Maryland Horse Racing Betting in 2024

Maryland and horse racing have been linked together for hundreds of years. Today, Maryland is known as the site of The Preakness Stakes, the Middle Jewel of the prestigious Triple Crown in horse racing. But the history of horses in the state is deep and rich.

Not surprisingly, betting on horse racing is popular and legal in Maryland in all forms. You can go bet at the track, visit an off-track betting spot or wager at one of the many Maryland online betting sites from anywhere.

In this comprehensive guide, we review the best offshore sportsbooks for betting on horse racing, and we go over the different types of bets you can make, explain how the odds work, what makes horse racing betting sites good, where you can catch the biggest races in person at horse racing venues in Maryland and more.

Ranking the Top 10 Offshore Sites for Horse Racing in Maryland

There are some excellent US-based horse racing betting sites such as TwinSpires and TVG that anyone in Maryland can join. Both are serious about horse racing, but the sites we reviewed to make our top 10 offer much more than that.

They also are offshore alternatives, meaning these online sportsbooks are not regulated or taxed by Maryland. They are regulated by the laws of countries such as Costa Rica and Antigua where it is legal to do online casino gambling as well as sports betting.

You will be able to join any of these sites and start betting on the biggest races and more today to win real money, all under one roof:

1. Bovada – Excellent racebook design
2. Bookmaker.eu – Fixed betting odds available  
3. Heritage Sports – Dedicated racebook with over 60 tracks
4. BetOnline – Highest daily rebate (9%) on horses 
5. BetUS – Get your money back for finishing 2nd or 3rd in races
6. BetAnySports – Cash Back racebook
7. WagerWeb – Great for crypto users
8. JustBet – All fixed odds horse racing
9. Everygame – Good site for live betting
10. SportsBetting – Get your first horse race bet on the house ($25 value)

Is it legal to bet on horse racing in Maryland?

Yes, you can legally bet on horse races both in person and online in Maryland. You just have to be of the minimum gambling age, which is 18 years of age. The age for gambling in Maryland is 21 if you are visiting a casino that serves alcohol, however. Despite the fact that there are state-regulated options for betting on horse races online, we think that offshore sites will provide you with a better overall betting experience.

Reviewing the Best Maryland Horse Racing Betting Sites

You may still be wondering things like which site has the best bonuses, best betting odds or the most options for banking methods. We take that into consideration and more when we make our list of the best racebooks.

The following are our in-depth reviews of the top five sites from our top 10 list of best horse betting sites for Maryland users. 

1. Bovada: Excellent Racebook Design

Bovada may be known best to American users for its poker room and the sportsbook, but do not discredit one of the best racebooks as well. There are plenty of tracks available from around the globe to wager on, and the site design is one of the best to easily make your bets on each race using drop-down menus.

There is also a virtual racing section that is a lot of fun and can be quite amusing to watch virtual horses and virtual camels race to predetermined outcomes that you can bet on. They also have virtual soccer games and races between virtual “supercars” in this section. So, if a horse race isn’t going on, you can always get in some bets on races with this virtual racing hub at Bovada.

The non-racing factors to consider Bovada as your top choice include its top-ranked poker room with tournaments, an elite sportsbook with great props, and big bonuses for new and existing users. Further enhancing the overall value, there are multiple promo codes at Bovada that are available to customers.

2. Bookmaker: Racebook With Fixed Odds Available

The main appeal of Bookmaker.eu has been the early lines for sports betting for years, but you can also trust their racebook to be one of the best in the industry too with over 50 North American tracks to choose from. They also have international races covered for even more gambling activity and opportunities.

Win or lose, the rebate program will reward bettors with 3% cash back on their Win, Place and Show bets. The exotic wagers receive 8% cash back. You can also do Daily Double bets when there are multiple races held at the same track.

If you plan to wager on horses frequently, then BookMaker’s loyalty program is one of the best in the business. You just may want to check to see if your account is eligible for Diamond status as that tier is only reserved for recreational accounts. BookMaker also provides some generous bonuses to their new and existing customers.

3. Heritage Sports: Racebook With 60+ Tracks

Heritage Sports is one of Costa Rica’s best online casinos and sportsbooks. They have one of the most dedicated racebook sections with a good mobile betting site that makes placing bets simple. They also have a large selection of bonuses and promos available.

You can bet on a variety of overseas races, and you have everything from the standard options (Win/Place/Show) to exotic wagers (Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta) to getting consecutive races correct (Daily Double, Pick 3, Pick 5, etc.).

Heritage Sports may not nail the sportsbook as well as Bovada and Bookmaker.eu, but one leg up that they have on the competition is providing detailed race information for each race. You can see the names of the trainer and jockey as well as the weight of the jockey. If you are a hardcore horse racing enthusiast, you may find this info more useful than most.

Heritage Sports also offers one of the best sportsbooks for reduced juice (-108 lines) and live bets. However, there are no live betting markets for horse races, nor is there any streaming available for these races.

4. BetOnline: Highest Daily Rebate on Horses 

BetOnline is another A+ online sportsbook and is one of the best all-around spots for Maryland users. The combination of the sportsbook and poker room is right up there with Bovada for the best in the list, but the racebook is also high quality.

BetOnline boasts the highest daily rebate on horse racing at 9% for any exotic wagers. The regular wagers get a 4% rebate, but that still tops most of the competition, which offers 3%. You can also get your first racebook bet on the house (maximum value of $25), so BetOnline is a great place to start if you’ve never bet on horses before. 

BetOnline offers some of the best welcome bonuses, including a 100% bonus on your first crypto deposit. However, that particular BetOnline promo code cannot be used on the racebook, casino, poker or live betting.

5. BetUS: Special Horse Race Promotions

The Costa Rica-based BetUS has been around since 1994, providing a ton of sportsbooks options on popular markets and lesser-known ones.

The racebook section is also impressive with plenty of thoroughbred races on both North American and international tracks. You can also bet on big events like the Breeders’ Cup. There are even markets for harness racing in Australia.

As part of a Money Back special promo, you can get $10 back every time your winning horse finishes second or third in a qualified race. These bonus funds are credited as Free Play Money and it carries a 10x rollover requirement. 

Beyond the racebook, BetUS has a good prop builder, free demo versions of their extensive casino game library, a solid live betting section and dependable customer service.

How We Compared the Best Sites for Horse Racing in Maryland

At Bookmakers Review, we grade each site using a variety of performance metrics that should lead to a quality gambling experience. Since this is centered around horse racing, we wanted to highlight some of the features specific to that part of the site, as well as some of the usual factors that we look at like customer service, bonuses and promotions as well as the site design.

Horse Racing Odds

Anyone who spends any time sports betting or betting on horse races will know that it is worth shopping around multiple sites to find the best price for a bet you like. Due to the competitive nature of these sites, most markets are going to have the same betting odds, but some books will cut you a better deal on a long shot you may have your eye on.

Horse Racing Betting Markets

You can get into some pretty specific racebook bets at certain sites, but proof that you are using a good racebook will be if you see all of these popular bet types at the very least:

• Win
• Show
• Place
• Pick 3
• Pick 5
• Double Bet
• Exotic
• Trifecta
• Superfecta
• Super High Five

If you only see win, place, and show options, then you are dealing with a generic racebook and should seek a different site with more varied betting markets available.

Live Betting on Horse Racing

Live betting is becoming one of the biggest features of the best sportsbooks thanks to the way we are constantly connected to the internet these days. But live betting on a horse race can be difficult since it is over in a short period of time, especially compared to a basketball or baseball game. But a site like BetUS does offer live betting markets for its horse races, and this will likely be something that picks up as time goes by on other sites. Simulcast wagering allows users to watch international races and place bets in real time.

Horse Racing Betting Promotions

These sites all try to one-up each other with competitive welcome bonuses and reload bonuses for deposits. But for horse racing fans, you want to see promotions that are specific to the racebook. Many will offer a daily rebate in the 6-to-9% range for exotic wagers. You can also get $10 back any time your winning horse finishes second or third at BetUS.

Special Features for Horse Racing

Horse racing may not be ideal for live betting due to its duration, but it is ideal for live streaming so that you can watch the whole race on your favorite device. This is something the U.S.-based sites TVG and TwinSpires have picked up on, but it will likely be coming to most offshore sportsbooks in due time given there’s enough demand.

It is also nice to see when a site has a dedicated racebook and offers analysis on horse racing, which you can find on BetUS’ TV service with shows created exclusively for that site. 

User-Friendly Design

Having a well-designed mobile site for horse racing is crucial so that people can easily fill out their bet slips. A site like Bovada does a great job of having drop-down menus to build your win/place/show bets or switch to exotic wagering. Other sites like BetOnline will show you information on the horse’s trainer and jockey that serious racing fans may find useful.

Brand Recognition

When you are dealing with companies that have been in the business for 20-to-30 years, you feel more at ease with sharing your personal data with them and that you will be paid your winnings on time. We definitely give a big boost to the sites that have been around like Bookmaker and BetOnline.

Payment Methods

Having a wide variety of options for deposits and withdrawals is very important. Crypto is not everyone’s cup of tea but having a lot of crypto options beyond just Bitcoin is appreciated. But for the more traditional transaction methods, we also will judge a site based on the associated fees and if they are too high or slow to use.

Customer Service

The key here is multiple methods to contact customer service and a clean online reputation. The former is rather easy with most sites offering 24/7 support by email, phone and sometimes video chat. But the latter can be hard since people on the internet love to complain about bad service far more than they say nice things about good service. But when we search for a site, we don’t want to hear horror stories of people getting their accounts suspended or not paid on time. That will hurt a company’s score.

Maryland Horse Racing Betting Guide – How to Bet on Horse Races in Maryland

You will have your share of choices for placing horse racing bets in Maryland:

• In person at the track, with Pimlico being the most popular
• In-person at several approved off-track betting facilities, including casinos like Horseshoe Casino and MGM National Harbor Casino
• Using reputable online sites based in the U.S. such as TwinSpires, TVG, and XpressBet
• Using trusted offshore sportsbooks like the ones we reviewed here (Bovada, BetOnline, Bookmaker.eu, Heritage Sports and BetAnySports)

How does horse racing betting work in Maryland?

Betting on horse racing is definitely a lot different from betting on most sports where you are often betting on points, either with a spread or total scored. Horse racing is all about the order in which they finish, and your bets can be as simple as which horse wins the race up to something far bolder and prescient like picking out the top four horses in the exact order. 

Before you start betting, you should understand the popular types of bets for each race.

What are the different types of horse racing bets?

The following summarizes the types of bets you can make for a horse race:

• Win: You are wagering on the horse that finishes in first place and wins the race.
• Place: If your horse finishes in first or second place, you win your bet.
• Show: If your horse finishes in first, second, or third place, you win your bet.
• Exacta: You must pick the horses that finish first and second (in exact order) to win the bet.
• Trifecta: You must pick the horses that finish first, second, and third (in exact order) to win the bet.
• Superfecta: If you think you can hit a Trifecta, try picking the horse that finishes fourth as well to nail the top four horses in order to win a huge payout.
• Daily Double (AKA Double Wager): You must pick the winning horse in back-to-back races. 
• Pick 3/4/5/6: Similar to Daily Double, you must pick the winning horse in three, four, five, or six races in a row.

When using an online racebook, each race will have the horses listed and a drop-down menu or group of tabs will have these different bet types available. Simply choose the type of bet you want to place and pick your horses. Then you just have to add a stake and submit your bet slip.

Maryland Horse Racing Odds Explained

It is extremely important to understand the odds when betting on horses. If you bet $2 on a horse with 12/1 odds to win, then you win 12 times every dollar bet, giving you a return of $26 ($24 win plus $2 stake). 

It is easiest to think of betting odds in terms of probability. When a horse has 6/5 odds, then for every six failures, there are five chances of success for an implied probability of 45.5%. Meanwhile, that 12/1 bet has just a 7.7% probability of hitting.

To calculate implied probability for fractional odds X/Y, just take the number in the denominator (Y) and divide it by the sum of both numbers (X and Y). So, 4/9 odds would have a 69.2% implied probability, and 12/5 odds would have a 29.4% implied probability.

Horse Racing Odds	Payout from a $2 Wager	Implied Probability of Winning
1/5 (-500)	$2.40	83.33%
1/4 (-400)	$2.50	80%
1/3 (-300)	$2.60	75%
1/2 (-200)	$3.00	66.67%
4/6 (-150)	$3.33	60%
1/1 (-100)	$4.00	50%
2/1 (+200)	$6.00	33.33%
3/1 (+300)	$8.00	25%
5/1 (+500)	$12	16.67%
10/1 (+1000)	$22	9.00%
50/1 (+5000)	$102	1.96%

There are also two major ways in which the betting odds for horse race bets are conducted, and they are explained next.

Fixed Odds for Horse Racing Betting in Maryland

If you bet on sports, you are already familiar with fixed odds betting. That spread that you bet on with -110 odds (the American line) will stay fixed at -110 no matter what happens between the time you placed the wager and the start of the game. You are locked into that number even if it will likely change a little before the match starts.

So, for horse racing, if you bet on a horse early at 4/1 odds and it moves up to 2/1 odds before the race starts, you will be locked into the 4/1 payout if you win. This also means you’ll know exactly how much you’ll win if your wager is accurate.

Pari-Mutuel Betting in Maryland

Considerably different from fixed-odds betting is the pari-mutuel betting system. Pari-mutuel wagers are often used in horse racing or any event that involves a ranked order of competitors. Instead of getting a fixed line, a pari-mutuel wager goes into a pool with all the other wagers. All winning bets are paid from this pool after the vig (house’s take) is taken out.

Offshore sportsbooks such as Bookmaker.eu and JustBet strictly do not use pari-mutuel wagering pools and will only honor fixed odds. Your bets on those sites will have no effect on the odds at the track before the race.

Maryland Horse Racing Betting Calculator

Unlike fixed odds bets, pari-mutuel wager systems mean that you do not know the payout until after the race concludes. For instance, if a pool’s total is $120 and there are 10 bettors, then you each receive a $12 piece of the pie. If you had 10 units on the bet, your total win is $120.

But the majority of online wagers let you know the payout instantaneously. Still, if you need to ballpark the estimate by hand, you can just convert the odds along with your stake as a probability. 

Maryland Horse Racing Tracks

You can find six horse racing tracks where you can enjoy commercial gambling in The Free State, including one of the oldest and most popular tracks in the country.

Pimlico Race Course (Baltimore, MD)

Pimlico has been home to The Preakness Stakes since the first run of the Triple Crown event back in 1873, making this one of the most famous horse racing tracks in the world. There will be a renovation project starting soon with a new course set to open by 2026.

Laurel Park (Laurel, MD)

Opened in 1911, it changed its name to Laurel Park in 1994. It is the site of the popular Maryland Million horse race. 

Timonium Race Course (Timonium, MD)

Racing at Timonium takes place each year during the annual State Fair. 

Fair Hill Races (Elkton, MD)

The site of steeplechase races, Fair Hill is home to the big Memorial Day event, which has been held since 1934.

Rosecroft Raceway (Fort Washington, MD)

Rosecroft Raceway is one of the two premier harness racing tracks in Maryland. They are still running live events on Tuesdays and Thursdays through December. 

Ocean Downs (Berlin, MD)

Maryland’s other harness racing track runs multiple live races each week. They also have a casino with slots, video poker, table games and sports betting with TwinSpires Sportsbook.

The History of Horse Racing in Maryland

Someone could easily write a book about the deep history of horse racing in Maryland. It goes back to a time before the United States even officially existed. The following is just a small timeline of the key moments for horse racing in Maryland:

• 2022: For the first time, Maryland bettors can bet on the Preakness just by going to a local casino with sports betting legalized in late 2021. 
• 2008: Voters approve the use of slot machine revenue to revive a decaying horse racing industry.
• 1952: Laurel Park runs its first International Stakes racing event, which would run every year until 1994 and serve as the inspiration for the Breeders’ Cup.
• 1947: Television viewers in Maryland get their first taste of horse racing on TV in an event hosted by sportscaster Jim McKay, who would later go on in the mid-80s to organize the Jim McKay Maryland Million Day, the second-most popular horse racing day in the state after the Preakness. 
• 1938: The Great Depression leads to huge popularity in horse racing around the country, and Pimlico is the site for the famous “Match Race of the Century” between War Admiral and Seabiscuit, which was won by underdog Seabiscuit. 
• 1920: The Maryland Racing Commission is formed to regulate horse racing in the state. 
• 1911: Laurel Park opens its race track in Laurel, MD at a time when tracks were booming across the state thanks to the return of The Preakness Stakes.
• 1890: The Preakness is moved to New York for profit reasons, but it does return to Maryland in 1909 after anti-gambling sentiment sets in up in New York.
• 1873: The first running of The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico takes place.
• 1870: Pimlico Race Course is opened in Baltimore and the winning horse of the track’s first race, Preakness, would give its name to what would become the track’s most famous event. 
• 1743: The Annapolis Subscription Plate goes down as the first formal horse race recorded in the state, and the bowl-like trophy is the oldest existing horse racing trophy in North American annals. 
• 1743: The Maryland Jockey Club is formed in Annapolis for horse racing, becoming the oldest sporting organization in North American history.

Virtual Horse Racing Betting in Maryland

If you are such a fan of horse racing that you want to bet on a virtual race that works like a video slot game with random number-generated outcomes, then a site like Bovada has a great virtual racing section where you can watch the race unfold too. You could even bet on virtual camel races.

Maryland Horse Racing Betting Apps

While the U.S.-based sites TwinSpires and TVG have great apps you can download from your phone’s app store, the same cannot be said of the offshore sites we have reviewed. They lack their own native app for the time being, but they still have good mobile betting sites that you could easily bring up on your phone or tablet and make your wagers that way. These sites are optimized to run smoothly on a small screen like your smartphone. 

How to Start Betting at Horse Racing Sites in Maryland

Our top racebooks all have easy registration processes to get you ready to wager on horse races in a matter of minutes. We have made a guide to show you how easy it is to get started on an offshore sportsbook like Bovada if you are new to this:

1. Visit the Bovada website.
2. Choose a red “Bet Now” button.
3. Type in your account information (name, email, birthday, phone number) and create a good password.
4. View your account details (top right of the page) and click “Deposit” to fund your account with the banking method that works best for you.
5. Enter the “Horses” section at the top right.
6. Start picking your Win/Place/Show bets (or something exotic) and add the picks to your bet slip.
7. Add your stake and choose “Place Bets” to complete the bet.

Other Types of Gambling in Maryland

Maryland got the green light for sports betting in 2021, and online gambling was legalized in 2022.

There are live poker rooms at four of the six casinos, and you can play slot machines and table games at most of the venues. There is also a state-sanctioned lottery that includes an online subscription service to play your numbers in four select drawings (most state-exclusive drawings still need to be purchased in person at one of over 4,000 retail locations). There are also 13 electronic bingo games.

But when it comes to all the online gambling like video slots and poker tournaments, you will want to visit an offshore sportsbook such as the trustworthy ones we have reviewed above. You will also be able to bet on esports markets and play games with live dealers among other popular forms of gambling, as long as you are of the minimum gambling age (18).

What is the best site for horse racing bettors in Maryland?

We do believe your personal preference will factor heavily into your decision for the “best” horse racing site out there. But if we were only selecting one, we would pick Bovada due to all of the betting options and additional benefits that this site offers to their customers.

Its simple design makes it so easy to make wagers on horse racing from tracks around the world, and its virtual racing section is arguably the best out there. You are also getting one of the highest-quality sportsbooks with an impressive prop builder, and it is right in the mix for having the best online poker section (with tournaments) as well.

You get a generous welcome promo, and it is especially good for crypto-preferred users. They also have a good rewards program for loyal customers as well as solid customer service. Maryland gamblers looking for a great all-around experience should be very pleased with what Bovada has to offer. 

Sportsbook	Rating	Online Since	Payment Methods	Read Review
Bovada	A+	2011	Credit Card, Bitcoin	Bovada Review
Bookmaker.eu	A+	1996	Credit Card, Bitcoin, P2P, Crypto	Bookmaker.eu Review
Heritage Sports	A+	2001	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	Heritage Sports Review
BetOnline	A+	2001	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Crypto, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	BetOnline Review
BetAnySports	A+	2002	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Electronic Check	BetAnySports Review
BetUS	A	2000	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Bank Transfer, P2P	BetUS Review
WagerWeb	A	1994	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	WagerWeb Review
JustBet	A	2000	Credit Card, Bitcoin, P2P, Crypto	JustBet Review
Everygame	A	1996	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Skrill, Neteller, Bank Transfer, P2P	Everygame Review
SportsBetting	A	2002	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Crypto, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	Sportsbetting Review

If you want to know which all of horse race betting sites our experts have given an A+ rating to, they are Bovada, Bookmaker.eu, Heritage Sports, BetOnline and BetAnySports.

FAQs – Legal Status of Online Horse Race Betting in Maryland