Ohio horse race betting
Giddy yap, Ohio! That’s the collective shout of fans when they engage in horse race betting in Ohio. As these horse racing bettors cheer on their choice bets to lead the pack, you can sense the excitement. They know that a win from their chosen human and horse pair can bring them huge rewards and opportunities to gain more.
- Ohio horse race betting
- Off-track betting in Ohio
- Best Ohio horse race betting sites 2023
- How to bet on horses in Ohio
- How horse racecourses operate in Ohio
- Horse racing odds in Ohio
- FAQs Ohio horse race betting
- At what age is it legal to wager on Ohio horse betting online sites?
- How does the virtual horse race betting Ohio scenario work?
- Is there a tax on payouts from horse racing?
- When you use the term "ADW" in horse race betting Ohio racetracks, what do you refer to?
- Can i differentiate the morning line and the actual odds?
Off-track betting in Ohio

You need to know that having favorable horse race odds in Ohio needs more than luck. Moreover, you also need the experience and advice from experts and other fans who regularly bet on Ohio racecourses.
You can read through the guide below to help you in increasing your probability of success when engaging in off track betting in Ohio activities.
Get to know more about what it’s like to immerse yourself in the horse race betting Ohio arena. The information shared below can help you get up to speed on the legal aspects of the activity, the key operators, and other helpful details.
The legal status of horse race betting in Ohio
Engaging in wagers in horse races is legal in Ohio. This is true for both online and offline horse race betting Ohio scenarios. Additionally, there are various facilities and digital media to bet on horse race Ohio tracks. Given this, it is now more convenient to try your horse rave odds in Ohio.
The off track betting Ohio scenario
When engaging in off track betting in Ohio events, you can place your bets in all seven racetracks and one off-track betting (OTB) establishment. In addition, after the approval of a law in 2011, racetracks can now install Video-lottery terminals (VLTs). Consequently, fans can now watch live horse races and place their wagers in off track betting Ohio horse racing arena areas.
The Ohio State Racing Commission regulates all horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering in Ohio. The objective of the commission is to safeguard, maintain, and promote horse racing in the state. Meanwhile, the Ohio lottery has oversight on VLTs.
These lottery governing bodies expect each racetrack to give a half-percentage point off their net VLT gains to problem gambling programs. The track and the Ohio lottery divide the profits from the machines with more or less a 50/50 share.
The following are the racetracks where you can place a bet on horses Ohio-style physically:
- JACK Thistledown Racino
- Mahoning Valley Race Course
- Miami Valley
- MGM Northfield Park
- Belterra Park
- Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway
- Cedar Downs OTB
- Scioto Downs
Best Ohio horse race betting sites 2023
Ohio horse race betting: All sites are 100% legal & licensed by the OCCC.
Company | Bonus | Features | Visit |
![]() | Betfred Sportsbook Get up to $1,111 in Fred Bets |
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![]() | BetMGM Sportsbook Up to $1,000 in bonus bets |
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![]() | PointsBet Sportsbook Five Second Chance Bets Up To $100 Each |
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![]() | FanDuel Sportsbook Bet $5 get $200 in bonus bets |
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How to bet on horses in Ohio

In Ohio, you may wager on horse races online. HB 29, the state’s sports betting law for 2021, also tackled the legality of horse racing. Moreover, this effectively took the horse racing activity off the gray zone.
The legal status of Ohio horse race betting online used to be uncertain. The State Racing Commission has already released policies that permit betting on mobile platforms. However, some subsequent statements from the Attorney General were not enough to cement whether putting in a bet on horses Ohio racecourses is legal.
The approval of HB 29 provides Ohio bettors much-needed assurance when it comes to their horse race betting Ohio activities. Even if there are legal gray areas, several mainstream ADWs have previously established their businesses in Ohio. This new legislation has then given them the relief that their Ohio horse race betting online operations are now legal.
State policies
Strong state policies assure a secure experience at licensed horse race betting at Ohio online sports betting sites. However, they lead the pack when considering the number of tracks they manage, wagering user platforms, handicapping system support, and horse betting apps.
The most remarkable horse betting Ohio companies have agreements with hundreds of racecourses. This makes it more convenient for internet gamblers to access each racecourse’s live racing videos and parimutuel pools.
Online Ohio horse betting basics
For both offline and online betting, the concept is essentially the same. The only distinction is that you place your bets onscreen using your mouse and computer instead of speaking with a racecourse cashier. The following are the typical steps when engaging in Ohio horse betting online:
The first step is to create an account with a legitimate horse racing website to bet on horse races online. Next, you need to complete a new account form on the horse racing wagering site that you selected and hit the “register or join now” button.
Once you are registered, you can now put money into your account. Once you’ve logged into your betting site account, click the “deposit” option in the account section to begin the deposit process. Nonetheless, pop-ups might prompt you to fund your account with a deposit if you could not do this before.
After funding your account, you can choose from a variety of deposit options such as the following:
- Transfer through a wire
- A debit card and a credit card
- Money order or check
- Green Dot Moneypak (E-Check)
Where to engage in Ohio horse race betting online
Once they launch, you can access the following platforms to engage in Ohio horse race betting online.
- The BetMGM Horse Racing app enables mobile horse racing betting in Ohio. MGM, one of the country’s leading gaming organizations and sports betting providers, owns the app.
- You can also place your bets in TwinSpires, the official Kentucky Derby app for those who want to try Ohio horse betting online.
- AmWager app is another platform that promises to offer faster ways to help you have favorable horse racing odds in Ohio racecourses.
- TVG is another option to try to bet on horses in Ohio racetracks with huge bonuses.
How horse racecourses operate in Ohio

Horse race betting Ohio sportsbooks employ sign-up and deposit rewards to improve their marketing initiatives and gain more customers. When you join up for a betting account, you nearly always get a deposit reward or some other cash bonuses to tempt you.
To maximize your gains, you need to consult with experts and peers to know more about how horse racing betting bonuses and promotions in Ohio operate. This is important since no two incentives are alike. Furthermore, each has its own set of rules and restrictions that contributes to the overall worth.
Ohio racebooks
Horse race betting Ohio operators also leverage freebies, the use of celebrities and famous horse-racing personalities, enticing advertisements, well-placed ads, and other means.
Their goal is to present their offerings to you in a better light. Additionally, they also consult with various marketing industry experts and evaluate their data to generate audience insights that can help them gain bettors’ trust.
Horse race betting Ohio mechanics
To bet on horses in Ohio racetracks, you can read through the steps and recommendations below. Nevertheless, this can help you increase your chances of having favorable racing odds in Ohio racecourses.
The best strategy to get started is to start with simple straight bets. Then, as you better understand how everything works, you may move on to more complicated bets. Moreover, bets are available in-person and online through advance-deposit wagering sites and other horse racing betting apps in Ohio.
To give you an overview, you can view horse betting as a type of “parimutuel wagering.” If you’re new to horse betting, you need to understand the finer details as it’s not the same as sports betting.
Horse race betting Ohio operators gather all bets on a given horse racing event in the case of parimutuel betting. The racecourse then keeps a portion of the pool for its earnings and running expenses.
This is referred to as the “vig.” This strategy assures that the operator makes a profit no matter what happens. You should see a vig ranging from 15% to 30% in most cases.
The horse wagering pool
The remaining funds in the pool are intended for the winners’ payment after the operator deducts the vig. Right until the beginning of the race, the payouts vary in real-time.
Then, as the operators capture more additional bets, the payments available vary to reflect the latest betting activity. This is the reason the top-choice horses pay out less.
As more individuals place their wagers on the most famous horses, the pool allotted to that horse must be distributed across a more significant number of people if the most popular choice wins. However, there are fewer bettors when a long-shot horse first gets to the finish line. Hence, each bettor takes home more cash.
Horse racing odds in Ohio

A single race might have a variety of different bets put on it. The basic guideline is that the more complex a wager is to win, the larger the payout. A direct bet on a lone horse to win, for instance, gives a more generous payout.
However, if you place a bet on the precise sequence the top three horses finish, you will receive a bigger payout. The following are some of the most common horse racing bet and wager types:
- Straight-up wagers: This type of bet involved placing your wager on a horse. If your horse wins the race, you get your payout.
- Boxing and wheeling: This bet entails choosing several horses when making a bet if you are not sure of the order in which they will come.
- Across the board: If you are staking your money on win, place, and show on one wager, you are doing across-the-board betting. If the horse you selected wins, you will be given three payouts. If it comes in second place, you will win “place and show.” If the horse is in third place, you will earn a show only.
- Keying horses: For this type of bet, you have the option to key one horse in any race or a specific finishing place. Once you perceive that your horse choices will complete the race in specific positions, the horse you will choose to complete the race in a particular position is your “key” horse. The rest of the horses you have selected may complete the race in any order, and you are a winner.
- Exotic bets: This type of bet pertains to a viral group of horse racing bets that all contain a component where you need to bet on several horses. This can happen within one race or across multiple races.
- Parimutuel bets: The difference between parimutuel and other betting systems is that operators pool together all wagers, the house gets its share, and split the payouts among the winners. Consequently, the bettors, not the bookmaker, choose the odds for every bet.
Betting on harness racing in Ohio
Harness racing is a modern-day version of chariot racing, in which a single horse pulls a rider in a cart with two wheels. This type of race isn’t as popular as thoroughbred racing betting. Nevertheless, it’s a highly competitive sport with significant rewards and events.
Major horse racing betting services cover harness racing in great detail. They provide free race previews and picks, in-depth podcasts, and other instructional information.
Bettors recognize TwinSpires and BetAmerica as Ohio’s top harness racing betting apps. Other sports markets in the state to bet on:
Other bonus or promos Ohio:
FAQs Ohio horse race betting

At what age is it legal to wager on Ohio horse betting online sites?
You need to be 21 years old and above before you can place your bets on Ohio horse betting online sites. Moreover, you may also need to GEO comply when betting within the state’s borders.
How does the virtual horse race betting Ohio scenario work?
It is possible to gamble on the results of simulated horse races in the form of virtual horse racing betting. Operators simulate traditional parimutuel betting in this type of horse race betting Ohio scenario, but they hold virtual races every few minutes, allowing for round-the-clock action.
Is there a tax on payouts from horse racing?
Yes. All horse racing payouts must be reported to the IRS as taxable earnings. The IRS’s latest horse racing tax laws in 2017 made it easier for bettors to deduct wagering costs from their profits. However, federal policies do not allow this deduction.
When you use the term “ADW” in horse race betting Ohio racetracks, what do you refer to?
ADW is an acronym for “advance-deposit wagering.” Instead of allowing customers to gamble on credit at month-end, ADW compels customers to fund their bets when they are placed. Before making bets, operators require bettors to deposit money into their betting accounts.
Can i differentiate the morning line and the actual odds?
Morning line odds, or ML, represent the first odds to be set for any given race. To arrive at the morning line, an oddsmaker assigned to a racecourse considers the horses scheduled to race and their estimate of public betting activity. Then, after all the bets have been placed, the real odds are what you will be paid.