Arizona Horse Racing Betting Sites

Thanks to legislation passed in 2021, fans can choose from several Arizona horse racing betting apps and websites that are safe and licensed. Previously, the only way to wager remotely was through an automated telephone service TVG.com provided for races on select tracks only.

The Racing Division has issued ADW licenses to several pari-mutuel wagering sites, including some of BettingUSA’s highest-rated operators. Each operator listed here is legal in Arizona and has passed background investigations in numerous states.

Readers 21 and older can visit any licensed operator’s website to download the app or register online, claim a welcome bonus, and bet on horse races. State law requires all Arizona horse racing betting sites to confirm each new customer’s age and identity by requesting certain personal details, like their name, address, e-mail, etc.

However, state law also requires licensed Arizona ADWs to implement modern security standards to protect customers’ private information and funds. Other regulations require operators to contribute a percentage of their revenue to support the local horse racing industry, promote responsible gambling, and pay winning tickets promptly.

Arizona Race Tracks

Three Arizona race tracks ran thoroughbred and quarter horse races until recently, but one has closed permanently, and the future is uncertain for two others.

In addition to permanent race tracks, Arizona is home to two county fairs that host annual two-day race meets.

Although Arizona’s county fairs only hold two race days a year, they’re worth checking out because they offer higher-than-average payouts thanks to AZ Rev Stat § 5-111 (D) exempting them from the 2-5% state tax on pari-mutuel pools.

Turf Paradise

1501 W Bell Rd
Phoenix, Arizona 85023

Turf Paradise holds live quarter horse and thoroughbred races from November through May on Saturdays through Sundays. General admission is $3 on the weekend and free during the week, and it includes three grandstand levels inside, two levels outside, and a family picnic area.

Guests can also pay $5 for Clubhouse admission for tiered seating at four-top and two-top tables with individual TVs and casual dining in the Clubhouse. Other options include $5 seats at the Turf Club for upscale but still casual dining or $5 for simulcast wagering, individual carrels, and private TVs in the Players’ Club.

Turf Paradise nearly shut down in 2023 when its owner, Jerrry Simms, retired and a deal for another company to purchase the track fell through. However, the Arizona Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) extended the track’s simulcasting contract for another season. The extension saved Turf Paradise and its 37 off-track betting locations and gave Simms another year to plan for the track’s future.

Rillito Park Racetrack (Temporarily Closed)

4502 North First Ave
Tucson, Arizona 85718

Rillito Park Racetrack hosted thoroughbred and quarter-horse races on Saturdays and Sundays from February through April each year. Minors accompanied by adults were welcome to attend live races, but guests had to be 21 or older to place wagers. The track also offered simulcasting during the racing season.

Visitors could pay $6 for general admission tickets and their choice of indoor bleachers or outdoor bleachers and chairs. Clubhouse admission was $12 and provided a paddock overview, a food menu, a buffet, and snacks.

Rillito Park, also known as the birthplace of quarter horse racing, held its first race in 1943 and was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. As the Arizona Historical Society notes, Rillito Park was instrumental in establishing modern quarter horse racing standards such as the track length, photoelectric timer, and chute system.

Rillito Park paused its live racing operations ahead of the 2024 season amid financial difficulties and an arduous audit demanded by Pima County administrators. However, track officials say they are confident the track will reopen again for the 2025 racing season.

Arizona Downs (Permanently Closed)

10501 E Route 89A
Prescott Valley, Arizona 86315

Arizona Downs hosted thoroughbred and quarter horse racing from May through September, typically on Mondays and Saturdays. The track charged a $5 admission on Saturdays, but Mondays were free to enter, and accompanied minors got in free every day.

Amenities at Arizona Downs included a grandstand with two floors of seating, concessions, and a restaurant on the third level. Additionally, the simulcast room offered daily wagering on horse races held nationwide and featured two Caesars Sportsbook kiosks.

The simulcast room limited access to guests 21 or older, but the Family Fun Zone at Arizona Downs offered entertainment for all ages, including a petting zoo, pony rides, and the Kids Stick Horse Stakes.

Arizona Downs officially opened in the Summer of 2019, but the track’s history dates back quite a bit further. As the Arizona Thoroughbred Breeders Association notes, horse racing kicked off in 1959 at Prescott Downs in Prescott, Arizona.

The track became a centerpiece of the Arizona horse racing betting industry and eventually outgrew its venue. Its owners expanded by building a new track about 12 miles to the northeast in Prescott Valley and named it Yavapai Downs. However, the track declared bankruptcy just ten years later.

Another horse racing interest purchased Yavapai Downs in 2018, renamed it Arizona Downs, and resumed horse racing in 2019.

Arizona Downs ran into financial difficulties in 2023, leading the Arizona Racing Commission to revoke the track’s license in December 2023.

Arizona County Fair Horse Racing

County fair racing associations are eligible for one racing meeting each year. Upon approval, the commission sets the dates and number of racing days. 

Cochise County Fair

3677 N Leslie Canyon Rd,
Douglas, Arizona 85607

Santa Cruz County Fair

3142 AZ-83
Sonoita, Arizona 85637

Major Arizona Horse Racing Events

Arizona race tracks only run ungraded stakes races, but it is one of the only states with a year-round racing season. Additionally, Arizona is home to the Turf Paradise Derby, an official prep race for the Kentucky Derby.

• Ann Owens Distaff Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo+ fillies and mares, held in April at Turf Paradise
• Arizona Oaks: $75,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held in March at Turf Paradise
• Cotton Fitzsimmons Mile Handicap: $75,000 purse, open to 4yo+ thoroughbreds, held in March at Turf Paradise
• Dwight D Patterson Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held in April at Turf Paradise
• Gene Fleming Breeders’ Derby: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo thoroughbreds, held in April at Turf Paradise
• Glendale Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 4yo+ fillies and mares, held in February at Turf Paradise
• Joanne Dye Breeders’ Oaks: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held in April at Turf Paradise
• Lyman and Bradley Rollins Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held in April at Turf Paradise
• Phoenix Gold Cup Handicap: $100,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held in March at Turf Paradise
• Princess of Palm Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held in February at Turf Paradise
• Queen of the Green Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 4yo+ fillies and mares, held in January at Turf Paradise
• Startac Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 3yo thoroughbreds, held in February at Turf Paradise
• Turf Paradise Derby: $75,000 purse, open to 3yo thoroughbreds, held in March at Turf Paradise
• Turf Paradise Open Spring Futurity: $60,000 purse, open to 2yo thoroughbreds, held in May at Turf Paradise
• Turf Paradise Turf Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 4yo+ thoroughbreds, held in February at Turf Paradise
• Walter R Cluer Memorial Stakes: $60,000 purse, open to 4yo+ thoroughbreds, held in January at Turf Paradise

Arizona Off-Track Betting

Under Arizona state law, licensed race tracks may petition the Arizona Racing Commission to sponsor off-track betting facilities (OTBs) at bars and restaurants.

Readers can see a complete list of Arizona OTBs and their addresses. Off-track betting licenses are valid for three years, after which venues may renew or transfer them to other approved locations.

Arizona Online Horse Racing Betting Law

Arizona law places the Racing Division within the Department of Gaming in charge of regulating horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering. Its mission is to “protect athletes – human and equine – racing participants, and the wagering public.”

The Arizona Revised Statutes provide the foundation of legal horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering within the state. Additional regulations adopted by the Arizona Racing Commission provide more detailed rules regarding the conduct of race tracks, owners, trainers, advance deposit wagering operators, and much more.

The primary laws and regulations dealing with horse racing betting in Arizona include the following:

• AZ Rev Stat §§ 5-101-131
• AZ Admin Code R 19-2-101-523
• Additional rules and proposed regulations here

State law requires Arizona horse racing betting sites and apps to acquire ADW licenses from the Division of Racing, restrict access to customers 21 or older, and adhere to many consumer protection regulations.

The legislature legalized advance deposit wagering in 2021 via legislation that also authorized online sports betting in Arizona and established regulations for daily fantasy sports contests. Before 2021, TVG.com was the only ADW active in Arizona, requiring customers to phone in their wagers as mandated by state law at the time.

Arizona outlawed live greyhound racing via HB 2127, which Governor Doug Ducey signed into law in 2016. Tucson Greyhound Park held its last race that June to finally close the door on greyhound racing in Arizona for good. However, state law still permits greyhound simulcasts and off-track betting on greyhound races held elsewhere.

Arizona Horse Racing Betting FAQ