Off Track Betting App

California boasts one of the richest horse-racing histories in the US.

Legal Off Track Betting. Open a free account in minutes & bet directly into pari-mutuel pools at racetracks worldwide. Off track betting in CA. OTB refers to horse race bets accepted at off-track locations, i.e., businesses that are licensed and sanctioned to take such bets. Hollywood Park, also where the Rams play, is an off-track betting facility. While it no longer offers live races, Hollywood Park can still accept wagers on races happening elsewhere in the.

Authority over horse racing-related matters, including breeding, tax revenues, and pari-mutuel betting, was given to the California Horse Racing Board. General regulations on controlled games, such as poker or Pai Gow, don’t apply to horse race betting as per California Penal Code Section 337j.

The Golden State’s first racetrack was built in Pleasanton (suburban San Francisco) in 1858.

Since then, California has become one of the focal points of American horse racing. It features the world-famous Santa Anita Park, which hosts major annual events like the Santa Anita Handicap and Santa Anita Derby.

The state also houses other notable tracks, including Golden Gate Fields and Del Mar Fairgrounds. Californians enjoy a wide range of live horse racing options and plenty of chances to bet on the action.

The minimum age for pari-mutuel betting in California is 18.

California horse race betting fact sheet

Is horse race betting legal in California?

California legalized pari-mutuel betting in 1933. Common in horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering places all bets into a pool, and the track takes vigorish (aka juice) as a fee for running the races.

Horse tracks, such as the one in Pleasanton, already existed in California when pari-mutuel betting was legalized. However, this legislation allowed tracks to accept legal wagers on races.

California fairs quickly jumped on this opportunity, with the San Joaquin Fair (Stockton) becoming the first track to take legal wagers in August 1933. In the same calendar year, Bay Meadows, Santa Anita, PomonaFair and Tanforan also began accepting bets.

The state has never wavered from its stance on legal horse race betting. The only time this industry was disrupted was during World War II when the tracks were needed for military purposes.

In California, most of the gambling action centers around thoroughbred racing. Harness races also run in the state, although they’ve never come close to gaining the same clout as thoroughbred events.

Horse racing has taken a popularity hit in recent years. Fewer people are attending and betting on races in America.

Despite its notable racing scene, California isn’t immune to this squeeze. Multiple tracks have closed in the new millennium, including Bay Meadows, PomonaFairplex, Solano Fair and HollywoodPark.

The Los Angeles Rams took over the Hollywood Park site as their new home, but they might’ve had to go elsewhere if horse racing were still at its peak.

These closures have led to consolidation and growth at other tracks. Los Alamitos Race Course (Cypress), for example, expanded its track and now fills in some of Pomona’s old race dates.

Golden Gate Fields (Berkeley) and Santa Anita (Arcadia) have also taken over race dates for local tracks that closed down.

California horse racing under fire

Aside from the slowly dwindling popularity, California’s racing industry is also facing backlash from animal rights activists.

A string of racehorse deaths in early 2019 caused activists to come out in full force against the industry. This period was highlighted by 22 deaths within 2.5 months at Santa Anita.

ChuckWinner, who heads the California Horse Racing Board, called this period “the biggest potential crisis that the industry has faced.” The crisis is unlikely to end any time soon.

A potential ballot referendum could outlaw horse racing and its betting industry. Such a measure would require 635,000 signatures to appear on a ballot.

The industry might be safe for now, though, because proponents would need to spend a lot of money to acquire these signatures. Nevertheless, this discussion has put California’s racing interests on notice.

Independent tracks Churchill Downs, the New York Racing Association and the Stronach Group (Santa Anita owner) formed a coalition to improve industry safety. These powerful groups hope to create enough reforms to protect the animals.

California race tracks

California grew to be one of the largest racing hubs in the United States. Those racetracks that hold extended racing meets, such as Cal Expo, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita, are now known nationwide and generate millions of dollars in annual revenue.

The remaining fairground tracks hold shorter meets in the summer and fall. These meets typically last up to two weeks. Over the years, there have been a few pushes to introduce slots and other gaming machines to California race tracks, but none of those attempts were successful.

The 2004 measure to allow for banking games and slot machines at the biggest facilities failed by83.8% statewide, which demonstrates that Californians don’t want their race tracks to turn into Delaware-style racinos.

The Golden State is home to some of the most famous racetracks in the US. Some of these tracks boast a rich history that dates back to the 1800s.

Here is a list of racetracks in California:

Big Fresno Fair Racing

• 1121 South Chance Ave., Fresno, CA 93702

The Big Fresno Fair holds live races during a nine-day stint in October. Admission to the grandstand is $5, and bets vary based on the race.

You can check the Big Fresno Fair website at the beginning of October to get exact details on the race schedule and bets.

Cal Expo

• 1600 Exposition Drive, Sacramento, CA 95815

Racing in the Sacramento area originally took place at the Sacramento State Fair. A new track was built in 1968 and is now known as the Cal Expo.

This venue offers harness racing, which is rare in California. Races run every Friday and Saturday from November to April.

Del Mar Fairgrounds

• 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club holds races at the local fairgrounds. Seating 44,000 people, this one-mile track is the second-biggest horse track in the Western US (behind Santa Anita).

Developed by BingCrosby and a group of actors in the 1930s, Del Mar’s slogan is: “Where the turf meets the surf.” The track holds live racing from July to September and reopens for a few events in November.

Golden Gate Fields

• 1100 Eastshore Hwy., Berkeley, CA 94710

Golden Gate Fields is known for its unique scenery, including views of both the San Francisco skyline and AlcatrazIsland. It’s also the only thoroughbred racetrack in Northern California.

Races generally run from December until June and from October until November. However, the schedule can vary from year to year.

Los Alamitos Race Course

• 4961 E. Katella Ave., Los Alamitos, CA 90720

Built as a private ranch in 1947, Los Alamitos is known for some of the biggest horse races in the state. Los Alamitos $2 Million Futurity offers the largest purse in California.

This course features year-round racing, and it added more race dates after the nearby Hollywood Park became a strictly OTB facility.

Pleasanton Fairgrounds Racetrack (Alameda County Fairgrounds)

• 2100 Valley Ave., Pleasanton, CA 94566

This racetrack was built in 1858 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. It’s the third-oldest track in the US, behind the Fair Grounds Race Course and Freehold Raceway.

Pleasanton Racetrack only runs a short racing schedule in June and July. However, the lightly used course has offered a few more events ever since Bay Meadows shut down in 2008.

Santa Anita Park

• 285 Huntington Drive Arcadia, CA 91007

Santa Anita is the premier horse track in California and one of the best in all of America. It’s the biggest track in the state, seating 85,000 people.

This course hosts several prominent races, including the Breeders’ Cup, Santa Anita Handicap and Santa Anita Derby.

Off track betting in CA

OTB refers to horse race bets accepted at off-track locations, i.e., businesses that are licensed and sanctioned to take such bets.

Hollywood Park, also where the Rams play, is an off-track betting facility. While it no longer offers live races, Hollywood Park can still accept wagers on races happening elsewhere in the state.

OTB offers multiple benefits to the racing industry.

Firstly, it serves as a convenient option for gamblers who don’t live near a horse track. These racing enthusiasts can visit the closest OTB parlor instead of traveling to a distant venue.

Another benefit is that off-track locations help increase the industry’s overall revenue. OTB parlors and racetracks share in the revenue generated from off-track gambling.

Off-track betting in California is available at 27 satellite facilities, which are all located in the south and central parts of the state. Some of these simulcast venues are small and can be compared to a pub in size, while others, like the San Mateo Events Center, are large and can pack a small crowd inside.

Unfortunately, California doesn’t run any legal online betting sites. If you want to bet your money on a horse, you need to do it on-site or at a licensed off-track betting facility.

CA online horse betting

Most forms of online gambling aren’t inherently legal in the US.

At the moment, the federal government allows states to determine the legality of online bingo, casinogames and poker.

Online horse betting, in contrast, is legal in most states, including California. This activity is even exempt from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

The UIGEA makes it illegal for gambling businesses to accept payments related to unlawful wagering. Horse racing was given an exemption to prevent legality issues with off-track and simulcast betting.

Simulcastbetting is placing wagers on races happening at different tracks across North America. Simulcast rooms feature multiple races broadcasted across several TV monitors.

California residents can engage in advance deposit wagering through several legal third-party platforms, such as TVG, TwinSpires, XpressBet, BetAmerica, WatchandWager, BbspotRacing, and NYRABets. These platforms are officially recognized by the California Horse Racing Board and are listed on its website.

In addition, individual California race tracks are permitted to offer betting services over the internet as long as they employ geolocation. For example, the Del Mar Mobile App allows users to place wagers while on-track, but this functionality is disabled elsewhere. The app is also useful off-track as its features include on-demand race replays, live odds, betting calculators, and more.

Pennsylvania is a state chock-full of options for the horse bettor, both live and off-track betting parlors (OTBs). There are six facilities within the state that offer live racing and horse betting most of the year.

All those tracks also offer simulcast racing from tracks around the country. In addition, several of the state’s casino interests operate standalone OTB facilities in various locations around the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania horse racing facilities – Live and OTB

First and foremost, there are six properties in Pennsylvania that host live horseracing for wager. The tracks are designated for either thoroughbred or harness racing. They are (location in parenthesis):

Thoroughbred

• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course (Grantville)
• Parx Casino and Racing (Bensalem)
• Presque Isle Downs & Casino (Erie)

Harness

• Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack (Chester)
• The Meadows Racetrack and Casino (Washington)
• Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs (Wilkes-Barre)

Each of these properties also offers simulcast wagering from tracks around the country. However, four of these operators also own standalone facilities throughout the state.

Parx Turf Clubs

Parx Racing has opened five facilities around the Philadelphia area throughout the years of Pennsylvania off-track betting. There is now just one location that remains open. They are collectively known as “turf clubs.”

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook

South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook is in the heart of Philadelphia’s sports district. The club is located at the southeast corner of Packer Avenue and South Darien Street. It is one of two OTBs that also functions as a PA sportsbook.

In fact, visitors to Citizens Bank Park could conceivably park at the facility. South Philadelphia Turf Club is across the street from Lot Q at the home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Just to the south are Lincoln Financial Field and the Wells Fargo Center. These two venues host the Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia 76ers/Philadelphia Flyers. In short, the turf club basically overlooks all the major Philadelphia sports arenas.

To capitalize on this location, the club features a glass-enclosed dining area that offers views of the stadiums and the Philadelphia skyline. The facility also offers 27,000 square feet of space and numerous television screens for patrons.

The Oaks Race and Sportsbook (Permanently Closeed)

The Oaks Race and Sportsbook, formerly known as Valley Forge Turf Club, was located just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike, just south of Egypt Road. It was a combination racebook and retail sports betting facility.

After closing in mid-March, 2020 due to state-mandated coronavirus closures, it never re-opened.

Northeast Turf Club (Permanently Closed)

Northeast Turf Club was located in the Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, at the northern corner of the intersection between Cottman and Bustleton Avenues.

It is no longer in operation.

Penn National off-track wagering

Casino company Penn National used to own and operate two off-track wagering facilities in the central part of Pennsylvania. Both are since shuttered.

Penn National Lancaster (Permanently Closed)

The Lancaster location for Penn National was at the intersection of the Lincoln Highway East and South Oakview Road, in East Towne Centre, southwest of the intersection. It is no longer in operation.

Penn National York (Permanently Closed)

The Penn National off-track facility in York was on the north side of Loucks Road (Highway 30), just to the west of I-83. It appears to be no longer in operation.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs is the owner/operator of two off-track facilities in Pennsylvania. The Wilkes-Barre casino chose to brand both facilities as “The Downs.”

There was also a third facility in Carbondale. However, it no longer appears on the Mohegan Sun website, and Google lists the venue as permanently closed.

The Downs at East Stroudsburg

The Downs at East Stroudsberg is located in the Eagles Glen Mall parking lot off Route 80. As the facility tells it, this location is in the heart of the Poconos.

The venue features several large televisions and a themed sports bar. The Downs broadcasts and accepts wagers on both harness and thoroughbred racing. On the first Saturday of each month, customers can enter handicapping contests for big prizes.

The Downs at Lehigh Valley

The Downs at Lehigh Valley is located at the western corner of Airport Road and Airport Center Road in Allentown. Unlike some of the other facilities, this is a proper venue for off-track betting.

In fact, it is the largest OTB location in Pennsylvania, clocking in at 28,000 square feet of gaming space. The facility features both a large central bar and a full-service dining room. It is convenient for customers in Allentown, Easton, and Bethlehem.

Soon it will offer retail sports betting in addition to horse racing too.

Meadows off-track betting

The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington has a somewhat rocky history with operating OTB venues. The property has opened three of them over the years. However, only one of them remains at this time.

Meadows Harmar

Its lone location is in Harmar, just northeast of Pittsburgh. The property is located on Anchor Drive, just east of the intersection between the Allegheny Valley Expressway and PA-910.

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Meadows Harmar offers a full-service restaurant and bar that can seat over 100 patrons. The property itself features 250 television screens and an outdoor viewing deck.

Capital Off Track Betting App

Meadows Harmar is also less than 3 miles from the famous Oakmont Country Club. The club has hosted numerous well-known golf tournaments, including the 2016 US Open.