Social games for US jockey club

The launch of two new social games for horseracing fans on Facebook this month stemmed from a McKinsey & Company economic study of the Thoroughbred industry commissioned by The Jockey Club.

The games were designed to form part of a fan development initiative and comprise “Major League Horse Racing”, an interactive game combining fantasy sports, social media and horse racing along with “Thoroughbred World”, a game focused on the breeding, owning and training aspects of the sport.

“These games complement our fan development strategy and will be heavily promoted through our America’s Best Racing platform and our television programming,” said Jason G. Wilson, The Jockey Club’s vice president of business development. “Free-to-play online games have been successful in teaching consumers how to play other games, such as online poker, and they attract fans.”

In “Major League Horse Racing” players complete a race card each week, assigning Game Bucks to the four horses they believe will outperform the field. Additional Game Bucks can be earned through various social tasks on Facebook and Twitter.

“Thoroughbred World” combines the game-play elements of a simulated world builder and a resource manager. Players create the ultimate racehorse in custom training facilities, improving agility, balance, stamina and speed through a series of mini-games.  Once their dream horse is prepared, players enter races against other players to win in-game currency and other items.

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