Illinois horseplayers have it good: online horse race betting is legal and fully regulated, with Fairmount Park in the St. Louis metro and every major advance-deposit app a tap away.
The racebooks below are the ones our team rates highest for Illinois bettors, judged on track coverage, rebates, the quality of the app and the welcome offer.
You must be 18 or older to bet the horses in Illinois, with racing overseen by the Illinois Racing Board. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Best Illinois Horse Racing Betting Sites
Our top-rated advance-deposit wagering (ADW) apps for Illinois bettors. Tap to open the operator’s official sign-up page. 18+. Terms apply.
- ★ EDITOR’S PICK
AmWagerEditor’s pick★ 4.8 / 5100% First Deposit Match up to $50 · Promo Code AMWAGERDeposit $50, bet $50, get $50 in bonus wagering credits
Illinois racing runs at Hawthorne near Chicago and Fairmount Park downstate, and AmWager carries both alongside close to 500 tracks worldwide — the Arlington era having closed after the Bears bought that track. The draw is value: AmWager Rewards points paid daily, fast-updating odds and live video.
Key terms: New AmWager customers only; first deposit only; Bet the amount of your first deposit (up to $50) within 30 days of opening the account; Show bets, cancelled and refunded wagers don't count; Bonus credits land within seven business days and expire after 30 days; winnings from them are cash. Full terms apply — see our AmWager review. Please play responsibly. -
TwinSpiresBest for coverage★ 4.7 / 5$200 Sign-Up Bonus · Promo Code BET200$100 in bonus cash for every $400 you wager, up to $200
Churchill Downs Inc.'s TwinSpires serves Illinois with the deepest Triple Crown and stakes coverage on the market, plus the local Hawthorne and Fairmount Park cards — a natural fit for Chicago-area bettors who follow the Derby trail.
Key terms: Wager $800 within 30 days of opening your account to earn the full $200; Bonus paid in $100 increments for every $400 wagered; Show wagers don't count; bets count once the race is official; Credited within 10 business days; one per household. Full terms apply — see our TwinSpires review. Please play responsibly. -
FanDuel RacingBest app & streaming★ 4.6 / 5Bet $10, Get $50 in Racing Bonus · No Promo Code neededFanDuel Racing rotates its new-customer offer, so the amount can change
FanDuel Racing — the TVG platform owned by Flutter — carries Hawthorne and Fairmount plus the national menu, with free streaming of every race and daily expert picks. It runs on the same account and wallet as FanDuel Sportsbook, which Illinois bettors already know well.
Key terms: First real-money racing wager of $10 or more; $50 in non-withdrawable Racing Bonus, credited within 72 hours; Racing Bonus expires seven days after it's issued; Not open to anyone who has wagered on FanDuel Sportsbook, Casino or DFS. Full terms apply — see our FanDuel Racing review. Please play responsibly. -
NYRA BetsBest for big meets★ 4.5 / 5$25 Free Bet + $200 Deposit Match · Promo Code CUP25A free bet on sign-up, then 100% of your first deposit matched up to $200
Run by the New York Racing Association, NYRA Bets pairs the Illinois cards with HD coverage of Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct, up to three live videos at once and a points program that pays extra on NYRA races.
Key terms: $25 free bet credit on sign-up; unused credit is removed after 14 days; 100% match on your first deposit up to $200, made within 30 days of opening the account; Wager twice your deposit within 30 days to unlock the match; Show bets, futures, phone wagers and cancelled bets don't count. Full terms apply — see our NYRA Bets review. Please play responsibly. -
DK HorseDraftKings crossover★ 4.3 / 5100% Deposit Bonus up to $250 · No Promo Code neededFor DK Horse customers in states that haven't moved to DraftKings Racing
DK Horse, the standalone racing app from DraftKings, still serves Illinois on the same login as the sportsbook but with a separate racing balance, with live streams and replays.
Key terms: Minimum $25 deposit; 100% deposit match up to $250 with a 2x play-through; All DK Horse promotions require opt-in; Only in states where the standalone DK Horse app still operates. 18+ (21+ in AZ, IN, IA, WA). Full terms apply — see our DK Horse review. Please play responsibly. -
OffTrackBetting.comDeposit match★ 4.2 / 5See the current welcome offer on the site
OffTrackBetting.com accepts Illinois residents (21+) on 400-plus tracks, with free live video for funded accounts and OTB Cash Rewards paid win or lose. Its sign-up offer excludes Illinois.
18+. New customers only. Terms apply. Please play responsibly. -
Iron BetsRebates★ 4.1 / 550% Deposit Bonus up to $300 · No Promo Code neededHalf your first deposit added to your bonus account
Iron Bets lists Illinois among its 30 states, offering a large simulcast menu, free replays and Iron Rewards cash back on every wager.
Key terms: 50% of your first deposit, up to a $300 bonus ($600 deposit for the maximum); 10% of each wager is released from the bonus account once the race is official; One bonus per email or mailing address; 18+ (21+ in AL, ND, WA). Full terms apply — see our Iron Bets review. Please play responsibly.
Our editors rate AmWager the top pick — close to 500 tracks, AmWager Rewards points paid daily and a 100% First Deposit Match up to $50 with Promo Code AMWAGER. TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, NYRA Bets, DK Horse, OffTrackBetting.com and Iron Bets also serve Illinois.
Horse Racing & Betting in Illinois
Fairmount Park in Collinsville (the St. Louis metro), the state’s functioning Thoroughbred track and now a racino conversion.
Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, near Chicago, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2026 and faces an uncertain future, leaving Fairmount Park as the state’s steadiest live venue.
Online wagering is legal for bettors 18+; TwinSpires, TVG, FanDuel Racing, Xpressbet, NYRA Bets and Caesars Racebook serve Illinois. Bettors must be 18 and, where required, physically within the state.
The signature race to know is the Hawthorne Gold Cup, the historic feature of Chicago’s Hawthorne Race Course.
Fairmount Park was briefly branded FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing; it is now back to its historic name under its 2024 owners.
| Track | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne Race CourseStickney · Thoroughbred · Thoroughbreds mid-April – Jul 19, 2026 (Sunday-focused cards) | ||||||||||||
| Fairmount ParkCollinsville · Thoroughbred · Thoroughbreds mid-April – late October 2026 |
Months with live racing. Dates come from the tracks and the state racing regulator; meets can change, so check the track’s own calendar before you go. Simulcast wagering runs year-round.
More on Racing in Illinois
Illinois is one of the biggest dual-market betting states in the country. Online horse race betting in Illinois is legal, long-established and fully mobile — few states run a bigger betting market. The Illinois Horse Racing Act has expressly authorized advance-deposit wagering since 1975, so licensed ADW racebooks take bets from anyone 18 or older, while the separate online sportsbook market, live since 2020, serves the 21-and-up crowd.
The local racing scene still has a pulse: Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago mixes Thoroughbred and harness dates, and Fairmount Park carries the downstate flag near St. Louis, though the storied Arlington Park ran its last card in 2021 after the Bears bought the property. One quirk to know — Illinois bars wagering on in-state college teams and levies one of the steepest sports-betting taxes in the country.
Note Illinois prohibits betting on in-state college teams and carries one of the highest sports-betting tax structures in the US.
Illinois (IL) Horse Race Betting Facts: Illinois is one of the biggest dual-market states going — online sports betting (live since 2020, in-person sign-up dropped in 2022) sits alongside ADW racing expressly authorized by the Illinois Horse Racing Act, legal since 1975. Racing age is 18+, sports 21+. Live cards run at Hawthorne Race Course near Chicago (Thoroughbred + harness) and Fairmount Park downstate; historic Arlington closed in 2021. Note: no in-state college betting.
Choosing a Racing Site in Illinois
All major US Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) apps operate in Illinois. Each lets you bet every Illinois track plus US, UK and international racing from one account. Minimum age 18.
Illinois horseplayers are spoiled for choice, so the deciding factors are coverage, rebates and streaming. AmWager tops our list — Hawthorne and Fairmount plus close to 500 tracks worldwide, with AmWager Rewards points on every wager — while TwinSpires owns the Derby trail and NYRA Bets adds HD coverage of Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct. Most Illinois-legal racebooks carry a welcome offer, from AmWager’s 100% First Deposit Match up to $50 to FanDuel Racing’s Bet $10, Get $50 in Racing Bonus, all funded and settled from your phone.
Illinois's three racetracks — addresses & live cards
Hawthorne Race Course · 3501 S Laramie Ave, Stickney, IL 60804
Opened in 1891 and still owned by the Carey family, Hawthorne is northern Illinois' only live track — thoroughbreds spring through fall, harness in the colder months — and home of the Hawthorne Gold Cup.
Fairmount Park · 9301 Collinsville Rd, Collinsville, IL 62234
The St. Louis-area thoroughbred track, opened in 1925 and celebrating its centennial in 2025.
Arlington International · Arlington Heights, IL
The grand home of the Arlington Million ran its final meet in 2021 and was sold to the Chicago Bears. A reminder of Illinois' former status as a national racing capital.
Signature stakes races at Illinois's tracks
Beyond the everyday cards, each Illinois track hosts at least one feature stakes race that draws statewide attention — most are bettable through every ADW listed above.
Hawthorne Gold Cup
Hawthorne's flagship race for older horses, run each autumn and long the centerpiece of the track's thoroughbred meet.
Illinois Derby
A historic spring three-year-old prep at Hawthorne that has launched horses toward the Triple Crown trail.
Who regulates horse racing & sports betting in Illinois
Illinois uses two separate regulators for horse racing and sports wagering — each licenses operators independently.
Illinois Racing Board
Live racing and pari-mutuel wagering are overseen by the Illinois Racing Board, formed in 1933. The Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975 expressly authorizes online advance-deposit wagering — unlike many states where ADW law is ambiguous — and bettors 18 and older may wager from anywhere in the state. Two permanent tracks remain (Hawthorne and Fairmount Park) along with a network of OTBs.
Illinois Gaming Board
Online sports betting launched in June 2020 under the Sports Wagering Act and removed its in-person registration requirement in March 2022. The Illinois Gaming Board licenses operators; the state uses a graduated 20–40% tax on revenue plus a per-wager fee, among the highest burdens in the US. Betting on in-state college teams and all college player props is prohibited. Minimum age 21.
How to Bet on Horse Racing
New to the windows? Start with the straight bets. A win bet needs your horse to finish first; place pays if it runs first or second; show pays for first, second or third. They are the cheapest way to learn the game.
From there come the exotics, where the real payouts live. The exacta asks for the first two home in order, the trifecta the first three, and the superfecta the first four. Multi-race bets — the daily double, Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 6 — string winners together across races, and the Pick 6 jackpot can roll into life-changing money. Our guide to exotic bets walks through each one, and the beginner’s guide to betting on racing covers the basics end to end.
How to Start Betting on Racing in Illinois
- Pick a racebook and sign up.
Tap a “Visit” button above to open an ADW account. You must be 18+ and within state lines where required.
- Claim the welcome offer and deposit.
Fund the account by debit card, bank transfer or PayPal and activate any new-customer bonus before your first wager.
- Find a race and place your bet.
Browse the day’s cards, read the form, pick your horse and bet type, and confirm. Watch the live stream and collect if you win.
Illinois Horse Racing Betting Sites and Apps (October 2026)
Illinois Horse Racing Betting FAQs
Is online horse racing betting legal in Illinois?
Yes — explicitly. Section 26(g) of the Illinois Horse Racing Act authorizes advance-deposit wagering, and licensed ADW racebooks accept Illinois bettors 18 or older from anywhere in the state.
What's the minimum age to bet in Illinois?
21 for sports betting; 18 for pari-mutuel horse racing, including online ADW.
Which racetracks are in Illinois?
Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney (thoroughbred and harness) and Fairmount Park near St. Louis are the two live tracks. The historic Arlington Park closed in 2021 after hosting the Arlington Million for decades.
Which apps can I use in Illinois?
Our top-rated picks are AmWager, TwinSpires and the other ADW apps listed above. Online wagering is legal for bettors 18+; TwinSpires, TVG, FanDuel Racing, Xpressbet, NYRA Bets and Caesars Racebook serve Illinois.
What is the biggest horse race in Illinois?
Chicago’s Hawthorne Race Course is the state’s historic home of the Hawthorne Gold Cup.
Can I bet the Kentucky Derby from Illinois?
Yes. Every Illinois-licensed ADW carries Kentucky Derby, Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup wagering, and the tracks offer simulcast Derby Day cards.