By Kate Northrop

If you're a fan of the Kentucky Derby, or just horse racing in general, you might want to try out the Kentucky Lottery's latest game. Yesterday, the Kentucky Lottery announced that the first-ever lottery game based on real-time horse racing results has officially launched statewide.

Win Place Show is the first of its kind, nodding to the state's signature thoroughbred industry and featuring races across the country. Players who purchase a $2 lottery ticket will see three randomly selected racehorse names and numbers printed on their ticket, much like a Quick Pick ticket where numbers are generated at random in a game like Powerball. The results of the game are based on how the horses finish in the respective race.

Following test piloting in the spring of 2019 in about 45 retailers, the game was launched by EquiLottery Games, a lottery game developer based in Louisville that specializes in merging sports with the world of lottery and gaming.

"We could not be more delighted to launch our first game in my adopted home state of Kentucky," EquiLottery Games Founder and CEO Brad Cummings said. "Especially at a time when people are looking for safe ways to enjoy live sports, Win Place Show lays the groundwork for a new category where players do not have to be experts to win real money on live events like horse racing."

Prizes are earned based on which horses finish in the top three spots of the race. The first prize is awarded when a player matches the top three horses in the exact order, second prize when the top three horses match in any order, and third when any two of the top three horses match in the exact order.

The game's prize model adopted a similar style used in actual racing, where the first and second prize levels are based on that day's sales for the game. Should there be multiple winners in one prize tier, the prize pool is split and divided equally among the winners for that level.

Players can check the results on the official Kentucky Lottery website or by scanning the QR code printed on the ticket while using the Lottery's mobile app. Alternatively, you can also watch the featured race of that day on the Win Place Show mobile app.

"Given that racing is such a big part of the fabric of Kentucky, we're excited to be the first state to launch Win Place Show," Kentucky Lottery Interim President and CEO Marty Gibbs said. "Increased Kentucky Lottery sales mean more dollars for the college scholarship and grant programs we fund, and we're anxious to see how the game performs in the marketplace."

The Lottery projects that they will sell $2 million in tickets this fiscal year.

Races for Win Place Show are held almost daily as closely to 5:00 pm ET as possible. Should a race be canceled due to inclement weather, fewer than four horses racing, or if a ticket contains a horse who scratches prior to the start of the race, players can receive replacement tickets from a retailer that are eligible for the next available race at the time the replacement ticket is produced. Information about the race, such as the track name and race time, are also printed on the ticket.

"On behalf of the entire EquiLottery Games team, I want to thank the Kentucky Lottery for their leadership in helping to move the lottery industry forward with this new type of lottery game," Cummings stated.