Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in the US and UK
By the MyHorseBets team · Updated · 11 min read
The best horse race betting sites depend first on where you live. In the US, online horse racing bets go through advance deposit wagering (ADW) sites such as FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires, Xpressbet and AmWager, and each one only accepts customers in the states on its own list. In the UK, you bet with fixed-odds bookmakers, betting exchanges or the Tote, all licensed by the Gambling Commission.
This guide covers both. The US section explains how ADW betting works, which sites take bets in which states, and the age rules each site publishes. The UK section explains the four types of horse racing betting site and what to check before you join one. Nothing here is a tip, and nothing on this page is an affiliate link.
US and UK Horse Racing Betting Sites at a Glance
| United States | Great Britain | |
|---|---|---|
| Main kind of online site | Advance deposit wagering (ADW) | Fixed-odds bookmakers, exchanges and the Tote |
| How your bet is priced | Pari-mutuel pools: the payout is set when the pool closes | Mostly fixed odds you lock in when you bet, plus Tote pools |
| Who licenses the site | State racing commissions, under the federal Interstate Horseracing Act | The Gambling Commission |
| Where it’s available | Only the states on each site’s list | Anywhere in Great Britain |
| Minimum age | 18 or 21, depending on the state and the site | 18 |
| Free help | National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET | GambleAware and GAMSTOP |
Sources: 15 U.S. Code § 3002, the operators’ own state and terms pages (named under each site below, read on 8 October 2026), the Gambling Commission and the National Council on Problem Gambling.
Horse Racing Betting Sites in the US
What Advance Deposit Wagering Means
An ADW site is an online account with a licensed wagering company. You deposit money first, then bet from that balance on races at tracks around the country and abroad. The bets are pari-mutuel: they join the betting pools for that race, so the odds you see keep moving until the race starts, and your payout is only fixed when the pool closes.
The legal basis is the federal Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978. It defines an interstate off-track wager as a legal wager on a horse race in another state, “where lawful in each State involved”, including bets “placed or transmitted by an individual in one State via telephone or other electronic media” (15 U.S. Code § 3002). In plain terms: the federal law makes online racing bets possible, but each state still decides whether its residents can use them, and each ADW decides which states it serves.
That’s why the same site can be open to a bettor in Kentucky and closed to one in Texas, and why the honest answer to “is online horse betting legal?” is always “in which state?”.
The Main US Horse Racing Betting Sites
FanDuel Racing, Xpressbet and AmWager were the top three Google results for horse race betting sites in the US when we checked on 8 October 2026, and TwinSpires is the site run by Churchill Downs. The details below come from each operator’s own pages on that date. We haven’t opened accounts with them, and we don’t rank one above another.
| Site | Who runs it | Where it says it takes bets | Minimum age it states |
|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel Racing | Betfair Interactive US LLC (FanDuel) | 27 states through the FanDuel Racing app; some states through the FanDuel Sportsbook app instead | Not stated on the pages we read |
| TwinSpires | Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby | No public state list that we could find | Not stated on the pages we read |
| Xpressbet | Xpressbet, LLC, a 1/ST Technology product | 40 states, some with track or bet restrictions | 18, or 21 in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota and Washington |
| AmWager | AmWest Entertainment, LLC, of Prospect, Kentucky | Most states, with separate licences in 13 | 21 |
FanDuel Racing
FanDuel Racing is the horse racing product of FanDuel, and its home page says you can bet “through the standalone app or directly in the FanDuel Sportsbook”. FanDuel’s horse racing help page lists the FanDuel Racing app in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
The same page sends Connecticut and Iowa customers to TVG powered by FanDuel, and New Jersey customers to 4NJBets. It also lists Kentucky among the states where racing is available inside the Sportsbook app. The Sportsbook lists on that page don’t fully agree with each other, so treat the app’s own location check as the final word. Sources: FanDuel’s horse racing help page and the FanDuel Racing home page.
TwinSpires
TwinSpires is owned by Churchill Downs and describes itself as a provider of “advance-deposit wagering for horse racing, as well as live track video signals”. We couldn’t find a published list of eligible states or a minimum age on twinspires.com on 8 October 2026, so we don’t repeat the lists on third-party sites, which disagree with each other. Check the state question during sign-up or ask its support team before you deposit. Its Wager Responsibly page sends customers to the national helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET.
Xpressbet
Xpressbet publishes the clearest state list of the four. Its State Restrictions page shows “No Account Wagering” for Alaska, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, the US Virgin Islands and Utah. Every other state is open, though several carry limits: Pennsylvania residents, for example, can only bet Thoroughbred and harness meets and pay at least $2.00 per ticket, and New York residents can’t bet on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday.
Xpressbet’s terms ask you to confirm you are at least 18, or 21 in Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Indiana, North Dakota and Washington. Xpressbet customers can also log in to 1/ST BET, the newer app from the same company, with the same username and password. Sources: Xpressbet State Restrictions, Terms and Affiliates pages.
AmWager
AmWager is run by AmWest Entertainment, LLC, which says it is “licensed and regulated by the Oregon Racing Commission as a multi-jurisdictional account wagering provider”, with separate licences in California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New York, North Dakota, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Wyoming. Its home page says you “must be 21+ and of legal age in the relevant jurisdiction to open a wagering account”. The licence page doesn’t list every state it accepts, so confirm yours before you join. Sources: AmWager License and Regulatory page and home page.
Other Names You’ll See
Google’s results for these searches also show NYRA Bets, DK Horse, 1/ST BET, TVG and 4NJBets, plus offshore racebooks. Before you deposit anywhere, look for the name of the US state racing commission that licenses the site. If a site doesn’t name one, we leave it out, and so should you.
Which States Allow Online Horse Betting
No single official list covers every operator, because each ADW negotiates its own licences and track agreements. The closest thing to a national picture is to read two or three operator lists side by side. On 8 October 2026:
- Open on the lists we read: most of the country, including California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
- Closed on Xpressbet’s list: Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
- Open through a state-specific site: New Jersey, where FanDuel sends customers to 4NJBets rather than its national app.
If your state is on the closed list, the alternatives are usually betting at a racetrack, at an off-track betting site or at a casino racebook where your state has them.
Horse Betting Apps
All four sites above take bets on mobile, and FanDuel runs two routes: the FanDuel Racing app, and racing inside the FanDuel Sportsbook app in some states. FanDuel says deposits made on Sportsbook, Racing and Casino “can be used interchangeably”, which matters if you already have a FanDuel account. When you compare apps, look at how many tracks you can bet, whether live video comes with a funded account, and which deposit and withdrawal methods your state allows.
How US Betting Differs From UK Betting
American racing is pari-mutuel. You bet win, place (first or second) or show (first, second or third), or exotics such as the exacta, trifecta and superfecta, and the track takes its share of each pool before the rest is paid out. You won’t find fixed odds, each way bets or Best Odds Guaranteed on a US ADW. Our guides to how to bet a trifecta and how to bet on the Preakness explain the bets and how payouts work, and our odds calculator shows what a price pays on your stake.
What to Check Before You Join a US Betting Site
- Your state is on the operator’s list. Read the operator’s own state page, not a review site.
- The licence. A legal ADW names the state racing commission that licenses it. AmWager, for example, names the Oregon Racing Commission.
- The age rule for your state. It’s 18 in many states and 21 in others, and some operators set 21 everywhere.
- Limits and self-exclusion. Xpressbet, for example, lets customers set weekly funding limits and block payment methods from funding the account. Set a limit when you open the account.
- Help if you need it. The National Problem Gambling Helpline, run by the National Council on Problem Gambling, answers calls, texts and chats around the clock on 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738). FanDuel also shows 1-800-GAMBLER on its pages.
Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK
In Great Britain, the online horse racing betting sites fall into four types. They all take bets on the same races, but they work in completely different ways: who you are betting against, how your odds are set and what you pay for the privilege.
| Type of site | Who you bet against | How the odds are set | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed-odds bookmaker | The bookmaker | The bookmaker sets a price, which you lock in when you bet | A margin built into the prices |
| Betting exchange | Other customers | Customers offer and accept odds, so you can back or lay | A commission on your net winnings in each market |
| The Tote (pool betting) | Everyone else in the pool | The dividend depends on how much is staked on each horse | A percentage taken from the pool before it is shared out |
| Odds comparison site | Nobody: it doesn’t take bets | It shows the prices of many bookmakers side by side | Free to use |
Sources: Wikipedia, Betting exchange and Tote betting.
Fixed-Odds Bookmakers
This is what most British bettors mean by a betting site. You take a price, say 5/1, and that’s what you’re paid if the horse wins, whatever happens to the market afterwards. Bookmakers offer the full range of racing bets: singles, each way, doubles and trebles, and full-cover multiples such as Yankees and Lucky 15s. Many also pay concessions on racing, such as Best Odds Guaranteed and extra places, which our guide to the best bookies for horse racing explains in detail.
Our bet calculator works out the return on any bookmaker bet, including each way terms, Rule 4 deductions and non-runners.
Betting Exchanges
On an exchange such as Betfair Exchange, Smarkets or Matchbook, you bet against other customers rather than a bookmaker. You can back a horse to win, or lay it, which means betting that it won’t win and taking the other side of someone else’s bet. Exchange prices are often bigger than bookmakers’ prices, because the exchange doesn’t build a margin into them, but the exchange takes a commission on your net winnings in each market. The rate varies by exchange and by market, so check the current figure before you compare prices. Our guide to lay betting explains liability, commission and how the exchange ladder works, and our matched betting calculator works out a lay stake.
The Tote
The Tote runs pool betting on British racing, the same principle as American pari-mutuel betting. Every stake on a given bet type goes into one pool, the operator takes its percentage, and what’s left is shared between the winning tickets. As well as win, place and each way bets, the Tote runs pool bets you can’t get at fixed odds, such as the Exacta, Trifecta, Placepot and Jackpot.
Odds Comparison Sites
Odds comparison sites such as Oddschecker don’t take bets. They show the prices of many bookmakers side by side, so you can see which firm is offering the biggest price on your horse and what place terms each one is paying. Our odds converter turns the fractional prices you see into decimal odds and implied probabilities.
What to Check Before You Join a UK Betting Site
- A Gambling Commission licence. Any site taking bets from customers in Great Britain must hold one. You can check any operator by name on the Gambling Commission’s public register. If a site isn’t on the register, don’t use it.
- Racing concessions. Best Odds Guaranteed, extra places, non-runner no bet and multiple-bet bonuses differ from one bookmaker to the next and add up over a year.
- Watching races. Many bookmakers and exchanges stream races, usually on condition that your account is funded or you’ve bet on the race.
- Cash out, apps and payments. Cash out is a convenience, not a free option: the offer usually includes the site’s margin. Check how quickly withdrawals are paid.
- Safer gambling tools. Licensed sites must give you deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion. GAMSTOP is a free service that blocks your access to accounts on gambling websites and apps, and GambleAware offers free help around the clock in Great Britain.
For racecards, form, results and free tips rather than betting, see our guide to the best horse racing websites.
Sources
Operator pages read on 8 October 2026: FanDuel horse racing help page and FanDuel Racing home page; TwinSpires home page and Wager Responsibly page; Xpressbet State Restrictions, Terms and Problem Gambling pages; AmWager License and Regulatory page and home page. Law and help: 15 U.S. Code § 3002 (Interstate Horseracing Act definitions), the National Council on Problem Gambling, the Gambling Commission and GAMSTOP. State lists change: always check the operator’s own page before you sign up.
Betting always carries a risk of loss and no tipster, system or staking plan can guarantee a profit. Only stake what you can afford to lose, and set a budget before you start. Gambling responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
Most states do, through licensed advance deposit wagering sites. On 8 October 2026 Xpressbet took accounts in 40 states, and its list showed no account wagering in Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah, or in Washington DC.
Not online with the big national sites we checked. On 8 October 2026 Xpressbet listed North Carolina as no account wagering, and FanDuel left it out of its FanDuel Racing app states. State rules change, so check the operator's own state page before you try to sign up.
The best one is a site that is licensed where you live and covers the races you bet. In the US that means an ADW such as FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires, Xpressbet or AmWager that accepts your state. In Great Britain it means a bookmaker, exchange or Tote licensed by the Gambling Commission.
Yes, if betting on horse racing is legal where you are. In the US you can bet at Churchill Downs, at other tracks and off-track betting sites that take the race, or online with an ADW that accepts your state. Anywhere else, use a bookmaker licensed where you live.
In US pari-mutuel betting the show bet comes closest, because your horse only needs to finish in the first three. That is why it pays the least. In Britain the nearest equivalent is the place part of an each way bet. No horse racing bet is safe: every one can lose.
Generally not. US ADW accounts are offered to residents of the states on each operator's list, and the terms we read ask you to confirm you may legally bet where you live. Bettors in Great Britain should use operators listed on the Gambling Commission's public register.
In Great Britain the minimum age for online gambling is 18. In the US it depends on the state and the site: Xpressbet's terms say 18, or 21 in Alabama, Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, North Dakota and Washington, and AmWager says you must be 21 or over.