HorsePlay Casino Review: Pros, Cons, and How It Works

How Does HorsePlay Work?

In terms of California online casinos, HorsePlay stands out for its clever game payout structure.

Real-money retail and online casinos use random number generators to determine if a player wins a slot game and how much. Instead, HorsePlay uses a randomly selected group of horse race bets — which are fully legal — and then displays the winnings from those pari-mutuel wagers as if they’re winnings from a casino game.

While you can reshuffle the race card you are assigned as many times as you like, you don’t get full control at any point. This preserves the random number generator nature of the system, though, and keeps it legal.

The only other downside we’d mentioned is the inability to find and select your favorite games quickly. As with many other online casinos, HorsePlay could do with an interface upgrade that makes it easier to swap between different casino games. As it is, you have to scroll to your favorite game without any shortcuts.

How Much Can You Win on HorsePlay?

In terms of bets, you can only buy wagers in denominations of $10, $20, $40, or $100. For each $20, $40, or $100 bet, you’ll be entered into a sweepstakes draw.

• $20 bet buys you one ticket for $100,000 sweepstakes draw
• $40 bet buys you one ticket for $250,000 sweepstakes draw
• $100 bet buys you one ticket for $1 million sweepstakes draw

HorsePlay Free Money

If your bet doesn’t win any payouts (which is unlikely), you get a little bonus cash to help you keep enjoying the app. In this way, it’s difficult to run out of betting money with HorsePlay.

These purchase bonuses are categorized as Gold, Platinum, and Emerald. These are similar to the ongoing California sports betting promos you’ll see with sportsbooks. Here’s a brief rundown:

• Gold bonuses apply to any $20 bets. If you get a $0 return, you’ll get a bonus of $10+.
• Platinum bonuses apply to $40 bets. A $0 return will earn you a bonus of $20+.
• Emerald bonuses apply to $100 bets. If you get a $0 return, you’ll receive a $50+ bonus.

In addition to the purchase bonuses, HorsePlay also runs monthly tournaments that are pretty similar to the ones you would find in Las Vegas horse racing locations.

Tournaments

Qualifying and final-round tournaments are open for most participants, but you have to play for a certain amount of time to qualify for these. You can then place wagers up to a certain amount and tally up your total winnings to determine your score. Those players who get high scores win bonus prize money at the end of all of these tournaments.

Promotional Bonuses

Regular promotional bonuses, like periodical cash infusions or special betting options, are also available to all players from time to time. These are pretty similar to the ones you find at regular online casinos. 

Sweepstakes Draws

HorsePlay also offers money sweepstakes draw promotions. Whenever you place a $20, $40, or $100 bet, you’re automatically entered into a special sweepstakes draw.

A $20 bets produces a single draw for a $100,000 sweepstakes prize. A $40 bet produces a draw for a $250,000 pool, and $100 bets enter you into a $1 million pool. The more tickets you purchase (i.e. the more bets you place), the more draws you get. 

Do I Need to Make a Purchase to Play HorsePlay?

No. If you want to just play the casino games for fun, you can — but only six of the 52 available games. HorsePlay does not require players to place any deposits or make any purchases to play those six games if they don’t want to.

However, using our HorsePlay promo code BONUS10, you’ll get up to $40 in extra site credit with your first two purchases.

As of February 2023, HorsePlay offered 52 games: 45 Spinners, three Quickies, and four Arcade games.

The graphics are high quality, although there are definitely online casinos with flashier offerings elsewhere. The 52-game menu is a bit smaller compared to its competitor sweepstakes casinos, such as Pulsz California‘s 400, but the games are fun to play and easy to understand.

We do, however, miss table games like baccarat, blackjack, or roulette.

Of the 52 HorsePlay games, only six are available in the free version — two slots, two arcade games, two quickies. For the rest, you have to play the paid version.

HorsePlay Spinners

These are slot games. Some of the most popular right now include:

• Golden Bars (free)
• Lucky Wild Rover (free)
• Demi Gods II
• Priceless
• Majestic King
• Pool Party Ducky
• White Hot 7s
• Double Dinosaur Deluxe (new in January 2023)

With 45 slot games, HorsePlay has a wider selection than Global Poker California — but that site’s obvious main attraction is online poker, not slots.

HorsePlay Quickies

These are essentially the same as online scratch-offs you’ll find at a number of sweepstakes casinos. The three options are:

• Espada de Oro (free)
• Touchdown Tap! (free)
• Lost City of Gold

HorsePlay Arcade Games

HorsePlay offers two bingo games, a Match 3 game, and a poker spins game.

• In the Black — fast-paced Match 3 game (free)
• Primo Bingo (free)
• Pixie Riches Bingo
• Aces High Poker Spins

Meanwhile, HorsePlay determines the available tournaments. A recent example in January 2023 was the $1,000 Snowball Tournament, where first place won $500, second place won $300, and third place got $200.

There isn’t a whole lot of variety, but the presence of tournaments at all — especially with real money at stake — is a big positive point. This is especially true since HorsePlay is available in many states where traditional online casinos aren’t legal.

As such, HorsePlay may be the only place for many casino enthusiasts to get their tournament fix without breaking the law.

HorsePlay offers a handful of different ways in which you can make deposits and purchase bet packages. 

Deposits

There are a few different ways in which you can make a deposit. FastTrack Cash allows you to make an online bank transfer using electronic checks or ACH. You can also use MasterCard and Visa credit or debit cards. Unlike many other online casinos, HorsePlay lets you use any prepaid gift cards from either of those two card companies.

How Do You Cash Out on HorsePlay?

You can use online banking to redeem any winnings through HorsePlay. The app will ask you to verify your identity, however, to begin the money transfer, so be prepared to show identification.

First, HorsePlay gets points for even having an app — which is something not all of its California online poker and online casino competitors can say.

HorsePlay App

However, it only offers an iOS app in the App Store. There is no Android app in the Google Play Store.

It’s very easy to install, and it’s fairly intuitive to navigate and use. It’s a bit clunky, and finding your favorite game could be a bit trickier than using the desktop version due to the smaller screen size.

But, overall, the iOS app plays all the games without any lag and provides a smooth experience for casino and horse racing enthusiasts. It downloads quickly and currently has 4.4 stars with 5,632 reviews in the App Store.

The lack of a HorsePlay app for Android is a bummer. But the the browser site is well-optimized for mobile users. Thus, Android device owners can simply visit the main site on their mobile browser for a reasonably user-friendly experience.

HorsePlay has a well-run customer service team that’s available through four different channels.

You can email HorsePlay at [email protected], or you can give them a call at the HorsePlay customer service phone number: 844-462-7768. Customer service is usually quite quick to respond. They are available 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. Pacific Time seven days a week.

There is also the Holy Grail of customer service — a 24/7 live chat feature where you talk to a real person agent, not an automized help bot. The phone line is a pretty good option for easy or simple questions. It’s available daily from 6 a.m.-11 p.m. PT.

In addition, HorsePlay has a Help Center with eight different FAQ categories: How It Works, Cash Accounts, Deposits & Withdrawals, My Wagers, Games, HorsePlay Promotions, Troubleshooting, and Powered By GPN.

If you need to contact HorsePlay via mail, its address is:

HorsePlay Player Services
14725 SW Millikan Way
Beaverton, OR 97006

HorsePlay’s target audience is obvious: Those who enjoy casinos and California horse betting. However, it may carry wider appeal with casino fans, as it leans a little bit more toward the casino side of things. While the horse racing aspect of the app is enticing, it isn’t the same experience as horse race betting.

It’s also a good choice if you don’t live in a state with legalized online casinos, like California.

All in all, we think HorsePlay is a high-quality and creative online gambling option for California residents. It may not have the most games or the flashiest graphics, like Chumba Casino California. But it offers an innovative way to determine payouts, it has an iOS app, and it gives customers rewarding bonuses and promotions — new customers can use HorsePlay Casino promo code BONUS10 for up to $40 in purchase bonuses.