HHR Machines Explained: What Replaced E-Bingo [2026 Guide]

If you've visited VictoryLand or Birmingham Race Course recently and noticed the machines don't look quite like what older writeups describe, that's not your imagination. Both venues now run historical horse racing (HHR) machines instead of the electronic bingo games that used to fill their floors. This page explains what HHR actually is, where it's used in Alabama today, and how it differs from what Wind Creek runs at its three properties — using only what's documented about each venue and the public record of what changed.

What Changed in September 2022

VictoryLand operated electronic bingo machines for years before a September 2022 Alabama Supreme Court ruling led to those machines being removed from the floor. Historical horse racing terminals are what replaced them. Birmingham Race Course, which also operates under Alabama's pari-mutuel racing framework, runs the same category of machine. If the last thing you read about either venue predates that ruling, the game type on the floor has likely changed since.

What an HHR Machine Actually Does

A historical horse racing machine is built to look and feel like a slot machine — spinning reels, a paytable, a familiar cabinet. The difference is underneath. Instead of generating an independent outcome the way a standard slot's random number generator does, an HHR terminal settles each wager against a database of horse races that have already been run. The system pulls historical race results, strips away identifying information about which race it came from, and uses that outcome to determine the payout — all within the pari-mutuel wagering structure that Alabama's racing law already covers. Players are, in a regulatory sense, wagering on real historical races rather than playing a standalone game of chance, even though the experience at the cabinet looks like a slot.

Where to Find HHR Machines in Alabama Today

Two venues in our data run HHR machines:

VictoryLand — Shorter, Alabama. A racino with a 3.5 average Google rating across 4,403 reviews, operating 24 hours daily.
Birmingham Race Course — Birmingham, Alabama. A racino with a 3.7 average Google rating across 2,605 reviews, operating 24 hours daily.

Both are classified as racinos in our venue data, meaning the gaming floor is attached to a pari-mutuel racing operation rather than a standalone casino license. Both report round-the-clock hours, so there's no fixed daily window for HHR play at either location.

How HHR Differs From Wind Creek's Machines

Alabama has two distinct machine categories on the ground, and it's worth being precise about the difference rather than lumping "Alabama casino machines" into one bucket:

Wind Creek's Atmore, Wetumpka, and Montgomery properties run Class II electronic gaming machines, regulated under federal Indian gaming law because the properties sit on tribal land. These are bingo-style games in slot-like cabinets.
VictoryLand and Birmingham Race Course run historical horse racing machines, regulated under Alabama's pari-mutuel racing framework. These settle wagers against already-run race outcomes rather than an independent bingo draw or slot spin.

Neither category includes live table games, a poker room, or a sportsbook. As of September 2026, that's true at all five venues in our data — Wind Creek's three properties and the two HHR racinos.

Age Policy at HHR Venues

Wind Creek sets a clear 21-and-over minimum across its Alabama properties, but that same policy doesn't automatically apply to VictoryLand or Birmingham Race Course. The two racinos operate under a different regulatory structure, and their posted age requirements differ from Wind Creek's. Check the venue's posted age policy directly before visiting either racino.

Why the Distinction Matters for Players

It's easy to see "electronic gaming machine" on a casino floor and assume every property in the state is running the same kind of game under the same rules. Alabama is a useful example of why that assumption breaks down. A player who's used to Wind Creek's Class II machines and walks into VictoryLand or Birmingham Race Course expecting the same regulatory framework is actually stepping into a completely different system — one built on wagering against historical race data rather than a bingo-style draw. The visual experience at the cabinet can look nearly identical; the legal and mechanical structure underneath is not. That distinction is also why the two venue types haven't merged into a single statewide standard: Wind Creek's machines answer to federal Indian gaming law because of tribal land status, while VictoryLand and Birmingham Race Course answer to Alabama's pari-mutuel racing statute, a framework that predates and is unrelated to tribal gaming entirely.

For most day-trip planning, the practical takeaway is simple: don't assume the age policy, the machine type, or the regulatory umbrella carries over from one Alabama gaming venue to the next. Each of the five properties we track — three Wind Creek casinos and two HHR racinos — sits under its own set of rules, even though all five are commonly grouped together as "Alabama casinos" in casual conversation.

FAQ

What replaced electronic bingo at VictoryLand?

Historical horse racing (HHR) machines. VictoryLand's electronic bingo machines were removed following a September 2022 Alabama Supreme Court ruling, and HHR terminals are what's on the floor there now.

Is a historical horse racing machine the same as a slot machine?

Not in how it settles a wager. It looks and plays like a slot, but the outcome comes from a database of already-run horse races through the pari-mutuel system rather than an independent random number generator.

Does Birmingham Race Course also run HHR machines?

Yes. Birmingham Race Course operates under the same pari-mutuel racing framework as VictoryLand and runs historical horse racing machines rather than electronic bingo.