Horse Racing Betting in North Carolina: Laws & Best Options in the Tar Heel State

Horse Racing & Betting in North Carolina

No pari-mutuel racetrack. North Carolina has harness training at the historic Pinehurst Harness Track and charity steeplechase meets, but no betting on them.

Online racing bets: authorized, not yet licensed. HB 347 put ADW under the Lottery Commission, which has not yet opened ADW licensing.

Minimum age: 21 for sports betting; the age for horse wagering will be set when ADW launches.

Currently, North Carolina has harness racing in a few locations and an annual charity steeplechase near Charlotte. But because there is no horse betting in the state yet, the professional thoroughbred racing industry is not in business in North Carolina.

Key features include its regular promotions and the Caesars North Carolina welcome bonus, where new users can bet $1 and double their winnings on their next 10 bets with the Promo Code CZRDYW, making it a compelling choice for bettors seeking value and rewards from a trusted name in the gambling world.

If you’re betting in North Carolina today, sportsbooks are your only legal option. Horse racing fans will have to wait—or travel out of state—until ADW licensing opens.

The minimum gambling age for visitors at North Carolina tribal gaming spaces is 21.

While there is some horse racing that takes place in North Carolina, it is not yet possible to place a legal bet on horse racing anywhere in the Tar Heel State.

You cannot bet on horse racing in North Carolina — online or in person. The state has no licensed horse wagering, no active racebooks, and no ADW platforms like FanDuel Racing (TVG) or TwinSpires operating locally.

That said, change is under way. House Bill 347, passed in 2023, authorized advance-deposit wagering under the NC Lottery Commission. Once the Commission opens ADW licensing, it could open the door to online pari-mutuel wagering. For now, however, horse racing activity is limited to training tracks, harness exhibitions, and charity steeplechase events, all without betting.

More on Racing in North Carolina

The history of horse racing in the state dates back to the 1730s. Both thoroughbred and standardbred racing were popular at state fairs and in the 1950s, steeplechase racing gained a foothold in the Tar Heel State. But the sport’s association with gambling caused it to fade from existence in North Carolina. The Pinehurst Harness Track has been a winter training base for Standardbreds since 1915 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

The Pinehurst Harness Track is nestled in the heart of historic Pinehurst, North Carolina, and is the oldest continuously operating equine sports facility in the state. The 111-acre Harness Track has been a winter training center for Standardbred horses since 1915, including champions such as Gallo Blue Chip and SJ’s Photo.

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.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting FAQs