Thinking about betting the horses from Nevada? Here’s where the state actually stands — what’s legal, what isn’t and what your options are.
Can You Bet on Horse Racing in Nevada?
Nevada is the one state where you cannot use a national horse-betting app. TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet and the rest are barred here — Nevada opted out of the interstate framework the other states use.
Instead, horse betting runs through the casino race books: South Point, the Wynn, Boyd and Station properties and others. You register in person with ID, and bets are placed at the window or on an in-state race-book app used while you are physically in Nevada.
Horse Racing & Betting in Nevada
No commercial racetrack — Nevada is a race-book state, not a live-racing one.
Online wagering is not available from home: national ADW apps are barred in Nevada, so wagering is done at licensed casino race books, with any mobile betting requiring in-person registration and play from inside the state.
The Las Vegas race books, which simulcast every major meet in the country.
| Track | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elko County FairElko · Thoroughbred & Quarter Horse · Thoroughbreds & Quarter Horses, Aug 29 – Sep 7, 2026 (Elko County Fair) | ||||||||||||
| White Pine RacingEly · Thoroughbred & Quarter Horse · Thoroughbreds & Quarter Horses, August 2026 (incl. Aug 22) |
Months with live racing. Dates come from the tracks and the state racing regulator; meets can change, so check the track’s own calendar before you go. Simulcast wagering runs year-round.
More on Racing in Nevada
For a state that basically built America’s gambling empire – the state of Nevada legalized gambling in 1931 – live horse racing is not a major player in the Nevada gaming industry.
Two small tracks, Elko County Fair Board Thoroughbred Horse Racing, and White Pine Horse Races, are offering short fair meetings each summer in Ely and Elko. They conduct live racing for thoroughbreds and quarter horses.
The beauty of being a horse player in Nevada is that all of the major casinos offer a racebook. Racing from all of the major tracks in North America is available to horse bettors on a daily basis.
Choosing a Racing Site in Nevada
Since Nevada law demands that all operators in the gaming industry undergo a rigid licensing process, the major ADW horse racing sites that are accessible in the majority of states aren’t available to Nevada horse bettors.
Fortunately, all of the major Las Vegas casinos offer race books that are available for both in-person and online/mobile wagering.
Popular Online Horse Bet Types & Races
Straight betting offered on Nevada horse racing includes win, place, show and across the board. With a win wager, the horse must win the race in order to cash the wager. A place bet requires that a horse finishes first or second in the race. A show bet is a winner if the horse wagered finishes anywhere in the top three positions. An across the board wager cashes if the horse finishes first, second, or third. If the horse wins the race, it pays off for win, place and show - across the board.
Exotic wagers include exactas (first two finishers), trifectas (top three finishers), and superfectas (top four finishers). All of these wagers must finish in the order bet to cash. However, bettors can box these wagers. A boxed wager will win if the horses end up in the correct finishing positions in any order. A quinella bet is similar to an exacta, except the horses can finish in either order as long as they are the top two finishers.
Other exotic bets featured are:
- Quinella (you must select the first and second horses in any order);
- Superfecta (you must select the first four horses to finish in exact order);
- Superhigh5 (you must select the first five horses to finish in exact order);
- Daily double (you must select the winner of two consecutive races).
Multiple wagers include the daily double, Pick 3, Pick 4, Pick 5, and Pick 6. Bettors must correctly pick the winners of that many successive races on the card.
Major Horse Betting Events In The USA That You Can Bet On In Nevada
Naturally, Nevada horse bettors can wager online or in person on any of the major stakes races held across North America, including the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup.
At the Elko County Fair, one of the most anticipated races for locals is the “Nevada Blackjack Challenge.” The Black Jack Challenge is run on the last day of racing and consists of nine local stables all competing for bragging rights.
Nevada Horse Racing Betting Legal Overview
Thunderbird Downs and Las Vegas Downs were once prominent thoroughbred tracks in the state of Nevada, but both closed their doors years ago.
Both White Pine and Elko County have been offering live horse racing since 1934. Racing is held as part of Elko County Fair for six days and consists of 9-10 races each day featuring both thoroughbred and quarter horses.
White Pine conducts a brief race meet each year, attracting 150-200 thoroughbreds from states such as Oklahoma, Utah, Idaho, California, and Arizona.
Nevada Racetracks
Elko County Fair Board Thoroughbred Horse Racing · 700 Moren Way, Elko NV 89801
Offering live thoroughbred and quarter horse racing August-September.
White Pine Horse Races · White Pine County Fairgrounds, Ely, NV 89301
Offering live racing each August during the White Pine County Fair.
Betting on Horse Racing in Nevada in 2026 Summary
You can still bet on horse racing in Nevada in 2026, even though live racing plays a very small role in the state’s gambling scene. Nevada only hosts brief fair-style race meets each summer at Elko County Fair and White Pine Horse Races, featuring limited thoroughbred and quarter horse cards.
What makes Nevada different is casino-based racebook betting. Nearly every major Las Vegas casino offers a racebook where you can bet in person or via mobile, with access to daily racing from top tracks across North America, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders’ Cup.
Bottom line: Nevada may not be a live racing state, but in 2026 you can still bet on virtually every major horse race in the U.S. through licensed casino racebooks — something few other states can match.
How to Bet on Horse Racing
New to the windows? Start with the straight bets. A win bet needs your horse to finish first; place pays if it runs first or second; show pays for first, second or third. They are the cheapest way to learn the game.
From there come the exotics, where the real payouts live. The exacta asks for the first two home in order, the trifecta the first three, and the superfecta the first four. Multi-race bets — the daily double, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 6 — string winners together across races, and the Pick 6 jackpot can roll into life-changing money. Our guide to exotic bets walks through each one, and the beginner’s guide to betting on racing covers the basics end to end.
Nevada Horse Racing Betting FAQs
How old must you be to bet on horses online in Nevada ?
You must be 21 or older to bet on horses in Nevada.
Is there a racetrack in Nevada?
No commercial racetrack — Nevada is a race-book state, not a live-racing one.
What are my options?
The Las Vegas race books, which simulcast every major meet in the country.
Where to watch online/stream horse races in Nevada?
In Nevada, most of the online racebooks operating through the state’s casinos will provide bettors with the ability to live stream the races. Generally, the only condition is either that the player has funds in their account, and/or they have a live wager placed on the race or races they are seeking to stream.
What are the best legal horse betting apps in Nevada ?
All of the major Las Vegas casinos offer race books that are available for both in-person and online/mobile wagering. ADW horse racing sites aren’t available to Nevada horse bettors.