Washington Horse Racing

Horse racing betting in WA gets overlooked. The Evergreen State has one of the finest tracks on the West Coast and a handful of offshore racebooks that let you bet from your couch. If you’ve been curious but haven’t pulled the trigger, this is your starting point. For a full breakdown of all the betting options available to WA residents, check out our Washington sports betting guide but right now, let’s zero in on the ponies.

You want to bet on horse races in WA, but you’re not sure which racebook to trust, what bet types actually pay out, or where the live tracks are. That uncertainty keeps bettors on the sidelines while the odds tick away. Stop sitting this one out. This guide covers every angle of in-state horse racing betting: the best offshore racebooks, how every wager type works, the tracks still running live racing, and a complete timeline of how horse racing took root in the state.

Is Horse Racing Betting Allowed in WA?

Short answer: yes. Betting on horse races is fully permitted in the state — both at the track in person and through offshore racebooks online. The Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) has regulated pari-mutuel wagering for decades, and advance-deposit wagering (ADW) threw off-track platforms has been approved since 2004.

Offshore racebooks operate outside state jurisdiction, which means they aren’t bound by the same tribal-only restrictions that limit retail sports betting in WA. That opens the door to a much wider range of horse racing markets, bonuses, and betting tools.

Comparing the Top In-State Racebooks

Not all racebooks are built the same. Here’s what separates a great horse betting site from a mediocre one .

Live Streaming & Race Coverage

Being able to watch the race you just bet on? That’s a feature worth seeking out. Right now, most offshore platforms don’t offer full live streaming, so dedicated horse racing apps like TVG and TwinSpires fill that gap. 

Site Design & Ease of Use

Horse racing odds can look like a foreign language if the interface doesn’t lay them out cleanly. Hunt for racebooks with intuitive drop-down menus that let you move between bet types without clicking through six screens. Bovada does this particularly well, with a racebook layout that makes exotic wagers feel approachable.

Brand Reliability

This matters more with horse racing than almost any other market. You need to know your winnings will show up. Sites like Bookmaker and BetOnline have been running since the mid-1990s. That kind of track record isn’t an accident, it’s proof they handle payouts right and protect your personal data.

Payment Flexibility

More deposit and withdrawal options mean fewer headaches. The top offshore racebooks accept major credit cards, Bitcoin and other crypto, P2P transfers, and wire transfers. Pay close attention to the fee schedule for each method, particularly on withdrawals — some methods carry charges that chip away at your returns.

Customer Support

Round-the-clock phone and live chat support is the standard to hold every racebook to. If a site only offers email tickets with 48-hour response windows, that’s a red flag when you’ve got a live race question at 11 PM on a Saturday.

Odds Shopping

Here’s a habit every serious horse bettor should build: keep accounts at two or three racebooks and shop the lines. The favorite might carry nearly identical odds everywhere, but a 15/1 longshot? You might find 18/1 at one book compared to 12/1 at another. That spread is real money.

Betting Markets Available

Any racebook worth your time should carry these markets at minimum:

• Win
• Place
• Show
• Exacta
• Trifecta
• Superfecta
• Super High Five
• Daily Double
• Pick 3 / Pick 4 / Pick 5 / Pick 6

If a site maxes out at win, place, and show and calls it a day, move on. 

Racebook Promotions

Standard welcome bonuses are expected. What separates a great horse racing site from the pack is promotions built specifically for the sport. Bookmaker.eu offers 8% cash back on exotic wagers. Those promotions add up over a full season of racing.

How to Bet on Horse Races in WA

Forget the point spread. Horse racing runs on its own system, and the variety of wager types is part of what makes it so appealing once you get comfortable with the vocabulary.

Horse Racing Betting Explained

Log into your racebook, pull up the race card, and you’ll see a full field of horses listed with their morning line odds. Use the drop-down menu or tab system to select your bet type, choose your horse or horses, set your stake, and submit. 

Horse Racing Betting Odds in WA

Two pricing systems govern horse racing. Know both before you bet a single dollar.

Fixed Odds

Fixed odds lock in your price at the moment you place the bet. Whatever line you see when you click confirm is what you get paid at, regardless of how the odds shift before post time. This format is common for marquee events like the Kentucky Derby, where offshore books compete aggressively on the price.

Pari-Mutuel Wagering

This is the traditional format and still the standard at most tracks. Your bet doesn’t go against the house, it goes into a pool with every other bettor on that race. After the track takes its cut (the “vig”), the remaining pool gets split among winning ticket holders. The final payout isn’t known until the race closes and all bets are in. Bigger fields and heavy favorites can compress payouts significantly; longshots in wide-open fields can pay huge because fewer bettors back them.

Types of Horse Racing Bets

Here’s every major wager type, explained clean:

• Win: Your horse crosses the wire first. Full stop.
• Place: Your horse finishes first or second.
• Show: Your horse finishes in the top three.
• Exacta: Pick the top two finishers in the exact order.
• Trifecta: Pick the top three finishers in the exact order.
• Superfecta: Pick the top four finishers in the exact order. High risk, high reward.
• Daily Double: Pick the winner of two back-to-back races.
• Pick 3 / 4 / 5 / 6: Pick the winner of three, four, five, or six straight races. The Pick 6 is where life-changing payouts live — and where a lot of bankrolls go to die if you’re not disciplined.

WA Horse Racetracks

Emerald Downs (Auburn, WA)

This is the crown jewel of Washington horse racing. Opened in 1996 to replace Longacres Racetrack (which closed in 1992 after 59 years of operation), Emerald Downs sits in Auburn and draws solid fields throughout its summer season. The track hosts several stakes races, including the Emerald Express Stakes, U.S. Bank Stakes, Seattle Handicap, and WA State Legislators Stakes.

The centerpiece of the season is the Longacres Mile Handicap, a prestigious race that dates back to 1935, honoring the legacy of the old Longacres track where it was born.

Sun Downs (Kennewick, WA)

Sun Downs has operated in Kennewick since 1981 and serves Eastern WA’s horse racing community. The track has faced extended closures in recent years tied to insurance and operational challenges. Its future remains uncertain, but it holds a loyal following among Tri-Cities bettors who grew up wagering there.

The History of Horse Racing In-State

• 1868: The American Stud Book is established, laying the groundwork for organized thoroughbred racing across the country.
• 1902: Seattle opens The Meadows, the city’s first prominent racetrack.
• 1909: The WA State Legislature bans gambling, shutting down The Meadows and ending the first era of organized racing in the state.
• 1933: Longacres Racetrack opens in Renton, reportedly built by a crew of roughly 3,000 workers in about five months. The Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) is also established that year to regulate pari-mutuel betting statewide.
• 1935: The first Longacres Mile Handicap is run.
• 1992: Longacres closes permanently, ending its run as the longest-operating thoroughbred track on the West Coast.
• 1996: Emerald Downs opens in Auburn, picking up where Longacres left off and becoming the state’s primary racing destination.
• 2004: The WHRC approves advance-deposit wagering, allowing WA bettors to wager on horse races from off-track locations for the first time.
• 2020: Governor Jay Inslee signs legislation authorizing in-person sports betting at tribal casinos and expanding horse race betting to allow racetracks to offer sports wagering alongside pari-mutuel racing.

Betting on WA Horse Racing From Your Phone

Most offshore racebooks don’t publish standalone native apps — but that’s not the barrier it sounds like. Every top-rated book on our list runs a mobile-optimized website that performs cleanly on iOS and Android alike. Open your browser, go to the site, log in, and you’re placing bets in under a minute.

For live race streaming specifically, TVG and TwinSpires both offer dedicated apps worth downloading. Pair a streaming app with your offshore racebook account and you’ve got a complete horse betting setup in your pocket.

How to Sign Up at an In-State Racebook

The registration process is quick at any reputable offshore book. Here’s how it works at Bovada and most comparable sites follow the same flow:

1. Go to the racebook’s website.
2. Click a “Bet Now” or “Join” button.
3. Enter your details: name, date of birth, phone number, and email address. Create a strong password.
4. Head to your account dashboard and click “Deposit.” Select your preferred payment method and meet the minimum deposit.
5. Navigate to the “Horses” or “Racebook” section.
6. Browse available races, review the odds, and select your horses.
7. Build your bet slip with your wager type and stake, then hit “Place Bets.”

Done. You’re in action.

Other Gambling Options in The Evergreen State

Beyond the track, WA residents can access a full menu of gambling options through offshore platforms. Tribal casinos in the state run licensed retail sportsbooks for in-person wagering, and there’s ongoing legislative discussion about expanding digital access — but nothing has moved fast enough to open up a regulated online market yet.

Offshore sites fill that gap with sports betting, casino games, video slots, live dealer tables, poker, and esports markets all under one roof. It’s a genuinely broader offering than what’s currently available through domestic channels.

Wrapping Up

WA horse racing betting has a lot going for it: a storied track history, a live venue worth visiting in Emerald Downs, and a set of offshore racebooks that give you access to exotic wagers, competitive odds, and horse-specific promotions year-round. Pick two or three books, shop your lines, and learn your bet types before the season kicks into gear. Head over to our Washington sports betting guide to see how horse racing fits into the bigger picture of what WA bettors can access right now.

Next Steps

Ready to start? Open accounts at two racebooks from this guide (BetOnline and Bovada are a natural pairing) and claim their welcome offers. Then bookmark the Emerald Downs race schedule and set yourself up for the Longacres Mile. That’s a race worth having real money on.