American Horse Racing Betting Sites
Online Horse Racing Betting in the USA. Although internet sports betting is still out of reach for many people in the United States, the same cannot be said of online horse racing betting.It is perfectly legal for residents of the United States to bet on horse racing online, other than in a handful of specific states. Therefore, although it may seem strange, a person residing in America can. Because you're betting or trading against other anonymous punters rather than the sportsbooks or bookies, the odds are regularly higher. You'll find this particularly in horse racing, although other sports do see some improved odds too. If you're a US based bettor in New Jersey, you can already take advantage of an American betting exchange. Betting horse races legally from the comfort of your home has never been easier! Bet horse racing on our premier desktop site or on the go with our fast mobile app. Never miss betting a race at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Breeders’ Cup, Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita. Horse Racing Betting News in the USA as we bring you the latest odds and picks from the big events to daily form along with Horse Racing Betting from across the States. You can now view the Entries for every North American track and more in the Horse Racing Entries section of the site. From here, you can click into tracks, horses, jockeys.
One interesting aspect of signing up with a legal betting site is the range of promotions and rebates offered to enhance the betting experience.
This guide looks at a variety of ways in which you can claim rebates and other forms of extra funds. We will discuss some of the most popular bonus types, in detail, with examples from some of the leading racebooks. The guide ends with advice about how any bonus works.
- Horse racing rebates: How the online horse racing betting sites replaced flat-rate rebate deals.
- Welcome offers: Bonuses when you sign up at a new site.
- Cashback and bet insurance: Lose your bet but meet the conditions and get your money back.
- Best odds guaranteed: Best of available odds, whether taken early or at the start.
- Understanding rollovers: How do rollovers work and what to look for to maximize value.
- Free past performances: Studying the form without payment.
Top Horse Racing Bonus
Horse racing rebates: Offline and online
Offering bettors flat rate rebates on bets — win or lose — has been a popular way to offer loyalty rewards for many years. This (live) betting offers return between 3% and 10%, depending on the type of bet (singles, multiples, trifectas and so on) and the amount you bet.
While many gray-market bookmakers offer flat rate rebates, the risks associated with betting at these books make them dangerous for informed bettors.
What you will find from legal horse betting sites is a mix of welcome offers and ongoing loyalty rewards that take the place of rebates. These promotions cover regular and occasional bets. You might also find special loyalty programs aimed at high rollers.
Examples of rebates and promos available at the three biggest legal online horse racing sites
#1TVG: Use promo code LSRTVG to claim a risk-free bet of up to $200 on your first single wager. Earn credits for every bet, which can then can become wager rewards. TVG promos include sweepstakes, free past performance reports, and cashback for three out of four picks.
#2 BetAmerica: You can get a 100% matched welcome bonus, up to $100. Customers earn points for each bet they make. Promos include VIP Daymaker, where losing bettors can get their stake back on their star selection, plus specials for the big races.
#3 TwinSpires: Get $20 in bonus bets for every $100 in bets (up to $100 max). Loyalty points scheme gives regular bettors additional free bets, separate VIP scheme for high rollers. It offers a long list of promos including “Winsurance,” “Bet Back” and added prize money offers.
Welcome offers at online racebooks
Online racebooks compete for business by offering a welcome deal for new customers. These take the form of matched welcome bonuses or occasionally a free bets bonus.
An excellent example of a welcome bonus is at TwinSpires, which offers a $100 bonus to all customers. This is a straightforward bonus that awards the customer in increments of $20 every time he or she bets $100 at the site.
There is no expiration on this bonus. You must make an initial deposit, keep betting, and the full $100 bonus will be yours. High rollers might want to place a $500 bet immediately and claim the $100 right away, while others might want to place 50 bets of $10 over a few weeks.
While this looks like a 20% rebate, you need to account for the need to bet the bonus money before you can withdraw it.
100% matched bonus
One of the attractive welcome bonus offers featured by racebooks is a 100% match on your first deposit.
For example, when opening a new account at TVG, customers will receive a 100% match bonus up to $200.
The TVG matched bonus has no strict conditions attached to the bonus money – just as long as you use it for a bet. This makes it the equivalent of an instant rebate, win or lose.
Loyalty rewards
As well as creating offers to entice new customers, racebooks also offer a series of incentives to keep existing customers happy.
Most sites offer a loyalty scheme, where customers will earn points every time they bet. Once earning a certain amount of points, customers can convert them into cash and add it to their account.
A good example of a loyalty scheme is Wager Rewards at BetAmerica. By earning 1 point for every dollar wagered, and additional bonus points if placing exotic bets such as exactas and Pick 6 bets. Customers can convert these points into cash at any time.
The rebate potential for these loyalty schemes depends on the mix of bets made. While small in percentage terms, this money will add up over time, providing a bankroll boost.
High rollers can sometimes qualify for VIP schemes. By betting a certain amount, bettors can enjoy additional benefits such as special promotions and extra deposit bonuses. The biggest bettors can expect custom offers and even a dedicated host.
Horse racing rebates via cashback or bet insurance
Another way of rewarding customers is via cashback offers. This is much like insurance on bets involving multiple selections.
As an example of a cashback offer, a horse racing betting site will offer you a rebate on your stake should your selection finish second in a selected race. This kind of offer is usually only available for the bigger races, such as the Kentucky Derby, or the more significant lead-up races to the main events. Occasionally these offers extend to third place, too, with your stake returned to your account.
Insurance bets are slightly different, as they offer rebates when one leg of a combination bet doesn’t win. For example, if you enter a Pick 4 contest and only pick three of the winners, a promotion such as this will see you win your initial stake back as a rebate.
Best odds guaranteed
These are promotions mostly available at European sites that offer their own odds, as opposed to betting in a pari mutuel pool. You’ll usually have a choice of either taking the current odds offered by the site or taking the odds at the starting of the race (the starting price.)
With a “Best Odds Guaranteed” offer, you get the best of the two. If you opt for an early price and the odds do become longer, you’ll get those longer odds. If you took a price early and there is a lot of money for the horse, you’ll keep those longer odds.
Understanding bonus rollovers
At some sites, you’ll receive a bonus with rollover requirements. A rollover requirement is the number of times you’ll need to play through your account cash and the bonus funds before your bonus cash clears.
For example, you might sign up to a new site with a 100% deposit bonus with a 5x rollover requirement. If you then deposit $100, you’ll receive $100 in bonus cash. This means you’ll have to bet the total $200 five times to make the bonus cash yours. And, in this case, it’s $1,000 worth of betting.
Make sure you compare rollover requirements when deciding between bonuses. These affect the rebate potential for each of the offers.
Free past performances
Past performances are a key aspect of reading the form. You would usually pay for the opportunity of reading them. However, some online horse racing sites will offer past performances as an additional perk.
For example, at TVG, you can purchase a series of past performances. However, if you place a bet of at least $10 on the meeting in question, you’ll be reimbursed for the cost of this information.
Some sites will also offer free past performances to all members on selected races, especially at the largest race meetings.
Live streaming
In this day and age when there seems to be a cost attached to any streaming channel, racing fans can enjoy free streaming widely.
All of the three legal horse racing sites offer standard live streaming. You can watch any race you have placed a bet on, and many significant events you can watch in real-time.
Read the terms and conditions
Whenever you sign up at a new site or take part in any bonus or promotion, check the terms and conditions (T&Cs) of both the site and the bonus in question. Yes, the T&Cs can seem a little long-winded at times, but you will find out valuable information.
For example, in the terms and conditions, you’ll find the expiration date for the bonus. You’ll also find out if there are any state restrictions when using a particular site.
Generally, you’ll find all of the terms and conditions above board. However, they can be useful in finding out if a bonus offer is not such a good one.
For example, if you read in the T&Cs that a bonus has a 50x rollover requirement, it’s pretty clear immediately that this offer probably is not as worthwhile.
There’s no doubt about it. Betting on horse racing online is the way to go.It’s easy to place real money wagers online these days, and there are manybenefits to doing so.
You need to be cautious, though. It may not be a wise choice to join thefirst betting site you come across, especially if you live in America. Avoid theshady operators by following our recommendations for the best US horse racingbetting sites.
Rank | DE Betting Site | Exclusive Bonus | Get Started | |
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#1 | Betway Sports | Up To€150 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#2 | 22Bet Sports | 100% Up To€122 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#3 | Spin Sports | 100% Up To€200 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#4 | 10Bet Sports | 100% Up To€50 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
#5 | Guts Sports | 100% Up To€50 | Visit Site | Visit Site |
Did you know that more than 157,000 attended the 2018 Kentucky Derby atChurchill Downs? Or that more than 131,000 people visited Pimlico to watch the2019 Preakness Stakes?
It’s true. And while it’d be awesome to watch and bet on these American horseraces in person, not everyone has the means to. Not everyone wants to deal withthe crowds these races attract either.
Are you ready for some good news? You can bet on races like these and muchmore when you join one of the best online horse racing betting sites for the US.Great if you don’t like crowds or if you’ve no desire to dress in your Sundaybest.
When you’re betting online for real money, you need to do your homework toensure that you join a safe and legit bookmaker or sportsbook. That way you canavoid bad experiences such as slow cash outs or bad customer support.
Finding trusted online horse racing betting sites for USA bettors can betough, though. There are lots to choose from, and only a few are genuinely topquality.
The easy solution is to join one of our recommended racebooks above. Weinvest a lot of time and resources reviewing and ranking all the availableoptions so we can compile a list that truly reflects the best horse racingbetting sites at any given time.
If you heed our recommendations, you can rest assured that you’ll be signingat the best places to bet on horse racing online.
We’ll explain how we come up with our recommendations in the next section.
Why You Can Trust Our Top-Rated Horse Betting Sites
You want to join an online racebook so that you can bet on horses, and youonly have two options for how to get that done.
- You can choose a horse betting site yourself
- You can join one of the top horse racing betting sites we recommend
There are pros and cons for either choice. If you choose to do things on yourown, you have your work cut out for you. There are tons of US horse racingbetting websites for you to consider.
The quantity of options is the good news. The bad news is that most of thesebetting sites aren’t worth your time. Some have, let’s say, less than stellarreputations, and shouldn’t be trusted when you’re depositing real money to betwith. Others might be safer, but not have the best selection of races, wagers,or odds.
Chances are, you’d waste some time and money trying to find a top horseracing betting site unless you get very lucky.
Your other option is to join one of the top USA horse racing betting sites werecommend. The challenge here is to trust that we have your best interest atheart. But how can we prove that to you?
There’s no surefire way, but what we can do is explain our process, includingwhat we look for and care about in a horse racing betting site.
Maybe you’ll trust us a bit more once you see how much effort goes intodeciding which online racebooks we want to recommend to our audience.
We research and test every horse betting site we recommend. It’s during thisphase that we check for wagering options, US horse races you can bet on, thedeposit options you can use, and more.
Before we do any of that, though, we ensure the site is safe to use. How dowe do that? We research the following information.
We scour the web for player complaints and criticisms. We’re not worriedabout the occasional hiccup or slow payout.
What we look for are signs of perpetually slow or no pays, sites thatretroactively change their terms, or if they’ve mistreated their customers andto what extent.
License
We ensure the bookmaker has a legitimate license, as that tells us they paida fee and went through an official vetting process. It also tells us they’reoffering their real money online betting services legally.
The gambling commission that issued the license is important, too. This tellsus how much player protection there may be.
Many bettors skip over the terms and conditions, but this is a huge mistake.
The terms tell you the site’s betting and banking limits, when they voidbets, how they handle technical issues, and more. We check the terms to ensurethey’re as fair to players as possible.
If an operator fails in any of these areas, there’s no way we’ll award themwith our Seal ofApproval.
Our Seal of Approval is our guarantee that a site is safe to join. And weonly recommend online gambling sites that are TRULY worthy of our seal.
You’ll notice that we recommend only a few US horse racing betting sites onthis page. This is intentional. While many of the sites we’ve reviewed are worthusing, they’re not all top quality. So, we don’t recommend those front andcenter on pages like this one.
This is how you know the sites we recommend are the safest horse racingbetting sites online for Americans.
Now, safety is just one aspect to consider when choosing a horse racingbetting site. You also need to consider whether it’s a good fit for yourpersonal preferences and requirements. And whether it’s truly one of the bestsites for betting on horse racing online.
Looking at the following qualities helps to separate the top horse bettingsites from the rest.
- Accept action on a variety of US and international horse races
- Offer a variety of betting options
- Have reasonable odds
- Allow you to bet as little or as much as you want
- Offer features such as live streaming, early cashouts, or mobile apps
We like to ensure that the sites we recommend are a great fit specificallyfor Americans who want to bet on Thoroughbreds and races like the KentuckyDerby, Preakness, or Belmont Stakes.
We want you to be thrilled when you join one of the bookmakers andsportsbooks we recommend. If you join one of our top-rated IS horse racingbetting sites and aren’t excited or don’t want to bet as much as possible, thenwe failed somewhere.
And there you have it. That’s a bird’s-eye view of our approach to reviewingand ranking betting sites for US horse bettors.
To summarize, we ensure every recommendation is suitable Americans looking tobet on horses online. Otherwise, we won’t recommend them.
Our in-depth process is how we can confidently say that we recommend the bestUS sites for betting on horse racing.
The top US horse racing betting sites we recommend all offer a robustselection of racing types, horse races, and bets for you to make.
Here’s a taste of what you can expect to find when you bet online.
Popular Types of Horse Racing Breeds in America
The best horse racing betting sites all offer action on Thoroughbred horseracing. Thoroughbred horses are bred for two specific types of racing, flatraces and jump races
These include races like the Kentucky Derby or Belmont Stakes. Flat tracksare usually anywhere from 0.25 mile to 1.75 miles long.
- Jump races
These races are run over longer distances ranging from 2 miles on up to 4.5miles. These races have obstacles such as hurdles and water puddles for thehorses to jump over.
Most US horse betting websites also offer action on the following breeds.
These horses are used for a race type known as harness racing (or chariots).Important harness races include the Breeders Crown, Hambletonian, and Gold Cupand Saucer.
- Endurance Horse
These horses are bred for long distances between 10 and 100 miles. Thelongest horse race in the world is the Mongol Derby which is 620 miles long.
These horses are bred specifically for racing 0.25-mile tracks. They canreach 55 miles per hour at a full sprint.
Biggest US Horse Races
If you’re an American betting on horses, then you’ll likely want to bet onthe biggest and most popular US horse races that run each year.
The best online betting sites for horse racing will accept action on thefollowing races. We’ll start with the races that make up the Triple Crown.
This race is the first leg in the Triple Crown and is 1.25 miles long. It’srun on the first Saturday in May each year.
- Preakness Stakes
This 1.1875-mile-long race is held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby at thePimlico Race Course in Maryland.
This is the longest and most challenging race in the Triple Crown. It’s 1.5miles long. Belmont Stakes is run five weeks after the Kentucky Derby.
The Triple Crown is the most coveted award in all of US horse racing. To winthe Triple Crown, a horse must win all three races in a single year.
We’ve ranked the best US horse racing gambling sites for each race in theTriple Crown.
Those aren’t the only major US horse races you can bet on, though. There areothers that you can bet on, too.
This is a Thoroughbred race that takes place in the United States or Canadaeach year. This even takes two days to complete all 14 races. This includes the$6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Race.
- Travers Stakes
This is a Thoroughbred race that’s run at the Saratoga Race Course in NewYork. This is a 1.25-mile-long race that has a $1.25 million purse.
This 1.25-mile Thoroughbred race is held at the Arlington InternationalRacecourse every year. The purse is $1 million.
- Arkansas Derby
The Arkansas Derby is held at the Oaklawn Park Race Track in Arkansas.Competitors race for 1.125 miles to win the $1 million purse.
This 1.25-mile race is held every year in at the Del Mar Racetrack inCalifornia. The purse is $1 million (guaranteed).
As we said, you won’t have any problems finding US-based horse races to beton, especially if you join a legit bookmaker. You canlearnmore about the major US racetracks here.
Horse Race Betting Sites Usa
But the online racebooks we recommend don’t solely offer action on US horseraces. You’ll find plenty of opportunities for international horse races, too.This includes races like Epsom Derby, The Everest, Melbourne Cup, and the JapanCup.
Bets Americans Can Make on Horse Racing
You’re not going to have a shortage of betting options as long as you join aquality US horse betting site. The following bets are the types of wagers mostsites accept online.
Your horse needs to finish in first for this bet to pay.
- Place
Your horse needs to finish in first or second for this bet to pay.
Your horse needs to finish in first, second, or third for this bet to pay.
- Across the Board
Play your horse in all three positions. Your wager will apply across theboard, meaning that a $2 wager means you’re betting $2 to win, place, andshow. If your horse wins, you’ll collect on all three bets. If your horseplaces, you’ll collect on the place and show bet. And if your horses shows,you’ll collect only that bet.
Pick two horses that you think will finish in first or second. The orderdoesn’t matter so long as both horses finish in the top two.
- Exacta
Pick the two horses that you think will finish in the top two in theexact order they will finish in.
Same as the exacta bet but with a third horse. You need to decide whichhorses will finish in first, second, and third.
- Superfecta
Same as the trifecta bet but with a fourth horse.
Pick the winning horse in two consecutive races.
- Pick 3
Pick the horse that you think will win in three consecutive races.
Same as the pick 3 but your horse must win in four consecutive races instead.
- Pick 6
Same as the pick 4 but your horse must win in six consecutive races instead.
Pick the horse to win and three other horses, one of which that MUST finishin second for this bet to pay off. Sometimes, it’s called a “key” bet.
- Box
If you can’t narrow your selection of the best horses, you can choose severalhorses for an exacta, trifecta, or superfecta bet. Two to four of the five orsix horses you choose must finish in the top spots for this bet to pay off, butnot necessarily in the exact order.
Bet on future races weeks and months before the race starts.
- Props
These are bets on seemingly random outcomes that don’t fit under the categoryof winning a race. One example we’ve seen is a bet on whether you think therewill be a US Triple Crown winner the following year.
Keep in mind is that every online betting site is different. It doesn’tmatter what country you’re betting from. Every bookmaker covers different races,offers different odds, and accepts different types of bets.
This is one of the many reasons why we recommend you join more than one site.The more you join, assuming your bankroll can handle it, the more types of betsyou can make.
Having more than one online betting account also enables you to shop aroundfor the best odds. That way, you can ensure you’re getting the most value on theraces you want to bet on.
Horse Racing Betting On Internet
This is a common question we receive from Americans who want to bet on horsesonline.
If you’re tuned into gambling news and legislation, then you probably knowthat each state can legalize online sports betting. And you probably know thatmany states have done just that, while many others are arguing about how to getit done.
Currently, there are over 30 states that OFFICIALLY allow you to bet onhorses online. But just because you’re not in one of those states, that doesn’tmean you can’t gamble online. You still have the option of using offshore sites.
Most people won’t have any trouble betting on horses at offshore sites. Theyare usually safe and above board, assuming you sign with top-rated horse racingbetting sites such as the ones we recommend.
Regulation Is Key for Offshore Bookmakers
When choosing a US-friendly horse betting sites to join, one of the mostimportant things you want to look for is whether it is regulated or unregulated.
American Horse Racing Betting Sites Odds
A regulated betting has a license in at least one gambling jurisdiction.There are many jurisdictions out there. Gambling commissions in Panama, CostaRica, and Curacao issue licenses to operators that serve US bettors online.
The license in itself is important because it means the operator applied forit. They had to pay a fee, prove that they had cashflow, and usually have toagree to a list of stipulations, such as keeping a separate account for playerfunds.
But that’s not all that a gambling commission does. They also “regulate” oroversee every betting sites they license to ensure they continue following theirrules. Gambling commission also investigated player complaints and, in the caseof a legitimate complaint, issue fines, suspensions, and even revoke licenses ifthe situation warrants it.
All of this is done to keep online bookmakers and sportsbooks above boardand, more importantly, players and their bankrolls safe.
Remember, every single one of the best US horse racing betting sites that werecommend operates legally in the jurisdictions they’re licensed in.
American Horse Racing Betting Sites Real Money
Horse racing is a beloved sport. People love to watch it, evident by the tensof thousands who show up to watch the races in person. This is on top ofthe MILLIONS who watch it on cable.
But fans love to bet on races just as much as they love to watch them. As aresult, millions of dollars are wagered annually on horse races.
Us Horse Racing Betting Sites
If you’re excited to get started, the great news is that you can watch andbet on horse racing online from the comfort of your own home. You need nothingmore than a laptop or mobile device and an internet connection.
The first and most important step is to choose a site to join. Get this rightand it’s all but guaranteed that you’ll have a safe and enjoyable experiencegambling online.
We’ve already done the homework for you, reviewing and hand-selecting thebest US horse betting sites you can join this year. Join one today and find outfor yourself!