PA Horse Betting Sites and Apps
Pennsylvania offers various options to bet on horse racing.
The Keystone State has six horse racing facilities: three tracks devoted to harness racing and another three tracks that host thoroughbred racing. In recent years, the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes, held at Parx Casino and Racing during the third week in September, have become vital prep races for fillies as they make their way toward the Breeders’ Cup in November.
The Commonwealth also offers online horse wagering and off-track betting facilities (OTB). FanDuel Racing provides ways to bet on the ponies without having to leave the comfort of your home. This means being able to wager on the Triple Crown through the app, including the upcoming Belmont Stakes.
For those new to horse betting, we provide a brief overview on horse racing in PA, along with how to wager online and decipher statistics in programs.
Best online horse betting sites in Pennsylvania
#1: FanDuel Racing
Most people know FanDuel through daily fantasy, sports betting or even a casino. But FanDuel also has a foot in the horse racing market. Its FanDuel Racing app is the top platform in the state when it comes to wagering on horse races, both local and national.
FanDuel Racing is an excellent service to allow Pennsylvania horse racing enthusiasts to bet on all their favorite action at the track. The platform is full of helpful insights and a ton of ways to get in on the action. Plus, FanDuel Racing offers all kinds of great promotions for users, usually based on a featured race of the day.
There is no code needed to take advantage of the FanDuel Racing offer, just simply click one of our exclusive links to get started.
Sign up for FanDuel Racing today and receive a $20 No Sweat Preakness Bet
Is Horse Betting Legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, you can bet on horse racing though a number of regulated in-person and online options.
Horse racing legislation was adopted in 1959 with the passage of the Race Horse Industry Reform Act. The state granted three racing licenses, applicable to harness racing only. The first track to open was The Meadows Racetrack in 1963.
Legislation for thoroughbred racing passed in 1968, and until 1972, all three harness tracks conducted dual meets. Penn National Racecourse was the first track to host only thoroughbred racing.
Shortly after that, Keystone Racetrack and Commodore Downs followed suit.
The first form of online wagering was operational in 1983, backed by The Meadows ownership group. Called Call-A-Bet, it still exists today as Xpressbet.
Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry experienced several decades of decline, including the closing of Liberty Bell and Commodore Downs. Regardless, the sport and the state pursued forms of online wagering as live handle continued to decrease at an alarming rate.
In 2004, the state passed legislation to construct “racinos.”
Gaming operators are required to join forces with racetracks, as those facilities were appropriately licensed. Since then, the number of racinos has exploded across Pennsylvania, and its revenue from casinos/racinos is now second only to Nevada.
Legislation for Pennsylvania online sports betting passed on Oct. 20, 2017. Its impact on wagering for horse racing is unknown.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is responsible for overseeing all facets of wagering on horse racing, which includes online wagering, OTBs, and phone betting.
The board must approve OTB parlors and adhere to their guidelines to continue operations. There is also federal legislation such as the Interstate Horse Racing Act (1978), which governs wagering in Pennsylvania.
Where Can I Bet on Horse Races in Pennsylvania?
The Keystone State has six racetracks that offer a live racing product and simulcasting from other tracks throughout the world.
They are:
Thoroughbred Races:
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
- Park Casino and Racing
- Presque Isle Downs & Casino
Harness Races:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack
- Hollywood Casino at The Meadows
- The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Four of these facilities also operate OTBs.
What Is an OTB?
An OTB (off-track betting) is a standalone facility separate from a racetrack that is authorized by the state to conduct legal wagering on horse racing.
Prior to the early 1970s, OTBs were only legal in Nevada.
New York became the second state to institute OTBs in 1970. Pennsylvania was late to the party, as horse racing suffered a significant decline in the state until the early 2000s.
OTBs came to be because some thought it would diminish engagement in illegal gambling activities. However, the industry did not consider that it would also decrease live betting at the tracks.
Therefore, the 1978 Interstate Horseracing Act established a system between the tracks, the state, and the OTB parlors. The act implemented guidelines on how to divide OTB proceeds among all the industry players. Also, OTB parlors couldn’t conduct business within 60 miles of any racetrack.
OTBs were a method the racing industry embraced, not only in Pennsylvania but also worldwide, to increase revenue. They also offered exotic wagering, such as exactas, trifectas, and superfectas, to appeal to bettors.
Most states have systems where a bettor must pay an OTB a certain tax that is deducted directly from a winning wager. In Pennsylvania, OTBs can charge admission, but there isn’t a surcharge on winning bets from OTB parlors.
Many OTB parlors now use systems in the Caribbean and Central America, which provide several incentives to bettors, such as rebates.
Where Are the OTB Facilities in Pennsylvania?
Parx Casino and Racing currently operates two off-track betting (OTB) facilities.
They are referred to as turf clubs and are as follows:
- South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook is in downtown Philadelphia across the street from Citizens Bank Park, the home field for the Philadelphia Phillies. It is close to all the city’s major sports arenas. The site also accepts sports wagers.
- The Parx Race and Sportsbook at the Chickie’s and Pete’s in Malvern. It opened in February 2022 and is the first of its kind in the entire country to operate and be located inside a restaurant/sports bar. It accepts bets on horse racing and sports.
Penn National Gaming is responsible for two OTBs in Pennsylvania, which are:
- Hollywood Casino York: Located inside Barstool Sportsbook at the mini-casino.
- Hollywood Casino Morgantown: Another mini-casino owned by Penn National that offers betting on racing at its sportsbook.
The other OTB in Pennsylvania is:
- The Downs at Lehigh Valley is in Allentown. It is the largest OTB in the state and affords bettors more opportunities to wager on horse racing than many of the other OTB parlors.
What Are Pennsylvania’s Big Horse Races?
Although the Keystone State does not have races steeped in history and TV coverage like the Triple Crown, the Pennsylvania Derby is a popular race. The $1 million event runs 3-year-old colts and geldings on their way to year-end division honors.
First conducted in 1979, the race achieved graded-stakes status in 1981. It is held at Parx Casino and Racing, which was previously Philadelphia Park and Keystone Park, and is 1 1/8 miles.
The list of winners includes many thoroughbred champions:
- Summer Squall
- Macho Uno
- To Honor And Serve
- Will Take Charge
- Bayern
- Math Wizard
Hot Rod Charlie won the 2021 edition, with Taiba taking the most recent race, establishing himself as one of the top horses in his division with the signature victory.
The Pennsylvania Derby’s female counterpart, the Cotillion Stakes, has also become a key race for 3-year-old fillies. It is contested at 1 1/16 miles and is also a Grade 1, $1 million event.
First held in 1969 at Liberty Bell, it moved to Parx after thoroughbred racing became legal, and facilities could be constructed for racing.
Winners of this race include thoroughbred champions Shuvee, Susan’s Girl, Ashado and Untapable.
The latest champion of this event was Society in 2022.
What Is the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown is an honor awarded to a horse that wins three races: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, over six consecutive weeks.
All three races came to be at different years, with the last being the Kentucky Derby in 1875.
Churchill Downs Inc., which also owns the platforms BetAmerica and TwinSpires, holds the Kentucky Derby each year on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, KY. It is one of the most popular and wagered-on events in all of horse racing.
Known as “the Run for the Roses,” the race’s 1.25 miles is considered the “classic” distance in the sport. Male horses carry the same weight of 126 pounds while fillies that enter the race carry 121 pounds. The field has been limited to 20 entrants for more than four decades.
The Preakness Stakes is held two weeks after the Kentucky Derby at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. It was first run in 1873 and is the shortest of the three Triple Crown races at 1 3/8ths miles. Called “the Run for the Black-Eyed Susans,” the Preakness is limited to 14 entries with the same weights as the Kentucky Derby.
The Belmont Stakes is conducted three weeks after the Preakness at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY on Long Island just east of New York City. It was first instituted in 1864 and was held at other tracks before its permanent placement at Belmont Park in 1905. Known as “the Test of the Champion,” the Belmont is the longest of the three races, and horses must travel 1.5 miles to reach the finish line. The field is limited to 16 horses, and the assigned weights are the same as the Kentucky Derby and Preakness.
Only 13 horses have captured the vaunted Triple Crown, with Justify being the most recent in 2018. Although Sir Barton was the first to accomplish the feat in 1919, the term was not official until 1930.
How To Bet on Horses
Although the process can be a bit daunting for a beginner, betting is relatively straightforward and can be done either through a live teller, standalone machine, online, or over the phone.
Here are simple instructions to follow:
- Designate which track.
- Determine which race.
- Decide the amount of money you would like to wager for the bet.
- Choose what type of wager you would like to place.
- Select the horse or horses you would like to use for the bet by their program number.
For instance: Parx Racing, Race 5, $10 to win on No. 5.
You can redeem winning wagers either through a teller, direct deposit for online platforms, or from standalone machines.
Cash or a bank account is also not necessary. Vouchers are simple to use and can be cashed in at any time.
How To Read a Program
Like wagering for the first time, reading a horse racing program can be a challenge.
A lot of data is available, such as workout times, horse placement in a race, and how a horse performs at a certain distance or over a specific surface.
Here is an outline on how to make the best use of the program:
- Race dates show when the horse has competed and its number of starts. Bettors look for how frequently a horse will race and how a horse performs during them.
- Racetrack abbreviations and race numbers are as simple as it sounds. The line on the program details which tracks the horse has raced in and what race.
- Course conditions detail if a track was fast, muddy, sloppy, or off the turf. Some horses perform well in adverse conditions while others do not.
- Race restrictions are the conditions for the race. For example, the age and amount of earnings often determine the placement of the horse. Higher quality horses race in graded-stakes races rather than an allowance or claiming contests.
- Common codes identify what types of races a horse has competed in and how the horse finished.
- Fractional times are the split times of each race. Horses are clocked at quarter-mile intervals typically. And yes, the pace can indeed make the race.
- The final time shows how long it took the winning horse to cover the track from start to finish.
- Equibase figures are a handicapping tool that determines a horse’s speed ranking based on weather and final time. It is a comparative measure of the quality of a horse. The larger the numbers, the better the horse.
- Post position is where the horse will start from in the gate.
- Order of calls shows where each horse was placed in the race throughout its running. You can use this information to indicate if a horse likes to close or lead or race. It can also help determine how a race may unfold.
- Final finish and beaten lengths are where the horse finished and, if beaten, by how much.
- The jockey’s name is as straightforward as it sounds. You can see the jockey’s statistics overall and for the horse they are riding.
- Weight shows how many pounds are carried by a horse in a race.
- Medication/equipment indicates if a horse ran with Lasix, which is an anti-bleeding medication, Bute, which is akin to Advil, or if a horse wears blinkers, a shadow roll, or bandages.
- Equivalent odds show the exact odds the horse was sent off at in an event.
- Comments are from a race charter who witnesses the race live and then records it for program purposes. It provides additional insight on why a horse may have performed well, experienced trouble, or would like a certain distance.
- The number of horses in the race shows how many horses were in a particular field.
- Morning works document when, where, and what time a horse trains for racing. Their times are recorded by clockers who then compile them in a list with the fastest morning workout at the top of the list. For many bettors, this is vital information on how a horse is coming into a race.