William Hill
500,000+
entries in 4 weeks
William Hill's most successful horse racing free-to-play game of all time.
entries in 4 weeks
William Hill's most successful horse racing free-to-play game of all time.
Racing has a problem that every operator knows: the sport is complex, the race card is intimidating, and casual fans don't have the knowledge or the confidence to bet regularly. The younger audience in particular aren't reading the Racing Post over a morning coffee. They want a reason to be interested and a reason to feel like they know what they're doing.
William Hill wanted to change that. Not just during the festivals, but year-round. They needed a product that would make racing accessible to customers who'd never engaged with it before and give them a reason to keep coming back.
The starting point wasn't the game. It was the barrier. Casual racing fans don't bet because they don't know where to start. Too many horses, too many variables, too much jargon.
Asking someone to pick a winner when they have no basis for the decision is a losing proposition.
So we built Lucky Stable around removing that barrier entirely. Players receive a selection of horses from the day's racing at the click of a button. Each horse comes with a Smart View rating from the Racing Post, a score out of 100 that distils the complex race card into something anyone can understand. Get three winners from your five horses and you share the prize.
Two lives means one loser doesn't knock you out. The perceived risk is low, the engagement loop is immediate, and suddenly a full day of racing has a reason to hold your attention.
The product is built to convert attention into action. Every horse carries a visible rating with a clear rationale behind it. Curated bets sit alongside the selections, making the step from playing the game to placing a bet as short as possible. Players aren't just watching their horses. They're betting on them, with confidence they didn't have before they opened the app.
The momentum built quickly.
William Hill struck a deal with the Jockey Club to create exclusive Lucky Stable rounds for racegoers at Cheltenham. Players needed a William Hill account to enter, turning on-course activations into a direct acquisition channel. What started as a free-to-play game became a presence at the biggest racing festival in the calendar and beyond.
The #1 most successful racing free-to-play game at William Hill. Ever.
Final One Standing and Lucky Stable are setting new standards for free-to-play at evoke, driving record levels of player engagement. That success is built on partnership - the team are responsive, move at pace, and consistently deliver high-quality products.
Brian Mahon
Director of Product, evoke plc
This is what happens when you make a complex sport simple to understand. No jargon. No barrier. Just a reason to care.
Start a conversation