Horse Betting in California – The 2026 CA Horse Betting Guide for Players
Welcome to the GamblingCalifornia.com complete guide to horse betting in California. Horse racing has been part of life in this state for nearly a century, and even as the sport has gone through some serious turbulence in recent years, the action at Santa Anita and Del Mar is still some of the best in the country. I have been betting horses around California since I was old enough to do it legally, from the grandstand at Del Mar in the summer to the simulcast windows at the local cardrooms when I cannot make it to the track. This page covers everything you need to know about California horse betting in 2026, from where the live racing happens, to which online sites accept California residents, to the basics of how parimutuel wagering actually works.
The headline news for California racing in 2026 is that the state is officially down to a single circuit. Northern California racing went dark at the end of 2024 with the closure of Golden Gate Fields, and the California Horse Racing Board voted in February 2026 to deny applications that would have brought small fair meets back to NorCal. So all the live thoroughbred action this year is happening at Santa Anita Park, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, and Los Alamitos in Southern California, with year-round quarter horse racing also at Los Alamitos. That is a major shift from how things looked even a few years ago, and I will get into what it means as we go through the page.
Is Horse Betting Legal in California?
Yes, horse betting is fully legal in California, and it has been continuously legal longer than just about any other form of gambling in the state. California first legalized parimutuel wagering on horse racing in 1933, when voters approved a constitutional amendment that authorized the sport. The state has had legal, regulated horse racing ever since. Horse betting is the rare California gambling category that is not in a gray area, not the subject of ballot measures, and not a target of legal fights. It is just legal, regulated, and widely available.
You can legally bet on horse races at California’s three operating tracks, at any of the dozens of off-track betting facilities scattered around the state, and through state-licensed advance deposit wagering services. The minimum age to bet horses in California is 18, which is younger than the 21-plus minimum at most casinos and cardrooms. The sport is regulated by the California Horse Racing Board, which has been around since the 1933 legalization and oversees track licensing, race scheduling, drug testing, and safety standards. The CHRB’s official site is at chrb.ca.gov.
One thing worth knowing is that California has specific carve-outs in federal law that allow legal online horse betting in ways that other forms of online gambling are not allowed. The Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978, last amended in 2000, specifically authorizes interstate online wagering on horse races through licensed advance deposit wagering operators. So while online sports betting and online casinos remain unauthorized in California, online horse betting is fully legal as long as you use one of the licensed operators. That is a meaningful difference.
Land-Based Horse Betting in California
Live racing at the track is still the best way to experience horse betting if you can get there. The atmosphere at Santa Anita on a Saturday afternoon or Del Mar during the summer meet is something you cannot replicate online. The crowds are smaller than they used to be in the sport’s heyday, but the racing itself is still high quality and the betting pools are deep enough to give you action on every conceivable wager type.
If you cannot get to the track in person, California has dozens of off-track betting facilities where you can place parimutuel wagers on live races at the state’s tracks plus simulcast races from tracks around the country. These OTBs are located at most cardrooms, at some tribal casinos, and at dedicated satellite facilities. I will get into specific OTB locations a bit later on the page.
The 2026 California racing calendar is concentrated in Southern California after the loss of Northern California racing. Here is the schedule the CHRB approved at its October 2025 meeting:
| Track | 2026 Race Dates |
|---|---|
| Santa Anita Park | December 17, 2025 through June 16, 2026 |
| Del Mar Thoroughbred Club | July 8 through September 8, 2026 |
| Los Alamitos (Thoroughbred) | September 9 through September 22, 2026 |
| Santa Anita Park | September 23 through November 3, 2026 |
| Del Mar (Fall meet) | November 4 through December 1, 2026 |
| Los Alamitos (Thoroughbred) | December 2 through December 15, 2026 |
| Los Alamitos (Quarter Horse) | Year-round at scheduled meets |
Major California Horse Racing Tracks
With Northern California racing on hiatus, the entire California live racing scene comes down to three tracks, all in the southern half of the state. Each one has its own personality and its place in the racing calendar.
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia is the marquee California track and one of the most historic racing venues in North America. It opened on Christmas Day 1934 and has hosted the Breeders’ Cup eleven times, more than any other track. The setting is iconic, with the San Gabriel Mountains rising behind the homestretch. The Santa Anita main meet runs from late December through mid-June, and the track also hosts a fall meet from late September through early November. Major races include the Santa Anita Derby (a Kentucky Derby prep race) in April, the Santa Anita Handicap in March, and the Breeders’ Cup, which returns to Santa Anita in 2026. Santa Anita is owned by The Stronach Group and has been at the center of California racing’s evolution over the past decade.
Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar (just north of San Diego) is one of the most beautiful tracks in the country. The summer meet runs from early July through early September and is one of the social highlights of the Southern California sports calendar. Bing Crosby helped found the track in 1937 and the famous slogan, “Where the Turf Meets the Surf,” still applies as you can literally see the Pacific from parts of the grounds. Del Mar also runs a fall meet from early November through early December. The Pacific Classic in late August is the track’s signature race, and Del Mar hosted the 2025 Breeders’ Cup. The atmosphere at Del Mar during the summer is the closest thing California has to old-school racing culture.
Los Alamitos Race Course in Los Alamitos (Orange County) is the third active track. Los Alamitos primarily runs quarter horse racing year-round, but it also hosts short thoroughbred meets in September and December to fill gaps in the Santa Anita and Del Mar schedules. The track has the only quarter horse racing in California and is home to several major quarter horse stakes, including the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity and the Champion of Champions. Quarter horse racing is faster and shorter than thoroughbred racing (most races are between 220 and 870 yards) and has a different feel from the thoroughbred meets at Santa Anita and Del Mar.
The Closure of Golden Gate Fields and What It Meant for the Sport
This is the most important California racing story of the past decade and you cannot really understand the current state of the sport without knowing what happened. Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley was the last surviving commercial thoroughbred track in Northern California. The track had been operating since 1941 and had been the anchor of NorCal racing for over 80 years. In 2023, owner The Stronach Group announced it would close Golden Gate after the 2023-2024 season ended, citing financial losses and a strategic decision to consolidate California racing in the south. The final race at Golden Gate Fields ran on June 9, 2024.
The closure was bigger than just one track shutting down. Golden Gate had been the connecting tissue for an entire ecosystem of Northern California breeders, trainers, owners, and fair circuit tracks. Without Golden Gate as a year-round host, the smaller fair meets at places like Pleasanton, Ferndale, and Stockton lost the framework that supported them. Various efforts have been made since 2024 to revive Northern California racing in some form, including attempts to run small fair meets at Pleasanton and proposals from a group called Bernal Park Racing to develop a new permanent track. Most of these have been blocked by the CHRB, which has voted multiple times against allocating dates to NorCal applicants.
In February 2026, the CHRB voted down the latest applications for spring and summer meets at Red Bluff and Ferndale. CHRB chairman Gregory Ferraro stated bluntly that “there’s just no market” for racing up there and that approving the dates would risk damaging racing statewide. Northern California interests have argued back that consolidating the entire sport in Southern California will speed the decline of the breeding industry that is mostly based in the north. The situation is not really resolved, and there is talk of new attempts to revive NorCal racing in the future, but for 2026 there is no live thoroughbred racing happening in Northern California.
What this means for California horse betting is that the state has effectively become a single-circuit operation. Sufficient handle (the total amount wagered) is being maintained at the southern tracks, but the breadth of the California racing scene has shrunk significantly compared to even five years ago.
Off-Track Betting at California Satellite Facilities
If you cannot make it to one of the three operating tracks, California has dozens of off-track betting facilities that take parimutuel wagers on live and simulcast races. These OTBs are mostly located at the state’s licensed cardrooms, with some at tribal casinos and a few at standalone satellite facilities. The OTBs let you bet on live California races as well as simulcast races from major tracks around the country, including Churchill Downs, Belmont Park, Saratoga, Keeneland, and many others.
| OTB Location | City | Type |
|---|---|---|
| The Commerce Casino | Commerce | Cardroom OTB |
| The Bicycle Casino | Bell Gardens | Cardroom OTB |
| Hollywood Park Casino | Inglewood | Cardroom OTB |
| The Gardens Casino | Hawaiian Gardens | Cardroom OTB |
| Lucky Chances Casino | Colma | Cardroom OTB |
| Bay 101 Casino | San Jose | Cardroom OTB |
| Cal Expo Satellite | Sacramento | Standalone Satellite |
| Pleasanton Satellite Wagering | Pleasanton | Fairgrounds Satellite |
| Stockton Satellite Wagering | Stockton | Fairgrounds Satellite |
| Vallejo Satellite Wagering | Vallejo | Fairgrounds Satellite |
| San Mateo Satellite Wagering | San Mateo | Fairgrounds Satellite |
| Costa Mesa Satellite Wagering | Costa Mesa | OC Fair Satellite |
The OTBs offer the same wager types and the same parimutuel pools as the live tracks. You walk up to the betting window or a self-service terminal, place your bet, and watch the race on the simulcast TVs. Most OTBs have food and drinks available and serve as gathering spots for serious horseplayers who prefer the social aspect of in-person betting.
Online Horse Betting in California
This is where California horse betting really stands apart from other forms of California gambling. Online horse betting is fully legal for California residents through state-licensed advance deposit wagering operators. You can also use offshore racebooks, which operate in the same gray area as offshore sportsbooks and casinos but accept California residents. So you have two legitimate paths to bet horses online in California, depending on what you are looking for.
The legal ADW operators are regulated by the California Horse Racing Board, the betting pools are the same parimutuel pools as the tracks themselves (so the odds and payouts are identical), and you can bet on California races plus most major US and international races. The offshore racebooks offer fixed odds in some cases, deeper rebate programs, and access to a wider selection of international tracks, but they are not state-licensed.
Legal Advance Deposit Wagering Sites for California Players
California residents can legally use a small number of state-licensed ADW operators. These are the sites that meet California’s regulatory requirements and have been authorized to take wagers from California residents. The major options are:
TVG (now FanDuel Racing). TVG was the original major ADW operator and has been serving California residents for over twenty years. The site was rebranded as FanDuel Racing after FanDuel’s parent company acquired it, but the underlying operation is the same. You can bet on all California tracks plus most major US tracks and many international ones. The TVG TV network shows live races throughout the day, which is useful if you want to watch what you are betting on.
TwinSpires. TwinSpires is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated and is one of the largest ADW operators in the country. It has been licensed in California for years and offers a strong product with deep race coverage, betting tools, and a rewards program. TwinSpires is particularly strong for Triple Crown coverage since it is owned by the company that hosts the Kentucky Derby.
Xpressbet. Xpressbet is owned by The Stronach Group, which also owns Santa Anita. Naturally, Xpressbet has strong coverage of Stronach-owned tracks (Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Pimlico, Laurel) plus most major US racing. Xpressbet has a long-running rewards program and is one of the more serious-handicapper-friendly ADW options.
NYRA Bets. NYRA Bets is operated by the New York Racing Association and is licensed for California residents. It is a solid all-around ADW with particular strength on East Coast racing.
These licensed ADW operators are convenient, fully legal, and integrate directly with the California parimutuel pools. Their main drawback compared to offshore racebooks is that they typically do not offer the rebate programs that serious horseplayers value. The pool-only structure means everyone bets into the same pool at the same odds, so there is no way to get a price advantage.
Offshore Racebooks That Accept California Players
Offshore racebooks are the other major option for California horse bettors. These are the same operators behind the offshore sportsbooks I cover on the California sportsbooks page, but with dedicated horse betting platforms. They accept California players, take crypto and credit card deposits, and offer some real advantages over the licensed ADW sites for serious horseplayers.
The biggest advantage of offshore racebooks is the rebate program. Most major offshore racebooks offer cashback on all losing wagers, typically 5 to 8 percent. So if you bet $1,000 on horses in a month and lose, you would get $50 to $80 back as cashback. For high-volume horseplayers, this rebate can mean the difference between losing money long-term and breaking even or winning. Licensed ADW sites generally do not offer this kind of rebate.
Offshore racebooks also offer fixed-odds betting on some races, which is unusual in horse betting where parimutuel pools are the standard. Fixed odds let you lock in your price when you bet rather than waiting to see what the final pool odds turn out to be. This can be valuable if you think a horse is going to be bet down significantly before post time.
Are offshore racebooks safe? The major operators have been serving American horseplayers for over twenty years. Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, BetUS, and the others have processed huge volumes of horse betting action without issues. The same advice applies as with any offshore operator: stick with the established names and you will not have problems.
Bovada: The Best Online Racebook for California Players
Bovada is my pick for the best offshore racebook for California players. The site has been operating since 2011 and has built a reputation as the most reliable offshore book for American players, including for horse betting. The Bovada racebook covers around 100 tracks worldwide, including all the major California tracks (Santa Anita, Del Mar, Los Alamitos), all the major US tracks, and international racing from Australia, Hong Kong, the UK, France, and elsewhere.
What makes Bovada the best pick? A few things. The rebate program is one of the better ones in the offshore world, with up to 8 percent rebates on losing wagers depending on volume. The interface is clean and works well on both desktop and mobile, which matters because horse betting really benefits from a fast interface when you are trying to get bets in before post time. The race coverage is broad, with simulcasts available throughout the day and night thanks to international racing in opposite time zones. Crypto withdrawals are processed within 24 hours, which is important when you have winnings to cash out after a good day at the races.
Bovada is also a true all-in-one operator. The same account works for the racebook, the sportsbook, the casino, and the poker room. So if you are someone who bets sports and plays casino games in addition to horses, you can do it all from one bankroll without managing multiple accounts. Visit Bovada
Short Reviews of Top Online Racebooks
BetOnline
BetOnline has a strong horse betting product with coverage of around 90 tracks worldwide. The racebook offers solid rebates on losing wagers and has particular strength in international racing, with deep coverage of Australian and European tracks. The site has been operating since 2004 and is one of the longest-running offshore racebooks. The BetOnline interface is functional rather than fancy, but it has all the features serious horseplayers need including past performances, race replays, and live odds. Visit BetOnline
MyBookie
MyBookie offers a solid racebook with daily rebate programs and broad track coverage. The site is particularly known for its aggressive bonus offers, which apply to the racebook as well as the sportsbook. MyBookie covers all the major US tracks plus a good selection of international racing. The mobile experience is one of the better ones in the offshore world, which is useful for horse betting where you often need to place wagers quickly. Visit MyBookie
BetUS
BetUS has been operating since 1994 and has a long-established racebook covering most major US and international tracks. The site offers welcome bonuses that apply to horse betting and has particularly strong customer service including phone support. The BetUS racebook does not have the deepest international coverage but it covers all the California tracks and the major US racing thoroughly. Visit BetUS
SportsBetting.ag
SportsBetting.ag is a sister site to BetOnline and shares the same racebook software. The product is functionally identical but operates as a separate brand with separate accounts and bonus offers. That makes SportsBetting.ag useful as a second offshore option if you want to spread your action or take advantage of two sets of welcome bonuses. Visit SportsBetting.ag
Everygame
Everygame is the longest-running online sportsbook (since 1996) and operates a respectable racebook with coverage of most major tracks. The site has a more European feel than some competitors and is particularly strong on international racing. Everygame’s rebate structure is straightforward and the cashier moves quickly. Visit Everygame
Xbet
Xbet (no relation to Xpressbet) is one of the newer offshore operators but has built a reputation for fast payouts and a clean user experience. The racebook covers all the major US tracks plus a selection of international racing. Welcome bonuses are aggressive and the site is mobile-friendly. Visit Xbet
Online Horse Betting Sites for California Players
| Site | Status | Specialty | Min Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Racebook | Offshore | Best overall, up to 8% rebates | 18+ |
| BetOnline Racebook | Offshore | Strong international coverage | 18+ |
| MyBookie Racebook | Offshore | Daily rebates, mobile experience | 18+ |
| BetUS Racebook | Offshore | Long-running, phone support | 18+ |
| SportsBetting.ag Racebook | Offshore | Sister site to BetOnline | 18+ |
| Everygame Racebook | Offshore | Oldest online book (since 1996) | 18+ |
| Xbet Racebook | Offshore | Fast payouts, modern interface | 18+ |
| FanDuel Racing (formerly TVG) | Licensed ADW | Licensed in California | 18+ |
| TwinSpires | Licensed ADW | Licensed in California | 18+ |
| Xpressbet | Licensed ADW | Licensed in California | 18+ |
Major Horse Racing Events Held in California
California has a long history of hosting some of the biggest horse racing events in the world. Here are the major stakes races and events on the California calendar.
Santa Anita Derby (April). The Santa Anita Derby is one of the most important Kentucky Derby prep races, with the winner getting an automatic spot in the Kentucky Derby field. Run since 1935, the race attracts top three-year-old colts and has produced 11 Derby winners. Run at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, it is the highlight of Santa Anita’s winter-spring meet.
Santa Anita Handicap (March). Known as the “Big Cap,” the Santa Anita Handicap dates to 1935 and was once the richest race in America. Seabiscuit famously won it in 1940. The race is now a Grade 1 event for older horses going 1 1/4 miles on dirt.
Pacific Classic (August). Del Mar’s signature race is the Pacific Classic, a Grade 1 event for older horses at 1 1/4 miles on dirt. It is one of the major prep races for the Breeders’ Cup Classic and routinely draws top-class fields.
Breeders’ Cup (October/November). The Breeders’ Cup is the world championship of horse racing, with 14 races run over two days for total purses of around $34 million. California has hosted the Breeders’ Cup eleven times at Santa Anita and once at Del Mar (in 2017 and again in 2025). The Breeders’ Cup returns to Santa Anita in 2026.
Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (December). The biggest race in quarter horse racing, this 400-yard sprint for two-year-olds carries a $2 million purse and is the highlight of the Los Alamitos winter meet.
Champion of Champions (December). The premier all-aged stakes race in quarter horse racing, run at Los Alamitos with the country’s top quarter horses competing.
California Cup Day (October at Santa Anita). A full card of stakes races for California-bred horses, showcasing the state’s breeding industry.
A Brief History of California Horse Racing
California horse racing dates back to the Spanish colonial era, when ranchers raced their horses informally in the early 1800s. The sport became formalized in the late 1800s with the construction of various small tracks, but the modern era really begins with the 1933 legalization of parimutuel wagering. California voters approved a constitutional amendment that authorized horse racing as the state’s first form of legal gambling, and the California Horse Racing Board was established to regulate the sport.
Santa Anita Park opened on Christmas Day 1934 and quickly became one of the premier tracks in North America. Hollywood Park opened in 1938. Del Mar Thoroughbred Club followed in 1937 with backing from Bing Crosby and other Hollywood celebrities. The 1930s and 1940s were a golden age for California racing, with stars like Seabiscuit (whose famous 1938 match race against War Admiral overshadowed his California success) and Citation drawing huge crowds. Bay Meadows opened on the Peninsula in 1934, and Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley followed in 1941. The state had a robust circuit running from north to south, with thoroughbreds, quarter horses, and even harness racing all part of the scene.
The sport stayed strong through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, with California producing or hosting many of the great horses of those eras. The decline started in the 1990s as competition from other forms of gambling (Nevada casinos, the state lottery, eventually tribal casinos) began drawing recreational gamblers away from horse racing. Hollywood Park closed in 2013 and was eventually demolished to make way for SoFi Stadium. Bay Meadows had closed in 2008 and was redeveloped into housing. The sport’s footprint kept shrinking even as Santa Anita and Del Mar remained strong.
The closure of Golden Gate Fields in June 2024 and the failure of efforts to revive Northern California racing in 2025 and 2026 mark the latest chapter in the contraction of the sport. California now has the smallest live racing footprint it has had since the 1930s, with just three operating tracks. Whether the sport stabilizes here or continues to shrink is one of the biggest questions in California gambling.
The California Horse Racing Board and How the Sport Is Regulated
The California Horse Racing Board, or CHRB, is the state agency that regulates all aspects of horse racing in California. The board was established in 1933 alongside the legalization of parimutuel wagering and has been the central regulatory body for the sport ever since. The CHRB consists of seven gubernatorially appointed commissioners who serve four-year terms.
What does the CHRB actually do? A lot of things. It licenses tracks, off-track betting facilities, jockeys, trainers, owners, and other industry participants. It allocates race dates, deciding which tracks run when. It oversees drug testing and medication regulations to ensure the integrity of the sport and the safety of the horses. It investigates rules violations and disciplines licensees who break the rules. It approves wager types and pool structures. It collects taxes and fees that fund both the agency itself and various programs benefiting the industry.
The CHRB has been at the center of various controversies over the years, including the high-profile horse fatalities at Santa Anita in 2018 and 2019 that prompted significant reforms to track safety and medication rules. More recently, the CHRB has been navigating the difficult politics of the Northern California racing situation, repeatedly voting down applications for revived NorCal meets despite pressure from breeders and small-track interests.
For California horse bettors, the practical relevance of the CHRB is that it ensures the licensed parts of the industry operate fairly. The races are run with proper veterinary oversight, the parimutuel pools are administered correctly, and the licensed ADW operators are held to standards that protect bettors. You can find the CHRB’s official site at chrb.ca.gov, including current race schedules, rule books, and meeting agendas.
Mobile Horse Betting in California
Mobile horse betting has become the dominant way most California horse bettors place their wagers, and every major operator has invested heavily in mobile platforms. Both the licensed ADW operators and the offshore racebooks offer mobile-friendly products that work well on phones and tablets.
The licensed ADW sites all have native mobile apps available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. FanDuel Racing (formerly TVG), TwinSpires, and Xpressbet all have polished apps with full betting functionality, live race video streaming, and quick access to past performances and other handicapping tools. These apps are the easiest path to mobile horse betting if you are based in California.
The offshore racebooks generally use mobile-optimized websites rather than native apps, since the major app stores do not allow real-money gambling apps that are not licensed in your jurisdiction. The mobile sites at Bovada, BetOnline, MyBookie, and the others work great on iPhone and Android. You can do everything from your phone that you can do on the desktop site, including watching live race feeds at the operators that offer them.
One thing that makes mobile horse betting particularly useful is the ability to place wagers right up until post time. Horse betting odds change constantly as the parimutuel pools build, so being able to check live odds and place a bet from your phone in the last few minutes before a race can be valuable. Mobile betting has effectively turned every California horseplayer’s phone into a satellite betting terminal.
Horse Betting Bonuses and Rebates
Horse betting has its own bonus and rebate structure that is different from sports betting or casino bonuses. Understanding how these work can meaningfully improve your bottom line as a horseplayer.
Welcome bonuses at offshore racebooks typically offer a percentage match on your first deposit, similar to sportsbook bonuses. These usually range from 50 to 100 percent of your deposit up to a stated maximum. The bonuses come with wagering requirements that are usually lower than casino or sportsbook bonuses (often 3x to 5x the bonus and deposit) and are reasonable to clear through normal horse betting volume.
Rebate programs are the most valuable benefit at offshore racebooks for serious horseplayers. The structure is typically a percentage cashback on all losing wagers, paid out daily, weekly, or monthly depending on the operator. Bovada offers up to 8 percent rebates depending on volume. MyBookie has daily rebates. BetOnline rebates regularly hit 5 to 7 percent for active players. Over a year of consistent horse betting, these rebates can amount to thousands of dollars back in your account.
Race-specific promotions are common around major events. Operators run special bonuses, free bet offers, and rebate boosts around the Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont), the Breeders’ Cup, and the major California stakes like the Santa Anita Derby and Pacific Classic.
Loyalty programs at the bigger operators give you points for every dollar wagered, which you can redeem for cashback, free bets, or other benefits. The TwinSpires Rewards program is one of the better ones at the licensed ADW level. Bovada and BetOnline both have loyalty programs that scale up with play.
Licensed ADW operators typically do not offer rebate programs at the same level as offshore racebooks, which is the main trade-off when choosing between regulated and offshore options. If you are a high-volume horseplayer, the rebate value alone often justifies using an offshore racebook.
The Future of Horse Racing in California
The future of California horse racing is uncertain in ways that the sport has not been since the 1930s. The closure of Golden Gate Fields and the failure of NorCal revival efforts have left the state with the smallest live racing footprint in nearly a century. Handle (the total amount wagered on California races) has held up reasonably well at the southern tracks, but the industry’s broader ecosystem of breeders, trainers, and supporting operations has been hit hard.
The optimistic case is that consolidating racing in Southern California allows Santa Anita and Del Mar to thrive without the financial drag of supporting a struggling Northern circuit. Both tracks continue to attract top horses and major events, the Breeders’ Cup keeps coming back to California, and the Southern California racing product remains among the best in North America. If the sport stabilizes here, California can continue as one of the most important racing jurisdictions in the country.
The pessimistic case is that the loss of the breeding industry in the north (most California-bred foals come from NorCal farms) will eventually starve the southern racing of California-bred horses, forcing more out-of-state shipping and undermining the unique California racing product. The number of mares bred in California has dropped dramatically over the past few years and was reportedly at a record low in 2025. Without a robust breeding industry, the sport will struggle to sustain itself even at the southern tracks.
Various efforts are underway to address these challenges. Bernal Park Racing, formed by horse owner George Schmitt and the late breeder John Harris, has been working on plans for a new permanent NorCal track. Some industry voices are pushing for fair-circuit revival, even on a smaller scale than what existed before. The CHRB has so far been skeptical of these efforts but is mindful of the breeding industry concerns.
For California horse bettors, the practical reality is that the betting product remains strong even with the reduced footprint. Online betting through ADW operators and offshore racebooks gives you access to all the major US and international racing in addition to California races. So the betting opportunities are not really diminished, even as the live racing scene has contracted.
5 FAQs About Horse Betting in California
1. How old do I have to be to bet on horses in California?
The minimum age to bet on horses in California is 18, both at the track and through online ADW operators or offshore racebooks. This is younger than the 21-plus minimum at most California casinos and cardrooms. The age requirement is enforced through ID checks at the track and identity verification at the online operators.
2. Can I bet on California races from out of state?
Yes. Most US states allow legal ADW operators to take wagers on California races from their residents under the Interstate Horseracing Act. You can sign up for FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires, or Xpressbet from most states and bet on California races. A handful of states have restrictions, so check the operator’s rules if you are not sure.
3. Are horse racing winnings taxable?
Yes. Horse racing winnings are taxable income at both the federal level and in California. If you win $600 or more on a single wager at odds of at least 300-to-1, the track or operator will issue a W-2G tax form. You are still required to report all winnings, even those below the W-2G threshold. You can deduct losses up to the amount of winnings if you itemize deductions.
4. Do I get the same odds online as at the track?
If you bet through a licensed ADW operator, yes. Your bets go into the same parimutuel pools as the bets placed at the track, so you get the same final odds. Offshore racebooks usually merge into the same pools as well, but some offer fixed-odds betting on certain races, where you lock in a price at the time of your bet rather than waiting for the final pool odds.
5. Will Northern California racing ever come back?
Maybe, but not in 2026. The CHRB has voted multiple times against approving NorCal race dates since Golden Gate Fields closed in 2024. Various efforts are underway to bring back some form of NorCal racing, including the proposed Bernal Park Racing project, but nothing has been approved as of 2026. The CHRB has indicated that NorCal racing could come back at some point but only when there is a sustainable model in place. For now, all live thoroughbred racing in California happens at Santa Anita, Del Mar, and Los Alamitos in the south.
One last thing. Horse racing has a romantic appeal that other forms of gambling do not, and getting caught up in the atmosphere at Del Mar in summer or Santa Anita on Big Cap day is part of why people love the sport. But it is still gambling, and the takeout in parimutuel pools is higher than the house edge in most casino games. Set a budget for your day at the track or your weekly online action, and walk away when you hit it. If horse betting is starting to feel like more than entertainment, the California Office of Problem Gambling has free, confidential support 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER or online at problemgambling.ca.gov. The horses will run again tomorrow.