I have a vague memory of a childhood summer spent inside an amusement arcade, absolutely rinsing the crap out of a horse racing game. I'd put coins into whichever colour horse I deemed best before watching tiny plastic jockeys riding them along a rail, praying my favourite would win and I'd make a return on my precious pennies so I could do it all over again.
Surprisingly, child gambling didn't seem to do much damage to my psyche beyond turning me into an irredeemable gacha sicko. My penchant for toy stallions never transcended to real ones, and I've managed to maintain a safe distance from betting shops for the majority of my adult life. But after playing Umamusume: Pretty Derby, I wonder if that's because Ladbrokes isn't plastering anthropomorphic horse girls on its tellies.
