Last updated on: January 10th, 2024
Legal Online Racebooks + Racebook Sites In The US
When it comes to finding online racebooks that are legal, there is no reason to have any trouble. Throughout this page, we review the top 2024 horse racebook sites that have been accepting US residents for multiple decades. No matter what state you are looking to bet on horses online from, there are trusted and secure sites that will take your action. Most of the top sites offering legal horse racing betting double as online sportsbooks. Therefore, Bovada and BetOnline are two of the overall best options for betting on the ponies in 2024 and beyond.
These offshore horse betting sites offer everything from trifecta bets to superfecta, exacta, and for any horse to win the Triple Crown.
#1
Bovada Sportsbook
Top Horse Racing Sportsbook
World-renowned for their sportsbook, Bovada’s incredible racebook and horse racing odds often go under the radar. They offer win, place, and show odds in both fractional and American odds for each race they offer. Bovada offers odds on all three triple crown races. Plus, they have dedicated sections with races from up to 30 different worldwide tracks.
Bovada is the best site for horse racing betting and separates itself from the rest due to how seamlessly players can move within their racebook, sportsbook, and top-notch casino. Transferring funds is not needed when going from one section to another, as all the different sections of their sites work together.
Rating: 
- Live Betting
- Big Bonuses
- Easy To Use
- Mobile Betting
- Best Odds
#2
BetOnline Sportsbook
Huge Selection Of Horse Racing Odds
Offering odds on many different thoroughbred and harness-style horse races, BetOnline has separated itself from many other top online racebooks with its variety of betting odds. The different types of odds that they offer for a standard race are straight-up, exacta, trifecta, and superfecta. They also offer daily double, pick threes, and pick five options that cover multiple races.
Unlike many other racebooks, BetOnline offers a 9% rebate on all exotic wagers within their site. There is no limit to how many times players take advantage of BetOnline’s rebate, making it one of the best deals offered by legal horse racing betting sites. BetOnline also offers a $25 risk-free bet for players making their first bet in the racebook.
Rating:
- Reliable Banking Methods
- Strong Server Connection
- 10+ Year Track Record
- Huge Assortment Of Odds
- No App Mobile Betting
Legality Of Online Horse Race Betting
Legal 2024 horse racebooks are mainly available because the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) makes an exception for this sport. UIGEA is a federal law that doesn’t allow banking institutions to process payments made from a bettor to an online gambling company. When this law passed it forced many online gaming companies to leave the U.S. market. But, because the UIGEA left online pari-mutuel wagering up to individual states, many of them chose to allow companies like TVG, TwinSpires, and BetAmerica to operate within their borders.
While these legal betting sites are some of the most well-known domestic pari-mutuel wagering sites, there is another way to access legal horse betting. Those come in the form of offshore racebooks. Sites such as Bovada, BetOnline, SportsBetting, and MyBookie all offer a way to bet on horse races happening across the globe. These offshore racebooks are able to legally operate in any U.S. state because they fall outside the legal purview of any state and the federal government. If you live in a state that allows you to access U.S.-based betting sites then you can use these sites as a way to shop odds.
Commercial Racebooks Available In The US
There are plenty of options when it comes to racebook sites that allow US players. Some are internationally regulated and others have individual states that govern them. Having already learned about the two best horse racing betting sites for US residents, Bovada and BetOnline, an excellent second step is learning about highly rated state-sanctioned racebook. Those 2024 horse racebooks are TVG, TwinSpires, and BetAmerica. Each racebook has unique features that have made them incredible in their own right that the sections below highlight.
TVG:
One aspect of TVG that isn’t rivaled is their horse race viewing capabilities. TVG established itself as the go-to source for any televised racing events before it released an online racebook. When using TVG, you can oftentimes watch live simulcasts of the races you bet on straight from the device you choose to bet your money with.
You also have multiple deposit options with TVG, most notably PayPal. However, if you don’t want to go through PayPal and would rather just use a debit or credit card then you can as well. TVG also offers pre-paid cards if you wanted to give one as a gift to a fellow pari-mutuel bettor. Withdrawing options are just as easy and they process rather quickly. You don’t have to wait to collect your winnings long after the race has finished.
BetAmerica:
Headquartered in Kentucky, BetAmreica is also a famous name in the online gambling world. BetAmerica is a bit more diverse than it’s competitors. When you log onto the site, you’ll see that BetAmerica also offers an expansive online sportsbook and a lucrative online casino to go along with its racebook. This may lead you to believe that they don’t put as much focus into their racebook but that would be a false claim. BetAmerica has long proven itself to be a leader in the industry.
One of the reasons why it’s able to hold that title is because BetAmerica offers great promotions and deals to its users. This is especially true for new users because the site offers a 100% match bonus worth up to 100 dollars. While offshore online betting sites feature similar deals and often times more money, BetAmerica’s deals are still among the elite when compared to other online racebooks in the US.
TwinSpires:
TwinSpires holds arguably the strongest brand name of all legal horse race betting sites in the US. That is because Twin Spires is the official partner of the Kentucky Derby. The site is also well known among racebook sites for offering just about all the different types of bets you can place on a horse race. You can put money on a win, place, or show bet while also having access to a large number of exotic bets.
TwinSpires also offers a very simple rewards program when betting on horse races. You simply earn points every time you place a wager with them. Once you accumulate those points, you can use them for wagering credits. TwinSpires goes more into depth on how this system works on their site. They also have tutorials for how to place bets on the races they offer which makes it ideal for any gambler that is new to online pari-mutuel wagering.
Types Of Horse Racing Bets
- Win: Betting on who you think will win the race.
- Place: Betting on a horse to finish either first or second in the race.
- Show: Betting on a horse to finish in the top three of the race.
- Exacta: Picking two horses to finish first and second, in that order.
- Trifecta: Picking three horses to finish first, second and third, in that order.
- Superfecta: Picking four horses to finish 1-4, in order.
- Pick 3: A parlay wager between three separate races, requiring three correct first-place bets on each race.
- Pick 4: Picking the first-place winners of four different races, with one loss ruining the whole bet, but a monstrously high payout ratio.
U.S. Horse Race Betting Apps
Each one of the sites mentioned above offers some form of an iOS or Android platform that you can download from either the App Store or the Google Play Store. TVG allows you to stream races straight from the app giving it a great advantage over other online racebooks. When it comes to your offshore racebook options you can also bet on the ponies from your phone as well. They do not have a dedicated app like the US-based sites, but you can log onto their betting platform from your mobile browser and put money down through that route. Their sites are mobile-optimized meaning you can still get the look and feel of an app without having to download anything to your device. This actually saves you storage. So as long as you have an internet connection you can use any US mobile sports betting sites for horse racing betting.
Biggest Horse Racing Events To Bet On
States with live horse racing tracks host dozens of races every year, but the majority of these races are regional in nature and their appeal is limited to local racing fans. But there are a handful of events that hold global renown and draw millions of viewers. The most prominent of these events is the Triple Crown races—the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Legal Triple Crown betting sites give you a chance to wager on one of the most coveted achievements not just in horse racing, but in all sports.
Kentucky Derby
Known around the country as ‘the most exciting two minutes in sports’, the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown. It is the most popular horse race in America and a top event at legal horse racing betting sites. The race has been at the legendary Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky every year since 1875. Fans in attendance can oftentimes include celebrities who want to bet at Kentucky Derby racebooks.
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is the second leg of the Triple Crown and many times just as viewed as the Kentucky Derby. That is because it is two weeks after the Derby. Whichever horse the won the Derby will see plenty of action to win at Preakness Stakes racebooks. Outside of legal horse betting, many people are also able to attend this race because it is at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, which is the more populated city in Maryland.
Belmont Stakes
The third of the Triple Crown events is the Belmont Stakes. This race occasionally comes with storylines about a Triple Crown winner, but always draws a ton of action at 2024 horse racebooks regardless. If a single racehorse succeeds in winning the previous two Triple Crown events, then players can wager in hopes to cash in on the horse to be the Triple Crown winner. There are sure to be a lot of betting odds available at Belmont Stakes racebooks.
Online Horse Racing Betting FAQs
How Do Horse Race Betting Payouts Work?
The payout for betting on a horse will depend on how much money has been bet on that individual horse. Let’s say you see a horse with 3:1 odds to win a race. Then you will only have to bet a dollar on that horse to win your dollar back plus three dollars. If those numbers were reversed and a certain horse has 1:3 odds to win a race then you will have to put down three dollars in order to win your money back plus an extra dollar. The payouts for a win bet will be higher because you have less of a chance of winning than when you place a place or show bet. Exotic bets can also serve a higher payout because there is less of a chance of your picks actually coming to fruition.
Why Can I Bet On Horses Online And Not Sports?
There are a few notable racebooks that offer horse racing in select states. Notable horse racing online operators are TwinSpires, TVG, BetAmerica Racing, and Xpressbet. These racebooks are horse racing focused. Other top online racebooks include Bovada and BetOnline. While these operators are more known for sports betting, they do offer some of the best odds for horse racing betting and fans should definitely check these operators when looking to bet on horses.
Do Horse Racing Betting Sites In The U.S. Offer Virtual Horse Race Betting?
Typically, the top U.S.-based horse race betting sites do not offer virtual horse race betting. This is a popular way of gambling online in Europe and in the U.K. especially, but none of the domestic sites we listed above offer this form of betting. However, state-licensed brick and mortar racetracks may offer historical horse racing, which is essentially the same as virtual racing. Races are based off of data complied from races that have already taken place, without the actual names of jockeys or horses being revealed to the bettor. Online racebooks that operate offshore may offer virtual horse race bets. These races happen every few minutes so there is no need to wait for live race in order to get the thrill of betting on the ponies.
Can I Parlay Bets on Horses?
In sports betting, parlaying is a key component in any bettors toolbox. Parlays allow bettors to get increased odds on a bet that combines the results of multiple events. In horse racing, parlays can be one multiple races in one day, over a season, or even events in the same race. Parlaying for horse racing isn’t as popular as it is for traditional sports, but it can still be done. Check out your individual sports betting platform’s rules on parlaying horse races to find out exactly what is available to parlay.