have any interest in granting licenses to use their patented technology. Nevertheless, below we’ll show you how Horseplay stacks up against other top sweepstakes casinos.
Comparison
| Horseplay Alternatives | Games | Welcome Bonus | Apps | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseplay | 77 | $20 Freeplay on First Credit Purchase | iOS | Combing Horse Racing with Casino Style Games |
| WOW Vegas | 850+ | 250,000 WC + 5 SC | No | Outstanding Promos, Exceptional Games |
| Fortune Coins | 200+ | 630,000 GC + 1,400 FC | No | Massive Welcome Bonus, Jackpot Games |
| Stake.us | 800+ | 10,000 GC + 1 SC | No | Casual Player, Crypto Enthusiasts |
| Pulsz | 700+ | 5,000 GC + 2.3 SC | iOS & Android Devices | Slots Enjoyers, Mobile Users |
| High 5 Casino | 1,200+ | 250 GC + 5 SC + 600 Diamonds | iOS & Android Devices | Unique Rewards, Great Bonuses |
How It Stacks Up
It’s tricky to compare Horseplay to other sweepstakes casinos. To look at the facts though, their gaming library is a little bit lackluster when comparing it to some of the big names. And while their first purchase bonus is good, a complete lack of a no deposit bonus is really disappointing. But on the other hand, if you’ve got some knowledge of horse racing, you can use that information to your advantage when buying credits.
When it comes to security, transparency, and customer service — they’re faultless. So while they may not be for everyone, if you do live in one of the states where they operate, they’re definitely worth checking out.
Our Experts Verdict
We’ve spent the better part of half a year reviewing Horseplay, and there have been some ups and downs. Being able to see the way winnings are determined is amazing. There’s no smoke and mirrors — with all of the information regarding the horses you bet on being 100% available to be viewed. But to be honest, I don’t know if I like that.
The bonuses at Horseplay are a bit of a mixed bag as well. On the one hand, they’ve got one of the best first purchase bonuses. But on the other hand, there isn’t a no deposit welcome bonus, nor is there a login bonus. Whether or not that trade is worth it is up to you.
But if Horseplay does seem like it’s your cup of tea you can sign up today via our exclusive links and lock yourself up a great first purchase bonus.
FAQs
How does Horseplay work?
Where is Horseplay legal?
Can you win real money with Horseplay?
Is Horseplay a sweepstakes casino or a racebook?
What is the Horseplay welcome bonus?
Can I play Horseplay on my mobile phone?
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Author: Mike F.
Updated:
