Golden Race is built on a simple premise: a bettor should never have to wait for the next real fixture. Its virtual sports, number games and shop hardware keep markets open day and night, which is why the brand is as familiar in high-street betting shops as it is on gambling websites. This profile explains where the company came from, how it is run and what each part of its catalogue can do for an operator.
Golden Race in brief
Golden Race is a betting software developer from Malta that also sells the hardware its products run on. That pairing is rare among gambling suppliers, most of which stop at software. Martin Wachter founded the business in 2006. It is headquartered in Naxxar, and at the time of the figures it shared in 2021 it also ran two development offices in Spain.
- Licences: Malta, the UK Gambling Commission and Romania (Class 2).
- Focus: virtual sports and number games for websites and land-based betting shops.
- Reach (company figures, 2021): more than 400 websites and over 50,000 shops running its software, with upwards of 15 million tickets processed a day.
- Industry recognition: several SBC Awards, including Best New Virtual Sports Product for Real Fighting in 2016, Best Virtual Football Product in 2017 and again in 2018, and both Leader of the Year – Supplier and Best Virtual Sports Product in 2019.
- Trade shows: a regular exhibitor at the big international events such as ICE, SBC, SIGMA and SAGSE.
From one greyhound race to a full virtual line-up
Sports betting was the focus from day one. The first release was a virtual dog race, and it attracted more than 8,000 licensees. Rather than bank that income, Golden Race fed it back into development, adding new titles one after another. By 2013 the range covered motorbike racing, horse racing, football, keno, roulette and poker alongside the original race.
The same year the company stepped into hardware with the Golden Box, a compact computer for land-based shops. From then on, a shop owner could buy both the content and the device that puts it on screen from one supplier.
Leadership and ownership
Martin Wachter has run Golden Race as founder and chief executive since it opened. His brother Rene Wachter was appointed chief operating officer in January 2018 and is part of the senior management team. The company is privately held, did not trade on any stock exchange as of February 2021 and keeps its revenue confidential. With roughly 200 staff at that point, it was a mid-sized business despite its very large retail footprint.
What the supplier offers operators
- software for online and land-based operators, plus self-service betting terminals;
- a white label package for brands that want to launch quickly;
- one portfolio that mixes virtual sports, classic casino games and keno;
- products that run on mobile devices;
- a back office with statistics, bet management, a dashboard and a wide set of options;
- the option to build a betting shop from the ground up or connect the content to an existing platform;
- betting that never closes: 24 hours a day, every day of the year;
- multiple currencies and languages;
- a payback period the supplier presents as short.
Products for retail betting shops
Golden Box
The Golden Box is a small PC that feeds the screens in a shop. It comes with the Golden Race game suite, so the operator gets virtual sports and casino-style games in one package. Each of its two HD screens can be split into four zones, which means a single unit can show up to eight games at the same time, and a fresh round begins every five minutes. What is on air and how betting works are both set from the back office. Because the unit is so compact, it suits small shops where space is tight.
Self-service terminals
The terminals take the cashier out of the betting cycle. Each one carries the complete game catalogue and a built-in payment system. Operators can brand the cabinet with their own logo, colours and adverts, and the hardware includes a barcode scanner and an NFC reader to speed up ticket handling. For players, an easy menu makes it simple to find a game and follow several events at once.
Products for online operators
Instant Sports
Instant Sports puts the player in charge of the schedule. Instead of waiting for the next race or match, the customer starts an event whenever they want, then decides whether to watch it or skip straight to the result. Picks can be added to or taken off the bet slip at will. The titles available on the platform are 3×3 Basketball (with cash out), Real Fighting, Football League, 3D Horse Racing, Dog Racing, Speedway, Motorbikes and Virtual Keno.
3D virtual football
This is one of the more ambitious 3D sports simulations around, with detailed player models and convincing audio. It runs in three formats, league, cup and single match, and supports combination bets. Full statistics for every team and every player let bettors research a selection before they put money on it.
Real Fighting
Released in 2017, Real Fighting brings mixed martial arts to virtual betting using footage of genuine professional fighters rather than animation. The odds are compiled by bookmakers instead of being generated by software, and a large archive of recorded bouts keeps the card varied. Operators can build their logo and colours into the game.
Casino-style games
Casino content is not the supplier’s main priority, yet a few of its titles are worth a look precisely because few other studios make anything similar.
Live lotto and keno
This is the only live dealer product in the range. Presenters hold a lotto and keno draw every five minutes, around the clock. Live draw games are scarce in most lobbies, so this one can fill a genuine gap.
Spin 2 Win
Spin 2 Win is modelled on French roulette. Bets can go on a single number, a colour, odd or even, or a group of numbers. A side panel lists the results of the previous 120 rounds, hot and cold numbers included, a coloured timer shows how long betting stays open, and the winning number appears at the centre of the wheel.
Poker
In this version the player never holds a hand. The computer deals and plays three tables at once, and the customer bets on which hand will come out on top. It works for seasoned poker fans who like to read a table and for beginners who want to learn how hands rank.
Adding Golden Race to your platform
Golden Race has a page in our game provider catalogue. If virtual sports are one part of a wider betting launch, compare it with our sportsbook solution and the sportsbook provider overview, or contact our team to talk through integration.
Written and reviewed by the iGaming Software Solutions Editorial Team.