With the launch of the new HPIbet mobile app, Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) made the leap from browser-bound betting to a native-feeling mobile experience—without reinventing the wheel.
Project
Custom Software Development
Industry
Entertainment
Technology
Microsoft .NET MAUI
Our goal was to expand to a younger, mobile-first demographic while also improving the day-to-day experience of our core users. We wanted something fast, seamless, and modern — and that’s exactly what we achieved.
Senior Manager: Product & Design, HPIbet
Background
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) was founded in 1881 as the Ontario Jockey Club and is the largest operator of horse racing in Canada. WEG’s flagship betting platform, HPIbet, is Canada’s leading online horse racing betting platform, offering real-time wagering access to over 500 racetracks worldwide. For years, HPIbet users have enjoyed a robust, feature-rich browser-based experience. However, modern bettors of all ages expected more.
“One of the most common questions we got was, ‘Why isn’t HPIbet in the App Store?’” recalls Jackson. “Some VIP customers were even creating Chrome shortcuts just to simulate an app experience.”
Clearly, it was time for HPIbet to evolve.
The Challenge
Although HPIbet’s browser-based custom-software platform worked very well, its customers didn’t want to open a browser, type in a URL, and log in every time. They wanted the convenience of downloading an app and tapping an icon to jump straight into the action.
Beyond user expectations, there were also several strategic reasons for going mobile:
- Competitive pressure: HPIbet needed to match the mobile experiences of other platforms its users engaged with. Many of the players actively use multiple betting apps, and lacking a mobile app was a disadvantage. Creating a mobile app helps level the playing field and reinforces their leading position in a crowded marketplace.
- Access to device features: The web alone couldn’t support more advanced functionalities like push notifications, biometrics, and camera access. A mobile app unlocks tools that enhance the user experience and opens up opportunities for future features such as on-site QR code interactions.
- Future-proofing: Moving to a mobile app architecture allows HPIbet to stay aligned with rapid changes in mobile technology and positions the platform to evolve with user expectations. It also enables WEG to launch more engaging features in the future without being limited by browser constraints.
But creating separate native apps for iOS and Android, and maintaining those alongside the web platform, would have meant building and managing three distinct codebases. That would have been costly, time-consuming, and difficult to scale.
The solution had to deliver a smooth mobile experience, leverage existing web infrastructure, and remain adaptable for future improvements, all without ballooning technical debt.
The Solution
Enter Microsoft’s .NET MAUI, a powerful framework for building hybrid apps with a single codebase. Using MAUI, the Whitecap Canada development team was able to wrap HPIbet’s existing web application into a hybrid mobile app, adding just the right layer of native functionality, without the heavy lift of building from scratch.
By using this hybrid mobile app approach, the HPIbet project realized a number of key advantages beyond simply building faster.
Cost Reduction Through Code Reuse
The team was able to build for both iOS and Android from a single C# and .NET codebase. By reusing existing HPIbet web content inside MAUI's Custom Tabs (Android) and WKWebView (iOS), they avoided rebuilding core components, saving time, effort, and cost. No triple-codebase headaches!
Richer, Native-like Experience
MAUI gives the app direct access to native APIs for that natural “in the palm of my hand” mobile experience. Users can now log in with Face ID or fingerprint authentication, making it faster and more secure to place bets on the go.
Though the core of the experience mirrors the browser version, the Whitecap development team helped fine-tune elements to make everything feel natural on a smaller screen, including subtle UI tweaks and mobile-friendly gestures like swiping and pinching. All of this was accomplished in roughly a year, including several rounds of feature additions and refinements along the way.
Immersive Branded Experiences
With one quick tap on the app’s home screen icon users get fast, easy entry into the betting experience. No browser to launch or tiresome repeated logins required. Because the screen area has been maximized for content, it delivers a cleaner and more captivating interface experience. And, the app can even send custom alerts to users —like “Your race starts in 2 minutes”— keeping the horseracing fans engaged and in the loop even when the app is closed.
Built for Growth
The end result? While the core content remains web-based, the hybrid wrapper ensures tighter integration, better performance, and more robust security than a typical mobile browser. HPIbet feels native, works beautifully on both iOS and Android, yet reuses much of the existing website infrastructure.
“I think the biggest thing for us is coming up with new ways to engage the players, but then also to put ourselves in a position where we continue to grow with the evolving technology,” says Jackson. “When you stay confined to browsers, you can only go as quickly as browsers are going. Technology at the native level moves so much faster. So, this is a really good step for us.”
The Impact
The HPIbet mobile app was launched with a soft rollout, followed by increased promotion at racetracks and through other channels. While it’s still early days, the initial feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive.
"It’s very quick, efficient and user friendly, which is everything you could hope for when playing. You won’t have to worry about being shut out because of a cursor glitch of some sort. Also, make sure you turn on facial recognition settings; it makes it so much easier to log in as well. Great work here by the HPI team."
The rollout started with a soft launch, but early adoption spoke volumes:
3,000+ downloads in the first month with minimal promotion, primarily from existing VIP users.
Positive App Store feedback praising the faster login, improved stability, and sleek interface.
Increased engagement during live race events, as users could place bets quickly, receive timely notifications, and avoid browser timeouts.
“Horseracing is a game where timing is everything,” says Jackson. “We've really paid close attention to offering the features that will allow players to bet that way and bet in accordance with the rules of parimutuel wagering to give you the most advantage. And we have received a lot of feedback that the app is excellent.”
This project is a great example of how a forward-thinking business can evolve with its users, without scrapping what already works. HPIbet didn’t need to build something completely new. Instead, Whitecap was able to leverage smart technology purposefully to bring their existing platform into a new era.
Beyond the reviews, the app gives HPIbet a stronger presence in the Apple App Store (with Google Play coming soon), boosting credibility, discoverability, and convenience. It also aligns perfectly with the company’s ongoing push to attract a younger, mobile-first audience and grow digital engagement.
Looking Ahead
Perhaps most importantly, the app positions HPIbet for future growth. Thanks to its hybrid architecture, it’s easy to iterate, add features, and expand to new devices—like the iPad-optimized version already in the works.
With several app-dependent features in the roadmap (still under wraps), HPIbet is laying the foundation for deeper engagement, more innovative experiences, and a younger, mobile-enthusiastic demographic.
This project also highlights the value of long-term client relationships. Having built and maintained the HPIbet platform for years, the Whitecap developers were in the perfect position to guide this next step.
In a sport where every second counts, the app now delivers a betting experience built for speed and convenience. With every tap, HPIbet keeps Canada’s horse racing tradition alive and thriving—and ready for the next generation
Our relationship with Whitecap is so unique in the sense that because we deal with them all day, every day, it doesn't feel like a third-party relationship. It’s the bedrock of our ability to put these projects together and have them be successful in the first place. There's an air of ownership that exists because of our relationship and that allows us to cooperate from the same place, which makes all the difference.
Senior Manager: Product & Design, HPIbet