Which States Allow Online Horse Betting
Online horse betting is allowed at the federal level, but some states have their own laws regarding online horse betting. Most states allow online horse race betting, but not all. Use this list to determine if your state allows online horse betting.
Note: I am not a lawyer, so do not consider this legal advice. The information on this page came from the member’s area of BetAmerica.com. Laws can and do change, so I recommend that you contact a lawyer before you wager online.
Note 2: The laws in the United States are odd. Each horse racing site must apply for a license to operate in each state. What this means is that Site A may be “illegal” in your state while Site B is perfectly fine. If you’re not sure, you can always try to sign up for an account at a couple of my recommended betting sites. They’ll let you know if they don’t accept players from your state.
Alabama: Allowed
Alaska: Online horse betting not allowed
Arizona: Online horse betting not allowed
Arkansas: Allowed
California: Allowed
Colorado: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Arapahoe race track
Connecticut: Allowed
Delaware: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on the Delaware Park track
District of Columbia: Allowed
Florida: Allowed
Georgia: Online horse betting not allowed
Hawaii: Online horse betting not allowed
Idaho: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Los Alamitos track
Illinois: Online horse betting not allowed
Indiana: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Los Alamitos track
Iowa: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Dubuque Mat (G) and Prairie Meadows
Kansas: Allowed
Kentucky: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Los Alamitos and Turfway Park
Louisiana: Allowed, except you cannot place wagers on Los Alamitos
Maine: Allowed
Maryland: Online horse betting not permitted
Massachusetts: Allowed, except you cannot place wagers on Los Alamitos and Suffolk Downs
Michigan: Allowed, except you cannot place wagers on the following tracks: Hazel Park (H), Northville Downs (H), Pinnacle Race Course and Sports Creek
Minnesota: Allowed, except you cannot place wagers on Canterbury Park and Running Aces (H)
Mississippi: Online horse betting not allowed
Missouri: Online horse betting not allowed
Montana: Allowed
Nebraska: Online horse betting not allowed
Nevada: Online horse betting not allowed
New Hampshire: Allowed
New Jersey: Online horse betting not allowed
New Mexico: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on the following tracks: Albuquerque, Albuquerque Downs, Sunland Park, Sun Ray Park and Zia Park
New York: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Monticello (H) track
North Carolina: Online horse betting not allowed
North Dakota: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Los Alamitos race track
Ohio: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Beulah Park or Los Alamitos
Oklahoma: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Remington Park
Oregon: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Los Alamitos
Pennsylvania: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Delaware Park and Parx Racing (Philly Park)
Rhode Island: Allowed
South Carolina: Online horse betting not allowed
South Dakota: Allowed
Tennessee: Allowed
Texas: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on the following tracks: Gulf Greyhound Eve (G), Retama Park and Sam Houston
Utah: Online horse betting not allowed
Vermont: Allowed
Virginia: Online horse betting not allowed
Washington: Online horse betting not allowed
West Virginia: Allowed, except you cannot place wagers on the following tracks: Charles Town, Mountaineer, Tri-State EVE (G) (Mardi) and Wheeling Day (G)
Wisconsin: Allowed
Wyoming: Allowed, except you cannot place online wagers on Los Alamitos
What if my state doesn’t allow online horse betting?
You have two options if you live in a state that restricts online horse betting. One option is to visit the nearest horse racing track in person and place your wagers there. The other option is to use unlicensed sports betting sites that serve US players.
For example, Bovada.lv is located offshore and accepts customers from all over the US. The legality of online sports betting is questionable at best, so there is some risk that your betting site will be shut down at some point. From what I’ve seen, the law does not seem to be applied to individual bettors. But again, I’m not a lawyer so don’t consider this legal advice. Do your own research and make your own decision before you bet online for real money.