California Horse Racing Betting

Legal California horse racing betting options include state-approved online racebooks and betting apps, three prominent race tracks, and numerous off-track wagering facilities.

California’s live horse racing industry has consolidated to a Southern California-only circuit anchored by Santa Anita Park, Del Mar, and Los Alamitos. Nonetheless, the state remains a national leader in horse breeding and continues to stage major events like the Breeders’ Cup, which California has hosted more times than any other state.

Read on for our complete California online horse racing betting guide. Below, we’ll explain where to bet on horse races online in California, where to watch races live, and much more.

California Horse Racing Betting Sites

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California Horse Betting Apps

Fans 18 or older can register for accounts with online racebooks to bet on local and out-of-state races, including major events like the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup.

California online racebooks include:

*Iron Bets Racing currently limits California residents to betting on harness and quarter horse races. The Iron Bets Racing app says it will soon add thoroughbred racing for California residents, but it hasn’t yet announced an intended launch date.

California law requires all operators to apply for licenses from the CHRB. This process includes obtaining a $500,000 surety bond, undergoing a background investigation, and securing agreements with local horse racing associations.

Additional regulations require California horse racing betting sites to document all financial transactions with their customers, submit to on-demand audits, process withdrawals within five business days, and much more.

The best California horse racing betting apps tend to share specific features that bettors are likely to want: live video, reliable deposit methods, fast withdrawals, race replays, and access to a broad range of tracks outside California.

California Horse Racing Betting Deposits

California horse racing betting sites (ADWs) accept a standard array of betting deposit methods, ranging from cash at local race tracks (in some cases) to debit cards and electronic bank transfers.

Supported payment methods vary by operator, but most California horse racing betting sites accept common options like debit cards, credit cards, online banking, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Green Dot (a cash-based method).

4 CA Code of Regs § 2076 authorizes licensed California ADWs to accept the following payment methods:

  • In-person cash deposits
  • Personal checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders by mail
  • Credit cards and debit cards
  • Electronic fund transfers

California online horse racing betting regulations also require operators to credit customers’ accounts immediately upon receiving their funds or when the card issuer has approved the transaction.

California Horse Race Tracks

California has three nationally-recognized race tracks, two known for thoroughbreds and one for quarter horses.

Every racing facility also offers simulcast wagering on races held in-state and elsewhere. Minors can attend live horse races in California if accompanied by adults but may not enter dedicated wagering areas.

Santa Anita Park

285 W Huntington Dr
Arcadia, California 91007

Santa Anita Park is one of California’s two major thoroughbred racing venues and the state’s most recognized race track. In fact, it is one of the best-known tracks nationwide and has hosted the Breeders’ Cup more often than any other venue.

The track hosts two thoroughbred meets annually, one running from December through June, and the other from September through November.

Del Mar

2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd
Del Mar, California 92014

Del Mar is California’s other major thoroughbred race track. It hosts a summer meet from July through September, and a fall meet from November through December.

The track hosts dozens of major stakes events, including multiple Breeders’ Stakes Challenge Series races and has hosted the Breeders’ Cup multiple times.

Los Alamitos

4961 E Katella Ave
Los Alamitos, California 90720

Los Alamitos is California’s primary quarter horse race track, although it also hosts short thoroughbred meets each year.

The one-mile dirt racetrack at Los Alamitos hosts quarter horse races year-round and thoroughbred racing in September and December. The thoroughbred races occur on weekend afternoons, while quarter horse races get underway in the evenings.

Los Alamitos is also home to the LA County Fair meet every mid-June through mid-July.

Live Horse Racing at California Fairgrounds

California’s fair racing circuit has been mostly dormant since 2024. Northern California fairs at Alameda County, Sonoma County, Humboldt County, and Big Fresno historically hosted live thoroughbred meets each summer and fall.

Currently, the only remnants of California’s fairgrounds racing circuit include:

  • The LA County Fair at Los Alamitos: The LA County Fair hosts an annual harness meet at Los Alamitos
  • The Big Fresno Fair: Reopened in 2026 after receiving CHRB approval to hold a Winter harness meet.

The 2024 closure of Golden Gate Fields, combined with the elimination of stabling at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, prompted most Northern California horse owners and trainers to relocate to Southern California or out-of-state tracks.

The Sonoma County Fair Board canceled racing in 2025 after a nearly 90-year run, citing the regional horse population decline. Alameda’s 2025 cancellation was the first in modern history. In early 2026, the California Horse Racing Board rejected race dates at the Tehama District Fair and Humboldt County Fair, also citing the declining industry and lack of a viable NorCal horse racing market. Subsequently, the Los Angeles County Fair shifted its annual race meet from Pomona to Los Alamitos Race Course, where it now runs in late June and early July.

California Off-Track Betting Locations

California off-track betting facilities (OTBs) allow fans to watch and wager on races held at tracks nationwide. The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) has authorized OTBs at race tracks, fairs, bars, restaurants, and casinos across the state.

See this page on the CHRB website for a complete and up-to-date list of authorized OTBs in California.

Major California Horse Races

California is home to some of the nation’s highest-profile horse racing events, including key prep races for the Breeders’ Cup, Kentucky Derby, and Kentucky Oaks.

Santa Anita Park and Del Mar anchor California’s thoroughbred racing calendar, while Los Alamitos hosts the state’s most important quarter horse races and a short winter thoroughbred meet.

Major Santa Anita Park Races

Santa Anita covers the bulk of California’s winter, spring, and fall thoroughbred racing seasons.

For anyone following the Kentucky Derby, the Santa Anita Derby is Santa Anita’s most important race. It runs in early April as one of the last stops on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and awards 100 points to the winner, effectively guaranteeing a Derby berth.

The American Pharoah Stakes runs in late September or early October and serves as California’s main Breeders’ Cup Juvenile “win and you’re in” qualifier. It also awards Road to the Kentucky Derby points to the top five finishers.

Santa Anita also hosts several major fall Breeders’ Cup preps. The Goodwood Stakes awards an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Classic, while the Zenyatta, Oak Leaf, City of Hope Mile, and Santa Anita Sprint Championship point toward other Breeders’ Cup divisions.

Major Del Mar Races

Del Mar hosts California’s biggest summer meet and several races that attract national betting interest.

Del Mar’s signature race, the Pacific Classic, runs in late summer. The Pacific Classic’s $1 million purse and status as a “win and you’re in” qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Classic make it one of the highest-profile races in California.

Other major events include the Bing Crosby Stakes and Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, which also award automatic berths into the Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Del Mar Futurity and Del Mar Debutante are prime events for 2-year-old colts and 2-year-old fillies. Both are Grade 1 races that often produce horses who go on to contest the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile or Juvenile Fillies later in the fall.

Major Los Alamitos Races

Los Alamitos is California’s primary quarter horse race track and home to some of the nation’s richest quarter horse races. Although it hosts a small thoroughbred meet each summer, Los Alamitos Race Course is best known for its multiple $1,000,000+ graded quarter horse races.

Its highest-profile quarter horse races include the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity, Champion of Champions, Golden State Million Futurity, and Ed Burke Memorial Futurity.

On the thoroughbred side, Los Alamitos’ brief winter meet includes three significant prep races for the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup.

The Los Alamitos Futurity, a Grade 2 race for 2-year-old colts, awards Road to the Kentucky Derby points and has produced multiple horses who went on to win Triple Crown races. The Los Alamitos Futurity has produced several horses who later won or placed in Triple Crown races, including Journalism, Dortmund, Point Given, and Real Quiet.

The Starlet Stakes is the Futurity’s counterpart for 2-year-old fillies and is a key prep race for the Kentucky Oaks. The Zenyatta Stakes serves the same role for older fillies and mares pointing to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

California Horse Racing Betting Law

California legalized horse racing betting and established the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) via Prop 3 in 1933.

The CHRB oversees all horse racing and wagering throughout the state, with its primary mission being to ensure the integrity, viability, and safety of the state’s horse racing industry. The Board does so by overseeing wagering, breeding, the physical safety of the animals, and the promotion of horse racing.

Additional rules adopted later authorized online horse racing betting in California. As a result, in-person and online racing betting are legal in California for fans 18 or older. However, some facilities attached to casinos enforce a minimum age of 21.

Key California Horse Racing Laws

California Greyhound Racing Betting

California has not formally legalized greyhound racing betting.

However, in 1919, the country’s first commercial greyhound track opened in Emeryville despite a lack of a legal framework for greyhound racing. Emeryville’s track was also the first to use mechanical lures, which fans generally found more palatable than live lures.

Law enforcement officials shut down California’s first greyhound track after only a short time in operation, and that effectively put an end to California’s greyhound industry.

Proponents initiated referendums to regulate greyhound betting in 1946 and 1976, but voters rejected both.

California Horse Racing Betting FAQ

Yes. California law allows online horse racing betting through CHRB-authorized advance deposit wagering platforms (ADWs).

California law establishes a minimum age of 18 to participate in pari-mutuel wagering.

Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita host live thoroughbred races. Numerous OTB facilities throughout California also offer live simulcast wagering.

Yes. Legal Kentucky Derby betting apps in California provide direct access to Churchill Downs’ official pari-mutuel wagering pools.

No. California legalized exchange wagering via SB 1072 in 2010, but the concept never gained much traction. Lawmakers passed additional legislation in 2016 to extend the sunset period but allowed the law and its accompanying regulations to sunset in 2021.