Pennsylvania is one of the country’s big racing states: three thoroughbred tracks and three harness tracks, all inside casinos, a September weekend at Parx that draws Kentucky Derby winners, and a legal, regulated way to bet every race in America from your phone at 18. This guide covers the tracks, the races worth planning around, off-track betting, and the licensed apps — including AmWager, the one we use.
How horse racing betting works in Pennsylvania
Racing is regulated separately from casinos, by the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission in the Department of Agriculture. Every bet — at the track, at an OTB or in an app — goes into the same pari-mutuel pools, so the odds you get are set by the betting public, not by a bookmaker. Online betting runs through advance-deposit wagering (ADW) operators, which must hold a Pennsylvania license and post a bond. The minimum age is 18, three years younger than for casinos and sportsbooks.
The six racetracks
Parx Racing — Bensalem (thoroughbred)
2999 Street Road, Bensalem, PA 19020 · at Parx Casino
The state’s premier track and one of the busiest on the East Coast, racing most of the year on a one-mile dirt oval. The Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes in September are the two richest races in the state and regularly attract that year’s Triple Crown horses. The casino, poker room, restaurants and the Parxview Hotel are steps from the grandstand.
Penn National Race Course — Grantville (thoroughbred)
777 Hollywood Boulevard, Grantville, PA 17028 · at Hollywood Casino
Night racing outside Harrisburg, open since 1972. The Penn Mile, a Grade 2 turf race for three-year-olds in late spring, is the highlight; the year-round meet is a staple for simulcast bettors nationwide.
Presque Isle Downs — Erie (thoroughbred)
8199 Perry Highway, Erie, PA 16509 · at Presque Isle Downs & Casino
A synthetic-surface track owned by Churchill Downs, racing from late spring into September. The Presque Isle Downs Masters for fillies and mares is its signature. Summer evenings by the lake are the draw.
The Meadows — Washington (harness)
210 Racetrack Road, Washington, PA 15301 · at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows
Harness racing south of Pittsburgh since 1963, and home of the Adios Pace, one of the sport’s classic races for three-year-old pacers, run each summer.
Harrah’s Philadelphia — Chester (harness)
777 Harrah’s Boulevard, Chester, PA 19013 · at Harrah’s Philadelphia
The Philadelphia area’s harness track, with a spring-to-autumn meet on a five-eighths-mile oval beside the Delaware.
Pocono Downs — Wilkes-Barre (harness)
1280 Highway 315, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 · at Mohegan Pennsylvania
North-eastern Pennsylvania’s harness track, racing from spring through autumn with stakes nights through the summer.
Off-track betting
The tracks run OTB parlours around the state — Parx and Penn National operate several in the Philadelphia and Harrisburg areas — where you can bet and watch simulcasts from tracks nationwide with a drink and a menu. Every casino racebook and sportsbook also takes simulcast wagers on race days. Hours vary by location, so check before you go.
Betting on horse racing online: the licensed apps
Pennsylvania requires every ADW to be licensed by the State Horse Racing Commission. The apps below are licensed and take bets from anyone 18+ located in the state.
Licensed in Pennsylvania · 18+
Don’t lose out on your $50 first deposit match
AmWager: 490+ tracks, free live video, odds tools and cash rewards on most wagers. Use promo code LOCALS. New customers only; full terms in our AmWager review and sign-up code guide.
AmWager
AmWager is the app we use for racing. It is US-owned and operated (AmWest Entertainment, based outside Louisville), primarily licensed by the Oregon Racing Commission and separately licensed in Pennsylvania, and it takes bets on more than 490 tracks worldwide with free live video and replays. What sets it apart is the toolkit: dutching and ABC ticket structuring, odds-trend sparklines and an odds-progression table on every race, real-time data updates and cash rewards on most wagers for every player, not only high-volume bettors. Customer funds sit in separate FDIC-insured custodial accounts monitored by the Oregon Racing Commission. New customers get a $50 first-deposit match with promo code LOCALS — our AmWager review and sign-up code guide walks through the offer, the terms and the app. No grayhound wagering from Pennsylvania.
Join AmWager 18+ · 1-800-GAMBLER
TwinSpires
Churchill Downs’ ADW, the official betting site of the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup, with a full simulcast menu, live video and a large rewards program.
FanDuel Racing
The former TVG, with a television network behind it and racing inside the FanDuel wallet for players who also bet sports.
NYRA Bets
The New York Racing Association’s ADW, strongest for Belmont, Saratoga and Aqueduct, with free NYRA video.
DRF Bets
Daily Racing Form’s wagering app, with past performances and handicapping data integrated into the bet slip.
Xpressbet
1/ST Racing’s ADW, with a natural edge on Gulfstream, Santa Anita and the other 1/ST tracks.
Betting basics for newcomers
Straight bets — win, place, show — are the starting point; a $2 show bet on a favorite is the cheapest way to have an interest in a race. Exotics — exacta, trifecta, superfecta, and multi-race bets like the Pick 4 and Pick 6 — pay more and lose more. Odds move until the gate opens because they reflect the pool, so the price on your ticket is the final price, not the one you saw when you bet. Takeout (the track’s cut) is lower on win-place-show than on exotics.
Rules and tax
Age. 18 to bet on racing at a track, an OTB or online. Location. ADW apps geolocate you; you must be in a state where they are licensed, and Pennsylvania is one. Tax. Racing winnings are taxable; federal reporting applies to wins of $600 or more that pay at least 300 times the bet, with withholding on wins over $5,000 at those odds, and Pennsylvania taxes winnings at 3.07%. Help. 1-800-GAMBLER; racing operators also point to 1-800-MY-RESET.
Pennsylvania horse racing in 2027
The six tracks look secure, with Parx’s September stakes weekend and the Penn Mile anchoring the calendar, but the wagering keeps moving to the phone: AmWager, TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing should take a still larger share of Pennsylvania’s pari-mutuel handle, and the interesting shift to watch is whether more sportsbooks follow FanDuel in bundling racing into a single wallet.
FAQ
Is online horse racing betting legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Advance-deposit wagering is legal for anyone 18 or over located in Pennsylvania, through operators licensed by the State Horse Racing Commission, including AmWager, TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, NYRA Bets, DRF Bets and Xpressbet.
Is AmWager legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes. AmWager’s parent company, AmWest Entertainment, is separately licensed in Pennsylvania by the State Horse Racing Commission, on top of its multi-jurisdictional license from the Oregon Racing Commission. Greyhound wagering is not offered to Pennsylvania players.
How old do I have to be?
18 for horse racing, at the track and online. Casinos and sportsbooks in Pennsylvania are 21.
What are the biggest races in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion Stakes at Parx in September, the Penn Mile at Penn National in late spring, the Adios Pace at The Meadows in summer and the Presque Isle Downs Masters at Erie.
Can I bet on Pennsylvania races from another state?
Usually, through a licensed ADW available in your state — Parx and Penn National are simulcast nationwide. Some states restrict wagering on certain in-state tracks; the rules follow the state you are in, not the track’s.
Can I bet on horse racing in a sportsbook app?
Not in Pennsylvania’s sportsbook apps themselves; racing runs through separately licensed ADWs. FanDuel offers racing through FanDuel Racing, and the other sportsbooks do not carry pari-mutuel wagering in the state.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment, not income. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Race dates and track schedules change each season; check the track’s own calendar before you travel. Read our Pennsylvania gambling guide for the casinos, sportsbooks and online sites.
