Kentucky Horse Racing Betting Sites

21+ to Play, T&Cs Apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

Legal Kentucky horse racing betting sites accept customers 18 or older and operate under licenses issued by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC). The KHRC regulates all pari-mutuel wagering in Kentucky, and one of its directives includes ensuring the fair treatment of bettors.

Licensed Kentucky advance deposit wagering operators (ADWs) must verify the age and identity of every customer, protect bettors’ private information, and maintain irrevocable bonds or letters of credit sufficient to cover all registered users’ funds.

As a result, BettingUSA.com urges readers to bet on horse races in Kentucky with licensed operators. Licensed Kentucky horse racing betting sites offer the advantages of security, legality, access to hundreds of pari-mutuel wagering pools nationwide every day, and regulatory oversight.

The full list of licensed Kentucky ADWs follows.

Fans can sign up for an account by visiting any of the above links from any desktop or mobile device, selecting the “Join Now” or “Register” button on the homepage, and following the on-screen instructions to register.

State law requires licensed Kentucky horse racing betting sites to collect and verify the following information from all new customers:

• Name and address
• Phone number
• Social security numbers
• Date of birth
• Any other information needed to manage customers’ accounts and verify their identities

In most cases, signing up for an account takes less than five minutes. Additionally, the KHRC requires licensed Kentucky ADWs to protect customers’ private information.

Kentucky Horse Racetracks

Kentucky is home to five thoroughbred racetracks and two harness racing tracks. All Kentucky racetracks offer simulcast wagering, and some have historical horse racing machines that function like slots but generate results from past horse races.

Kentucky horse racing law allows customers 18 or older to place pari-mutuel wagers and play historical horse racing machines. However, most properties require guests to be at least 21 to enter the casino floor.

Churchill Downs

700 Central Ave
Louisville, KY 40208

Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby and parent company of TwinSpires, is an iconic racetrack established in 1875 and home to some of the nation’s most high-profile thoroughbred races.

Churchill Downs’ main thoroughbred racing season runs from May through Early July, but it also hosts live races in September and November. Typically, Churchill Downs races run from Wednesday through Sunday.

General admission runs $3 to $5 on live racing days, and guests 12 or under get in for free. Churchill Downs offers simulcast wagering on the second level of the clubhouse.

Ellis Park Racing & Gaming

3300 US Hwy 41 N
Henderson, KY 42420

Ellis Park hosts live thoroughbred racing from July through August, usually on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. General admission is free. Ellis Park also offers Clubhouse dining for guests 18 or older, a bar and grill, 179 historical horse racing machines, and a year-round simulcasting center with more than 30 TVs.

Keeneland Race Course

4201 Versailles Rd
Lexington, KY 40510

Keeneland runs thoroughbred meets each April and October, with live racing days running Wednesdays through Thursdays. Home of the Blue Grass Stakes, frequent host of the Breeders’ Cup, and multiple G1 events, Keeneland plays a pivotal role in the US thoroughbred racing calendar each year.

Between its April and October meets, Keeneland hosts 40 graded stakes events worth more than $10 million and ten Breeders’ Cup qualifying races. Keeneland occupies a similarly prominent position in the US thoroughbred breeding industry as the home to the world’s largest thoroughbred auction house, with more than half a billion dollars in annual sales between its January, April, September, and November auctions.

General admission is $7, and the Keeneland Kids Club is free for children 12 and under. The five-story grandstand offers multiple bars and concession options.

Kentucky Downs

5629 Nashville Rd
Franklin, KY 42134

Kentucky Downs hosts seven live thoroughbred race days each year in late August/early September. Race days usually run on Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

In addition, Kentucky Downs is one of the nation’s most unique tracks for a few reasons. Most notably for bettors, it features the country’s lowest overall betting takeout. Kentucky Downs also has the distinction of being the only all-turf racecourse in the United States, and it stretches an unusually long 1 5/16^th mile.

The Mint Gaming Hall at Kentucky Downs features more than 1,000 historical horse racing machines, simulcasting wagering, charity bingo, and a couple of restaurants. Guests must be 21 or older to enter the casino.

Oak Grove Racing

375 Thompsonville Ln
Oak Grove, KY 42262

Oak Grove Racing hosts live harness races on Sundays and Mondays in May and from Sunday through Tuesday in June. The facility also features a simulcast wagering area with ten screens and self-serve betting kiosks.

This Churchill Downs Inc. property also has 1,300 historical horse racing machines, four restaurants, a 30-slip RV park, and a 128-room hotel. Entry is limited to guests 21 and older.

Red Mile Racetrack

1200 Red Mile Rd
Lexington, KY 40504

August through the second week of October brings live harness racing to the Red Mile. Standard race days are Sunday through Tuesday. Through a partnership with Keeneland Association, simulcast wagering is available daily. The new facility has 175 TVs. A gaming floor is open to guests 21 years of age and older. It has multiple dining establishments and 900 historical racing machines. While the indoor areas are non-smoking, gaming machines are also available on outdoor smoking patios.

Turfway Park

7500 Turfway Rd
Florence, KY 41042

Turfway Park conducts thoroughbred racing from late November through early April, typically from Wednesdays through Saturdays. The facility also offers daily simulcast wagering, 800 historical horse racing machines, a pizzeria, and a bar and grill. Entry is limited to guests 21 and older.

Churchill Downs Inc. purchased Turfway Park in 2019 and has completed multiple upgrades since then, including a new grandstand and a synthetic track.

Sandy’s Racing & Gaming

10699 US 60
Ashland, KY 41102

Sandy’s Racing & Gaming is a $75 million casino/race track scheduled to open in Fall 2023. It will feature more than 700 historical horse racing machines, a 5,000-square-foot BetMGM sportsbook, and off-track betting when it opens, with plans to open a quarter horse race track called Sandy Ridge sometime later.

Kentucky Off-Track Betting Locations

The last remaining Kentucky OTBs closed in 2013 to put an end to off-track betting. However, two facilities with historical horse racing machines offer simulcast wagering.

• Derby City Gaming – 4520 Poplar Level Rd, Louisville, KY 40213
  This historical horse racing facility has more than 1,200 machines, two dining options, and a 123-room hotel. Smoking is permitted on the outdoor gaming patio. Casino players must be at least 21 years of age. The simulcast area is temporarily closed.
• Newport Racing & Gaming – 1723 Monmouth St, Newport, KY 41071
  The simulcast area at this Churchill Downs property has 24 TVs, live pari-mutuel teller windows, self-service betting terminals, and seating for 125. The casino has 500 historical racing machines and a restaurant. While the main casino and simulcast areas are non-smoking, a separate indoor smoking area has 150 machines. Partnered with Turfway Park, the two properties share a player’s card. Casino and simulcast areas are limited to guests 21 years or older.

Major Kentucky Horse Races

It’s hard to overstate the prominence Kentucky holds in horse racing. Between the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup some years, annual G1 events, and win-and-you’re-in races for the nation’s most prestigious races, the Kentucky horse racing calendar is full of high-profile events.

Churchill Downs and Keeneland Race Course host the biggest races in Kentucky, with multiple G1 events between them. In addition, Kentucky Downs holds a couple of Grade II races, while Turfway Park holds an annual Grade III event.

After the 2021 racing season, Churchill Downs’ Arlington International Racecourse stopped hosting live racing. The closure of this Illinois horse racing track resulted in multiple races moving to Churchill Downs.

Major relocated races include the Arlington Million and the Beverly D Stakes.

• Alcibiades Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 2yo fillies, held in early October at Keeneland
• Arlington Million: $1,000,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held in August at Churchill Downs
• Ashland Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held in early April at Keeneland
• Beverly D Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 3yo+ fillies and mares, held in August at Churchill Downs
• Blue Grass Stakes: $1,000,000 purse, open to 3yo thoroughbreds, held in April at Keeneland
• Breeders’ Futurity Stakes: $600,000 purse, open to 2yo thoroughbreds, held in October at Keeneland
• Churchill Downs: $750,000 purse, open to 4yo+ thoroughbreds, held in early May at Churchill Downs
• Clark Stakes: $750,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held in November at Churchill Downs
• Derby City Distaff Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 3yo+ fillies and mares, held in early May at Churchill Downs
• First Lady Stakes: $750,000 purse, open to 3yo+ fillies and mares, held in October at Keeneland
• Jenny Wiley Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 4yo+ fillies and mares, held in early April at Keeneland
• Keeneland (Coolmore) Turf Mile: $1,000,000 purse, open to 3yo+ thoroughbreds, held in October at Keeneland
• Kentucky Derby: $3,000,0000 purse, open to 3yo thoroughbreds, held in May at Churchill Downs
• Kentucky Oaks: $1,250,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held the Friday before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
• La Troienne: $500,000 purse, open to 4yo+ fillies and mares, held in early May at Churchill Downs
• Madison Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 4yo+ fillies and mares, held in early April at Keeneland
• Maker’s Mark Mile Stakes: $500,000 purse, open to 4yo+ thoroughbreds, held in early April at Keeneland
• Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup: $600,000 purse, open to 3yo fillies, held in October at Keeneland
• Spinster Stakes: $600,000 purse, open to 3yo+ fillies and mares, held in early October at Keeneland
• Turf Classic: $1,000,000 purse, open to 4yo+ thoroughbreds, held in early May at Churchill Downs

Kentucky Horse Racing Betting Laws

Kentucky horse racing betting laws allow fans 18 or older to bet on horse races at racetracks, off-track betting facilities, and through licensed online racebooks. In addition, licensed facilities may offer historical horse racing machines that mimic slots but generate results from the outcomes of past races.

The key laws and regulations that govern horse racing betting in Kentucky include:

• KRS § 138.510-552
• KRS § 230.070-800
• Kentucky Administrative Regulations Title 810

Kentucky Advance Deposit Wagering Laws

Kentucky legalized advance deposit wagering (online horse racing betting) in 2011 and granted the KHRC regulatory oversight authority. Horse racing betting sites that wish to accept Kentuckians must apply for licenses from the KHRC and comply with various consumer protection regulations.

All prospective licensees must undergo KHRC background investigations concerning their financial viability, past business practices, criminal history, and overall suitability before receiving their licenses. In addition, ADW operators must provide detailed business operation plans to the KHRC.

Operators must pay an initial investigation fee of $5,000 when applying for licenses but receive refunds on any amount not used to conduct the investigation.

If approved, ADWs pay a $1,000 annual license fee and 1.5% tax on the sum of all wagers placed by Kentucky residents (increased from 0.5% in 2022 after the passage of HB 607).

810 KAR 3:040 comprises the bulk of the regulations licensed operators must comply with when conducting online horse racing betting in Kentucky.

The key consumer protection regulations require licensed Kentucky horse racing betting apps and websites to:

• Never comingle customers’ account funds with other funds
• Ensure their online betting platforms cannot grant an advantage to customers who communicate with individuals placing wagers at licensed OTBs or racetracks
• Maintain an irrevocable bond or other form of financial security, such as an irrevocable letter of credit covering 125% of the average daily sum of customers’ accounts or $50,000 if the operator is newly licensed (rule introduced in 2016)

Rules designed to protect the integrity of Kentucky horse racing require advance deposit wagering operators to:

• Notify the KHRC within 24 hours of noticing suspicious wagering patterns, odd transactions such as the cancellation of large wagers within two minutes of the closing of wagering on a race, suspected fraud, odds manipulation, and malfunctions
• Maintain records of each customer’s account information, financial transactions, and wagers for the lifetime of the account plus two years

Kentucky Horse Racing Betting FAQ