Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in Ohio: Apps & Offers in the Buckeye State

Best Ohio Horse Racing Betting Sites

Our top-rated advance-deposit wagering (ADW) apps for Ohio bettors. Tap to open the operator’s official sign-up page. 18+. Terms apply.

• ★ EDITOR’S PICK
  AmWagerEditor’s pick★ 4.8 / 5
  100% First Deposit Match up to $50 · Promo Code AMWAGER
  Deposit $50, bet $50, get $50 in bonus wagering credits

  AmWager fits Ohio, a harness-racing stronghold: it carries Belterra Park, the busy standardbred circuit at Scioto Downs, Northfield and Miami Valley, and the Little Brown Jug, plus hundreds of signals worldwide with live video and a rewards program on every wager. One catch: under its terms Ohio residents cannot bet Thistledown or Mahoning Valley through AmWager.

  Visit AmWager →Read AmWager review
  Key terms: New AmWager customers only; first deposit only; Bet the amount of your first deposit (up to $50) within 30 days of opening the account; Show bets, cancelled and refunded wagers don't count; Bonus credits land within seven business days and expire after 30 days; winnings from them are cash. Full terms apply — see our AmWager review. Please play responsibly.
• TwinSpiresBest for coverage★ 4.7 / 5
  $200 Sign-Up Bonus · Promo Code BET200
  $100 in bonus cash for every $400 you wager, up to $200

  TwinSpires, the ADW of Churchill Downs, has some of the widest track coverage available to Ohio bettors, with live video and a reliable app on big race days.

  Visit TwinSpires →Read TwinSpires review
  Key terms: Wager $800 within 30 days of opening your account to earn the full $200; Bonus paid in $100 increments for every $400 wagered; Show wagers don't count; bets count once the race is official; Credited within 10 business days; one per household. Full terms apply — see our TwinSpires review. Please play responsibly.
• FanDuel RacingBest app & streaming★ 4.6 / 5
  Bet $10, Get $50 in Racing Bonus · No Promo Code needed
  FanDuel Racing rotates its new-customer offer, so the amount can change

  FanDuel Racing — the former TVG, owned by Flutter — gives Ohio horseplayers the polished app that pairs with the state's market-leading FanDuel Sportsbook, sharing one account and wallet. It covers Ohio's Thoroughbred and harness tracks alongside the national simulcast menu, with live streaming from more than 300 tracks and daily expert picks.

  Visit FanDuel Racing →Read FanDuel Racing review
  Key terms: First real-money racing wager of $10 or more; $50 in non-withdrawable Racing Bonus, credited within 72 hours; Racing Bonus expires seven days after it's issued; Not open to anyone who has wagered on FanDuel Sportsbook, Casino or DFS. Full terms apply — see our FanDuel Racing review. Please play responsibly.
• DraftKings RacingDraftKings crossover★ 4.3 / 5
  See the current welcome offer on the site

  Since April 2026 Ohio bettors can wager on horses inside the main DraftKings Sportsbook app, replacing the standalone DK Horse app. It suits sports bettors who want racing in the same wallet, with the Ohio Derby and Little Brown Jug on the national menu.

  Visit DraftKings Racing →
  18+. New customers only. Terms apply. Please play responsibly.
• OffTrackBetting.comDeposit match★ 4.2 / 5
  100% First Deposit Match up to $200 · No Promo Code needed
  Bonus released from your Bonus Wallet at 10% of every wager

  OffTrackBetting.com lists Ohio as a state it currently serves, with rebates on many tracks and bet types and a full simulcast menu including the Ohio harness circuit.

  Visit OffTrackBetting.com →Read OffTrackBetting.com review
  Key terms: OTB matches 100% of your first deposit, up to $200; The bonus sits in a Bonus Wallet and 10% of each completed wager is released to your account; One per household; past OTB account holders not eligible; Not available in CA, CO, ID, IL, IN, KY, MD, MN, MT, NY, WA, WV, WY or some Florida ZIP codes. Full terms apply — see our OffTrackBetting.com review. Please play responsibly.
• Iron BetsRebates★ 4.1 / 5
  50% Deposit Bonus up to $300 · No Promo Code needed
  Half your first deposit added to your bonus account

  Iron Bets Racing is live in Ohio, with free race video and replays, low-takeout pools and cash back on wagers through Iron Rewards.

  Visit Iron Bets →Read Iron Bets review
  Key terms: 50% of your first deposit, up to a $300 bonus ($600 deposit for the maximum); 10% of each wager is released from the bonus account once the race is official; One bonus per email or mailing address; 18+ (21+ in AL, ND, WA). Full terms apply — see our Iron Bets review. Please play responsibly.

Horse Racing & Betting in Ohio

JACK Thistledown Racino (North Randall), Belterra Park (Cincinnati) and Mahoning Valley (Youngstown) for Thoroughbreds, plus harness racing at Northfield Park, Scioto Downs, Miami Valley and Hollywood Dayton.

Online wagering is legal in practice; TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing (TVG), AmWager and DK Horse all serve residents. Bettors must be 18 and, where required, physically within the state.

The signature race to know is the Ohio Derby at Thistledown, the state’s best-known Thoroughbred stakes.

FanDuel Racing and FanDuel Sportsbook are separate apps, both owned by Flutter Entertainment, though they share one account and wallet. FanDuel Sportsbook handles team sports and requires 21+. FanDuel Racing (formerly TVG) is the dedicated horse racing app and accepts 18+. Both are legal in Ohio.

More on Racing in Ohio

Ohio is one of the best states in the country for online horse racing — pari-mutuel betting has been legal since 1933, all major ADWs operate here, and the state has eight active racetracks running thoroughbred and standardbred meets across the calendar.

Bettors must be 21+ for sports wagering and 18+ for pari-mutuel horse racing.

• Meadow Skipper (Standardbred, b. 1960): Foaled by Christy S. Hayes in Columbus, OH. Won the 1963 Cane Pace and 1964 American Pacing Classic. Earned $428,057 on the track — but his real legacy is as a sire: a foundation stallion whose bloodline runs through most modern pacers. US Harness Racing Hall of Fame (1983).
• Speedy Crown (Standardbred, b. 1968): Bred in Hamilton, OH by Ann Beissinger. Won the 1971 Hambletonian. Trotter of the Year 1971, Older Trotter of the Year 1972. Career earnings $545,495. US Harness Racing Hall of Fame (1996).
• Harlan’s Holiday (Thoroughbred, b. 1999): Ohio’s most successful modern thoroughbred. Won three Grade 1 stakes between 2001–2003, including the Florida Derby and Blue Grass Stakes. 2002 Kentucky Derby favorite (7th). Successful stud career.
• Imp (Thoroughbred, b. 1894): Bred and owned by D.R. Harness of Chillicothe, OH. One of the dominant fillies of the late 19th century — won 62 of 171 starts including the 1899 Suburban Handicap against males.

Choosing a Racing Site in Ohio

All major US Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) apps operate in Ohio. Each lets you bet every Ohio track plus US, UK and international racing from one account. Minimum age 18.

Ohio's eight racetracks — addresses & live cards

Belterra Park · 6301 Kellogg Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45230
Opened 1925 as Coney Island Racetrack; later River Downs.

Mahoning Valley Race Course

655 N Canfield Niles Rd, Youngstown, OH 44515
Hollywood Gaming property. Winter thoroughbred home of NE Ohio.

JACK Thistledown Racino · 21501 Emery Rd, North Randall, OH 44128
Cleveland's thoroughbred home. ~$300k purses on Ohio Derby Day.

MGM Northfield Park · 10705 Northfield Rd, Northfield, OH 44067
200+ race nights per year — among the busiest tracks in the USA.

Eldorado Scioto Downs · 6000 S High St, Columbus, OH 43207
Columbus harness venue.

Hollywood Dayton Raceway · 777 Hollywood Blvd, Dayton, OH 45414
Dayton harness venue.

Miami Valley Raceway · 6000 OH-63, Lebanon, OH 45036
Lebanon harness venue, half-mile oval.

Little Brown Jug · Delaware County Fair

236 Pennsylvania Ave, Delaware, OH 43015
Standardbred world championship for 3yo pacers — the "Kentucky Derby of harness racing".

Signature stakes races at Ohio's tracks

Beyond the everyday cards, each Ohio track hosts at least one feature stakes race that draws statewide attention — most are bettable through every ADW listed above.

Ohio Derby (G3)
Run at JACK Thistledown Racino each June. 1⅛-mile dirt test for sophomore thoroughbreds. Purse ~$300,000.

Little Brown Jug
3yo pacing championship at Delaware County Fair, run third Thursday of September since 1946. Purse ~$650,000. First leg of the Pacing Triple Crown.

Battle of Lake Erie

Open-class pacing event at MGM Northfield Park each July. Purse ~$200,000.

Best of Ohio Day

Six-race Ohio-bred stakes festival at Thistledown each October. Combined purses over $700k.

OSS Standardbred Championships
State-bred finals run across Scioto Downs, Northfield, Dayton each fall. Annual purses ~$20M.

Belterra Park Derby
3yo dirt stakes at Belterra Park, Cincinnati each July.

Ohio's state-bred incentives

Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund (OTRF)
~ $8 million annually distributed across restricted Ohio-bred stakes and overnight races at Thistledown, Belterra Park and Mahoning Valley. Owners get purse supplements, breeders earn awards when an Ohio-bred wins anywhere in North America.

Ohio Sires Stakes (OSS) · Standardbred
A 4-leg series plus championships paying out across Scioto Downs, MGM Northfield Park, Hollywood Dayton and Miami Valley. Total annual purses approach $20 million.

Ohio Quarter Horse Race Fund
Smaller pool supporting Ohio-bred quarter horses — primarily at Belterra Park's spring quarter horse meet.

Notable horses bred in Ohio

Active Ohio runners are searchable on our racing data section.

Who regulates horse racing & sports betting in Ohio

Ohio uses two separate regulators for horse racing and sports wagering — each licenses operators independently. Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering sit with the Ohio State Racing Commission; online sportsbooks are licensed by the Ohio Casino Control Commission.

Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC)
Established 1933. Five commissioners appointed by the Governor for staggered terms. Headquartered in Columbus. Licenses every racing trainer, jockey, driver, owner, racetrack, and ADW operator that takes wagers from Ohio bettors. Also administers the Ohio Thoroughbred Race Fund and Ohio Sires Stakes.

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.

How to Start Betting on Racing in Ohio

1. Pick a racebook and sign up.

   Tap a “Visit” button above to open an ADW account. You must be 18+ and within state lines where required.

2. Claim the welcome offer and deposit.

   Fund the account by debit card, bank transfer or PayPal and activate any new-customer bonus before your first wager.

3. Find a race and place your bet.

   Browse the day’s cards, read the form, pick your horse and bet type, and confirm. Watch the live stream and collect if you win.

Once you have an account at AmWager, FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires or another ADW, you can stream races live in the app — included free with a funded account.

Ohio Horse Racing Betting Sites and Apps (November 2026)

• AmWager
• TwinSpires
• FanDuel Racing
• DraftKings Racing
• OffTrackBetting.com
• Iron Bets

Our editors rate AmWager the top choice for Ohio horse bettors — it covers Belterra Park and the Ohio harness tracks plus hundreds of tracks globally, pays AmWager Rewards points on every wager, and runs a 100% first deposit match up to $50 for new accounts with Promo Code AMWAGER. For broader app strength, FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires are also strong second choices.

Ohio Horse Racing Betting FAQs