Legal Oregon horse racing betting venues include online racebooks, off-track betting facilities (OTBs), one race track, and several county fairs.
Oregon’s live horse racing industry is welcoming and family-friendly, but it provides few opportunities to bet on local races due to the limited number of race days scheduled annually.
However, licensed pari-mutuel wagering apps allow fans 18 or older to bet on races held nationwide and abroad. Oregon horse racing betting sites operate 365 days a year and provide 24-hour access to pari-mutuel pools at hundreds of race tracks.
Oregon Horse Racing Betting Sites
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Promotional offer valid and continues until further notice.
Open to new AmWager account holders who have not previously opened an AmWager account. Individuals may only have one (1) AmWager account and may only qualify for a signup promotion one (1) time.
The First Deposit Match Bonus promotion applies to the first deposit made; any subsequent deposits will not apply.
The amount of the first deposit will determine the amount of the bonus and bets that must be placed to earn the bonus. For example, to qualify for the maximum bonus of $150 an initial deposit of $150 is required and total bets must equal $150 or more within 30 days of sign up. Cancelled wagers and refunded wagers are not eligible and will not be counted towards the promotion.
The total promotional wagering credits will be credited to the AmWager account in a single deposit within seven (7) business days of meeting the betting requirements for this promotion. Any promotional wagering credits deposited to a player’s account must be wagered and cannot be withdrawn from the account. Any winnings from those wagers are cash and can be withdrawn.
Any portion of the promotional credits unused expires after 30 days.
Account must remain in good standing to be eligible for all promotions. Returned deposits during the promotional period will cancel eligibility to receive promotional wagering credit.
Limit one promotional offer per household.
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Advance deposit wagering providers (ADWs) must acquire licenses from the Oregon Racing Commission (ORC) before offering online horse racing betting to residents.
The ORC investigates applicants before licensure to ensure they have the reputational, financial, and technical means to satisfy the Commission’s licensing conditions. Once licensed, Oregon ADWs are subject to ongoing ORC oversight, inspections, and audits.
In other words, Oregon horse racing betting sites must demonstrate they are safe, comply with all applicable laws, and promote responsible gambling.
| Licensed Oregon Horse Racing Betting Sites |
|---|
| AmWager Oregon |
| TwinSpires Oregon |
| DRF Bets Oregon |
| FanDuel Racing Oregon |
| DK Horse Oregon |
| Caesars Racebook Oregon |
| TVG Oregon |
| Xpressbet Oregon |
| NYRA Bets Oregon |
| 1/ST BET Oregon |
| Hollywood Races Oregon |
| bspot.com |
| BetPTC |
The ORC website lists active licensees here.
Note: The Oregon Racing Commission list of licensed ADWs is not comprehensive because some licensees operate multiple “skins” (brands).
For example, FanDuel Racing is licensed in Oregon but doesn’t appear on the list. That’s because the FanDuel Group acquired TVG and now offers online wagering through both brands under a single license initially awarded to TVG.
Oregon Horse Race Tracks
Live horse racing is a declining industry in Oregon, where just one permanent race track and four annual events combine for fewer than 30 race days.
Grants Pass Downs
Grants Pass Downs at the Don Jackson Racing Facility is Oregon’s sole remaining permanent race track and hosts the state’s only commercial meet every fall from September through October.
The Southern Oregon Horse Racing Association also hosts a seven-day meet (Racing on the Rogue) every July at Grants Pass Downs.
Fans can find Grants Pass Downs at the Josephine County Fairgrounds in Grants Pass.
1451 Fairgrounds Road
Grants Pass, OR 97527
Eastern Oregon Livestock Show Racing
The Eastern Oregon Livestock Show hosts three days of racing and pari-mutuel wagering every July in Union.
760 E Delta St
Union, OR 97883
Crooked River Roundup Racing
The Crooked River Roundup holds four days of horse racing and wagering every July at the Crook County Fairgrounds in Prineville.
1280 S Main St
Prineville, OR 97754
Tillamook County Fair Racing
The Tillamook County Fair offers three days of pari-mutuel horse racing by the coast every August in Tillamook.
4603 East 3rd St
Tillamook, OR 97141
Oregon Off-Track Betting Locations
Organizations with race meet licenses may operate standalone off-track betting facilities (OTBs), subject to Oregon Racing Commission approval.
Ten Oregon OTBs offer simulcasting and pari-mutuel wagering, including six in the Portland metro area.
Portland OTBs
Off-track wagering seven days a week; occasional handicapping tournaments
1712 NE 223rd Ave
Fairview, OR 97024
Off-track betting area open five days a week; bets accepted in the poker room when the OTB area is closed; 16 big screen TVs
8102 Northeast Killingsworth St
Portland, OR 97218
Visit the Jock Club Betting Lounge at the Rialto for off-track betting, drinks, pool, poker, and entertainment in a cozy, classical atmosphere.
529 SW 4th Ave
Portland, OR 97204
Off-track wagering at an unassuming locals’ bar “where everyone knows your name.”
15680 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
Large sports bar with nearly 50 TVs, off-track betting, games, and sports programming.
16065 SE McLoughlin Blvd
Oak Grove, OR 97267
Tom’s Bar is open until 2:30 AM seven days a week. It offers off-track betting, pool tables, arcade games, six big-screen TVs, and an attached homestyle diner.
3871 SE Division St
Portland, OR 97202
Other Oregon OTBs
GOOL Sports Cantina & OTB (Salem)
Bet on horse races, order tacos, watch Spanish-language soccer broadcasts, and catch every major boxing bout at GOOL Sports Cantina.
1486 Hawthorne Ave NE
Salem, OR 97301
Emerald Lanes (Eugene)
Family-friendly bowling alley, restaurant, pro shop, and OTB.
140 Oakway Road
Eugene, OR 97401
Lava Lanes (Bend)
Bettors can find Central Oregon’s only off-track wagering location at 300 Sports Club inside Lava Lanes. Other amenities include pool tables, arcade machines, a café, and cosmic bowling.
1555 NE Forbes Rd
Bend, OR 97701
Action’s Sports Bar (Ontario)
Visit Action’s Sports Bar for off-track betting, nine pool tables, darts, pull-tab games, and daily food and drink specials.
490 East Lane, #10
Ontario, OR 97914
Historical Horse Racing Machines in Oregon
Historical horse racing machines (HHRs) are legal but unavailable in Oregon.
The last Oregon horse racing betting facility with HHRs was Portland Meadows, which offered them from 2015 until it closed in 2019.
State law permits authorized facilities to install HHRs, but questions regarding the law’s constitutionality have resulted in the ORC pausing all HHR-related approvals in recent years.
TMB Racing, which operates Grants Pass Downs, sought ORC approval in 2021 to install 225 HHRs at The Flying Lark, a 37,000-square-foot entertainment and dining venue completed in 2022.
Despite overseeing HHRs for four years at Portland Meadows, the ORC did not issue a timely decision to TMB Racing. Instead, the ORC petitioned the Attorney General’s Office for a legal opinion on HHRs at pari-mutuel wagering facilities.
After a nearly year-long delay, the ORC received an unfavorable opinion from the Attorney General and denied TMB Racing’s request.
Construction on The Flying Lark was nearly complete by then, so TMB Racing finished the job and listed the property for sale.
Online Historical Horse Racing Machines in Oregon
Online historical horse racing games came to Oregon briefly when the Oregon Racing Commission issued a five-year license to Luckii.com in 2019.
Imagery from the dormant Luckii website depicts a “slot-like experience” that was available to customers anywhere in Oregon.
Luckii.com launched in December 2020 but closed in 2021 after the Oregon legislature passed SB 165, which prohibited online historical horse racing.
Oregon Racing Commission Audit
The ORC’s approval of slot-like games at Luckii.com surprised lawmakers and other stakeholders, leading to sharp backlash and a formal request for a thorough audit of the Oregon Racing Commission.
The Secretary of State commenced the audit after receiving the request and following multiple ORC mishaps, including:
- Its delayed and controversial decision on HHRs at Grants Pass Downs
- Its surprise approval of online HHRs at Luckii.com
- ORC Director Connie Winn declining to answer a lawmaker’s questions at a subcommittee hearing
After completing the audit, the Secretary of State published a 46-page report summarizing its findings. The audit identified numerous concerns regarding the Oregon Racing Commission and highlighted four critical issues:
- Ambiguous and outdated state laws need refinement to keep up with changing technology to avoid conflicts with the Oregon Constitution
- ORC Commission positions that remained vacant for nearly three years
- Limited oversight over how the ORC allocates and uses funding
- Missing documentation regarding past oversight activities
Oregon Horse Racing Betting Law
Oregon legalized horse racing betting and established the Oregon Racing Commission in 1933.
The legislature approved off-track betting in 1987, online horse racing betting in 1997, and historical horse racing machines (HHRs) in 2013.
Lawmakers approved SB 77 in 2019 to permit race tracks to offer virtual racing-style games based on historic horse race results.
However, lawmakers became dismayed when the Oregon Racing Commission cited the law as justification for granting Luckii.com a license to offer slot-style HHRs online.
The legislature reversed course with additional legislation in 2021 prohibiting online HHRs.
Readers can see Oregon’s horse racing betting laws and regulations in full below.
Oregon ADW Licenses
Contrary to its lowly status in live horse racing, Oregon plays an outsized and instrumental role in the national advance deposit wagering market.
Oregon is one of just two states (the other being North Dakota) where operators can apply for multi-jurisdictional licenses, and it remains the most popular licensing destination.
Nearly all prominent horse racing betting sites hold Oregon ADW licenses and process wagers through facilities hosted in-state. Today, Oregon handles (and taxes) more than $6.5 billion in horse racing wagers annually.
Oregon’s current status as the premier licensing jurisdiction for advance deposit wagering operators is due to several factors.
First, Oregon established the nation’s first multi-jurisdictional licensing hub when it legalized online horse racing betting. That first-mover advantage continues to benefit Oregon to this day.
One of the law’s defining characteristics is that it considers all wagers placed through licensed ADWs as having been made in Oregon. As a result, online racebooks licensed in Oregon may serve customers in any other state where advance deposit wagering is permitted.
Second, Oregon horse racing betting licenses streamline the approval process in other states that require licensing. Whether an operator has an Oregon ADW license is a consideration factor in some states, especially those that lack the resources and experience to vet applicants as thoroughly as Oregon does.
Additionally, reasonable tax rates and a light regulatory touch further cement Oregon as an attractive destination for operators that wish to offer advance deposit wagering in multiple states.
Oregon Online Horse Racing Betting Taxes
Oregon treats horse racing betting winnings as taxable income, and licensed operators are subject to federal tax reporting and withholding rules.
Note: BettingUSA recommends readers with questions to seek advice from qualified tax professionals.
Licensed ADWs in Oregon are subject to state taxes on their gross wagering receipts and can choose from two tax formulas:
- 0.125% on gross wagering receipts for the first $60 million, then 0.25% on the rest
- 0.25% on all gross wagering receipts except in one state if ADWs are legal in that state and its tax rate is less than 0.25%. In that state only, the operator pays the lower tax rate.
Regardless of which formula operators choose, their obligations to the state never exceed the maximum payment amount set by the Oregon Racing Commission each year.
In other words, Oregon horse racing betting sites will never have to pay more than the following amounts in any given year, no matter how much revenue they generate.
The payment cap increases by 2.5% annually, but the ORC retains the right to change the maximum payment rule.
- 2024: $797,647.00
- 2025: $817,588.18
- 2026: $838,027.88
- 2027: $858,978.58
- 2028: $880,453.04
- 2029: $902,464.37
- 2030: $925,025.97
Oregon Horse Racing Betting FAQ
Wes Burns has more than a decade’s worth of experience as a writer, researcher and analyst in the legal gambling industry and is co-founder of BettingUSA.com. As a former professional online poker player, Wes approaches his work from the viewpoint of players.