Long gone are the days when you had to head down to your local racetrack to bet on horses. Now, you can wager on races in the US and worldwide from the palm of your hand with a desktop or mobile device. Online horse racing betting is available in dozens of US states, and you can sign up and start playing in minutes.
Read our complete guide to find out everything you need to know about online horse racing betting in the US, including where it’s legal, the best horse racing betting sites, what bet types are available, and the bonuses you can claim by signing up.
Intro About Horse Racing in America
Unlike US sports betting, horse racing does not use a fixed odds system. Instead, it uses a system called pari-mutuel wagering. You place a bet on a horse racing event, the operator takes a cut, and your betting platform calculates your payout by splitting the betting pool between bet winners. You can place horse racing bets legally in over 40 US states, even in areas where sports betting isn’t legal.
The History of US Horse Race Betting
Horse racing has a centuries-old history in the US, with the first record horse race held in 1665 in Salisbury, New York (now Hempstead Plains, Long Island, New York). Horse racing and horse racing betting were incredibly popular for years until anti-gambling sentiments in the 19th century restricted betting on races.
Horse racing was in danger of disappearing in the US until 1908, when lawmakers permitted pari-mutuel horse racing betting. This reinvigorated the industry, with a further boost coming in 1978 when the Interstate Horseracing Act legalized off-track betting (OTB).
Congress amended the Interstate Horseracing Act in 2000 to allow wagers through telephones and electronic media, paving the path for online horse racing betting. Online horse racing betting received a further boost when lawmakers excluded this type of gambling from the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), which prohibited certain gambling.
Is Horse Racing Betting Legal in the US?
Horse racing betting is legal in 43 US states, with 42 jurisdictions allowing online horse racing betting. Each US state has its own laws for online horse racing, so ensure you familiarize yourself with the restrictions in the area where you are playing.
You must be a resident of a state where online horse racing betting is allowed to play, which is different from sports betting, where you can play as long as you’re in a state where it is legal. You must allow your device access to your geolocation to prove you are playing where online horse racing betting is legal.
Below, you’ll find a complete list of where you can legally bet on horses and how you can place these wagers.
Legal Track Betting
The oldest form of horse racing betting in the US that still operates is legal track betting. You visit your local racecourse and place wagers on upcoming races for that day. Many tracks are also fitted with historical horse racing betting machines, which you’ll find at OTBs, letting you wager on the outcome of past races.
Legal track betting has a few benefits, including watching races live and a social atmosphere, but you may have to travel long distances to your nearest racetrack.
Legal OTB (Off Track Betting)
Off-track betting was legalized in 1978, allowing licensed locations to provide pari-mutuel horse racing on current races and through historical horse racing machines. OTBs are more widespread than racetracks, making them more readily available for gamblers and may show broadcasts of races. However, you still have to travel to place your pari-mutuel wagers.
Legal Online/Mobile Horse Race Betting
With a legal horse racing betting platform, you can wager on races across the US and the globe from anywhere online horse racing betting is legal. While you can’t access historical horse racing betting, playing online has plenty of perks, including the chance to claim bonuses. You can also watch live streams of horse races and get faster processing of your pari-mutuel winnings.
Horse Racing Bet Types
You’ll find a range of bet types available at the best horse racing betting sites in the US, including options to predict race winners, horses to finish in high places, and the winners of multiple races. Find out more about the bets you can place when you sign up with our recommended operators below.
Win
A win bet is the most straightforward bet type you’ll find at advance deposit horse racing betting sites, allowing you to predict the winner of a race.
Place
A place bet gives you a bit more leniency with your wager, paying out if your horse finishes first or second in a race.
Show
With a show wager, your horse can finish first, second, or third, and you’ll receive your payout. The odds will be less generous as there is less risk with a show bet than with a place or win option.
Pick Bets
You can combine multiple win wagers into a parlay called a pick bet. For example, with a pick 3 wager, you must correctly predict the winner of three horse races. All your predictions must be correct for your pick bet to payout. For example, if you predict the winner of four races, and only three are right, you’ll get nothing.
As there is added risk with pick bets rather than wagering on each win separately, you’ll get more generous odds. The more selections you add to your pick bets, the higher the odds.
Exacta
When you place an exacta wager, you have to predict the horse to win and the horse to come second in a race correctly. You must get both parts of the wager correctly to get a payout.
Trifecta
A trifecta is similar to an exacta wager, except you need to predict the horses to come in first, second, and third in a race.
Superfecta
To place a successful superfecta, you must predict which horses will come first, second, third, and fourth in a race. Superfecta bets will have high odds because you must get four outcomes right for your wager to win.
Online Horse Racing Betting Offers
One of the benefits of playing with an online horse racing betting platform rather than visiting a track betting location or OTB is that you can claim betting promotions while you play. A horse racing betting offer allows you to place more bets while risking less money. Advance deposit wagering sites provide these to ensure customers keep coming back.
The available promotions vary from site to site, but one of the most common bonuses is a deposit match. With this promo, your horse racing betting site will match a percentage of your deposit with bonus bets you can use to place more wagers. For example, with a 100% deposit match up to $100, the advance deposit wager site will equal your deposit up to $100, giving you a maximum reward of $100 in bonus bets.
Another popular type of bonus is bet insurance, where you’ll earn bonus bets equal to the value of your losing stake. You can also earn bonus bets through referring friends to the site and loyalty programs.
The best US horse racing betting sites offer new customers a welcome bonus to encourage them to sign up. These offers are often the most generous an operator offers, offering players the chance to play with bonus bets and potentially walk away with a profit.
Horse Racing Betting Mobile Apps
Many top advance deposit wagering sites will provide tailored mobile apps that allow you to access your account and pari-mutuel betting markets on the move. You can often download these apps through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Sometimes, you can visit the mobile browser site of your chosen horse racing betting provider and find a link to download the app directly, especially if you’re an Android player.
Horse racing betting apps give you access to all the same markets and races as playing on a desktop, letting you navigate between events in just a few taps. Horse racing apps are often faster than desktop sites, providing faster odds and letting you jump in on the action. Additionally, you can contact customer support, make transactions, and claim bonuses through your mobile.
If your chosen horse racing betting operator provides live streaming, you can watch HD streams through your horse racing betting app. Additionally, some apps may provide mobile exclusive features like exclusive payment methods such as Apple Pay, event notifications, and integration with Face and Touch ID.
FAQs
Q: Is online horse racing betting legal?
A: Online horse racing betting is legal in many US states, with only a handful of jurisdictions prohibiting this type of gambling. Follow the links on this page to sign up with our recommended operators to place bets on the latest races from the comfort of your home.
Q: Where can I place online wagers on horse racing?
A: You can place online horse racing bets in 42 US states. Only Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington D.C. prevent this type of gambling. In other US states, you can use licensed platforms to place wagers on horse races across the globe.
Q: What different bets can I place on horse racing?
A: You can place various bets on horse racing, usually on whether a horse will win a race. However, some bet types allow you to wager on a horse finishing in the top two or top three. You can also find wagers that will enable you to simultaneously predict the outcome of multiple races.
Q: Can I place bets on horse racing using my phone?
A: Yes, many top advance deposit wagering sites for horse racing supply mobile apps you can download to access your account on the move. As long as you have a connection and play where pari-mutuel horse racing is legal, you can make deposits, claim bonuses, and place wagers using a horse racing mobile app.