Pennsylvania 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.
Up to $500 Back if Your First Bet Doesn't Win
Get Boosted Odds & the Best Promotions
Easy Deposits, Fast Withdrawals
To Claim: Click Play Now
Up to $500 Back if Your First Bet Doesn't Win
Get Boosted Odds & the Best Promotions
Easy Deposits, Fast Withdrawals
To Claim: Click Play Now
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 on June 6.
For those new to horse betting, we provide a brief overview of horse racing in PA, along with instructions on how to wager online and interpret statistics in programs.
FanDuel Racing
Most people are familiar with FanDuel through daily fantasy sports, sports betting, or its casino offerings. But FanDuel also has a foot in the horse racing market. Its FanDuel Racing app is the top platform in the state for 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 offers numerous ways to get involved. Plus, FanDuel Racing provides all kinds of great promotions for users, usually based on a featured race of the day.
No code is needed to take advantage of the FanDuel Racing offer. Just click one of our exclusive links to get started.
Sign up for FanDuel Racing today and receive a $500 No Sweat First Bet
Is horse betting legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, you can bet on horse racing through various regulated in-person and online options. Though beyond our recommended FanDuel Horse Racing app, there isn’t much we can recommend. There were expectations that the BetMGM Horse Racing site would become legal in the state, but it has not.
In Pennsylvania, 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 was 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 remote wagering was operational in 1983, backed by The Meadows ownership group. Called Call-A-Bet, it allowed bettors to place wagers over the phone. The company eventually went online and still exists today as Xpressbet.
Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry experienced several years of decline, including the closing of Liberty Bell and Commodore Downs. Meanwhile, 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 partner with racetracks, as those facilities are appropriately licensed. Since then, the number of racinos has exploded across Pennsylvania, and its revenue from casinos/racinos is now second only to Nevada. Later, legislation for online sports betting in Pennsylvania, as well as other gambling expansions, was passed in October 2017.
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 live racing and simulcasting from other tracks worldwide. Some are at retail Pennsylvania casino locations. They are:
Thoroughbred Races:
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
- Parx Casino and Racing
- Presque Isle Downs & Casino
Harness Races:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack
- Hollywood Casino at The Meadows
- The Downs at Mohegan, Pennsylvania
Four of these facilities also operate OTBs.
Up to $500 Back if Your First Bet Doesn't Win Get Boosted Odds & the Best Promotions Easy Deposits, Fast Withdrawals To Claim: Click Play Now Up to $500 Back if Your First Bet Doesn't Win Get Boosted Odds & the Best Promotions Easy Deposits, Fast Withdrawals To Claim: Click Play Now
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 highly regarded and 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, formerly known as Philadelphia Park and Keystone Park, and is 1 1/8 miles in length.
The list of winners includes many thoroughbred champions:
- Summer Squall
- Macho Uno
- To Honor And Serve
- Will Take Charge
- Bayern
- Math Wizard
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 the Liberty Bell, it relocated to Parx after thoroughbred racing became legal, allowing facilities to 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 Ceiling Crusher in 2023.
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 date back to the late 19th century, with the Kentucky Derby being the last one introduced 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 the entire horse racing industry.
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. In 2026, Golden Tempo won the race, posting 23-1 odds before the race began. The horse, trained by Cherie DeVaux and ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, ended up not running in Preakness, meaning that we didn’t have a Triple Crown winner for the eighth straight year.
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. However, with Pimilco Race Course undergoing renovations, the 2026 Preakness Stakes ran at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland. It was the first time since 1908 that Pimilco didn’t host the Preakness Stakes. Napoleon Solo won the race, ridden by jockey Paco Lopez and trained by Chad Summers. The horse boasted 10-1 odds right before the start of the race.
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 being permanently placed 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. For the third straight year, the race will take place at Saratoga Race Course due to rennovations at Belmont Park. In turn, the track is slightly shorter than usual, coming in at 1.25 miles.
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.
Up to $500 Back if Your First Bet Doesn't Win Get Boosted Odds & the Best Promotions Easy Deposits, Fast Withdrawals To Claim: Click Play Now Up to $500 Back if Your First Bet Doesn't Win Get Boosted Odds & the Best Promotions Easy Deposits, Fast Withdrawals To Claim: Click Play Now
How to bet on horses
Although the process can be a bit daunting for beginners, betting is relatively straightforward and can be done either through a live teller, a 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 on 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. Neither cash nor a bank account is necessary. Vouchers are easy to use and can be redeemed 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, including workout times, horse placement in a race, and a horse’s performance 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 indicate when the horse has competed and the number of its starts. Bettors look for how frequently a horse will race and how the horse performs during them.
- Racetrack abbreviations and race numbers are as simple as they sound. The line on the program details that tracks the horse’s race history and the specific race it has run in.
- 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 allowance or claiming contests.
- Standard 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 typically clocked at quarter-mile intervals. 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 refers to the starting point from which a horse will begin in the gate. The order of calls shows where each horse was placed in the race throughout its running. You can use this information to determine if a horse prefers to close, 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 a horse carries in a race.
- Medication/equipment indicates whether a horse ran with Lasix, an anti-bleeding medication, Bute, which is similar 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 into 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.
- The morning works document specifies when, where, and at what time a horse trains for racing. Their times are recorded by clockers, who then compile them into a list with the fastest morning workout at the top. For many bettors, this is vital information on how a horse is coming into a race.
