Nearly any form of entertainment can be converted to an entirely "virtual" offering over the Internet, and another example of that truth has arrived in the form new of horse racing software by Horsepower Network.Com Inc., a subsidiary of Sungold Entertainment Corp. The company is preparing to debut a new online game that will have bettors to wagering on horse races that lack one very important element: the horses.
The Java-based software will feature computer-generated horses racing on a computer-generated racetrack.
The system is currently undergoing final user acceptance testing by Technical Systems Testing (TST), a process that entails verification of the gaming system and random number generator process, as well as the game mathematics and the source coding. If all goes as planned, fantasy wagering will commence by the end of the month.
"We're going to be running 40 races an hour, 24/7 using virtual horses," explained Kim Hart, company president. Plus, punters worldwide will have an equal chance to win under Horsepower's patented live pool betting system, which operates similar to a lottery, Hart added. Typical horserace betting will be offered, such as trifecta, quinella, and more.
TST's final report on the software will be in accordance with the Queensland "Interactive Gambling (Player Protection) Acts, 1998 and 1999 as well TST's International Technical Standards and Guidelines. Horsepower will thus be cleared to run real-money versions of the game, something that the company indicates is a distinct possibility.
Hart said the Vancouver-based company would prefer to stay in North America, but company executives are watching how legal issues, such as the Kyl Bill in the U.S., pan out.