Maryland horseplayers have it good: online horse race betting is legal and fully regulated, with Laurel Park and every major advance-deposit app a tap away.
The racebooks below are the ones our team rates highest for Maryland 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 Maryland, with racing overseen by the Maryland Racing Commission. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Best Maryland Horse Racing Betting Sites
Our top-rated advance-deposit wagering (ADW) apps for Maryland bettors. Tap to open the operator’s official sign-up page. 18+. Terms apply.
- ★ EDITOR’S PICK
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 carries Laurel Park, the Preakness and the national menu for Maryland players, with live races and replays on its app and the deepest Triple Crown coverage on the market.
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 Laurel and the national simulcast menu with free streaming of every race and expert daily picks. New TVG accounts in Maryland now open here, on one login and wallet with FanDuel Sportsbook.
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
NYRA Bets accepts Maryland players and offers free live video and replays across Thoroughbred, harness and Quarter Horse racing, with best-in-class Saratoga and Belmont coverage and quick position swaps on exactas, trifectas and superfectas.
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, DraftKings' standalone racing app, is still live in Maryland on the same login as the sportsbook with a separate racing balance, 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 Maryland 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 Maryland.
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 Maryland among its 30 states, with 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.
Horse Racing & Betting in Maryland
Laurel Park (Laurel), the state’s sole active Thoroughbred track.
Pimlico ran its last pre-rebuild race in May 2025 and has been demolished for a $500M+ rebuild, with reopening targeted for 2027; the 2026 Preakness was run at Laurel Park.
Online wagering is legal for residents 18+; TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing (TVG) serve the state. Bettors must be 18 and, where required, physically within the state.
The signature race to know is the Preakness Stakes, the Triple Crown’s second leg — run at Laurel Park in 2026 while Pimlico is rebuilt, and due back at a new Pimlico in 2027.
You can place horse bets online in Maryland using trusted platforms such as TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing (TVG) and NYRA Bets. These apps offer welcome bonuses, plus ongoing promos like free bets, trifecta boosts, and cashback offers.
Maryland sits at the heart of American horse racing. You can bet legally on both thoroughbred and harness racing, with four active racetracks while Pimlico is rebuilt, and year-round online wagering through licensed betting apps. The state hosts iconic events like the Preakness Stakes, the Maryland Million, and the Maryland Sire Stakes, making it one of the strongest horse betting markets on the East Coast.
| Track | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel ParkLaurel · Thoroughbred · Thoroughbreds Jan – Jul 26 and from Sep 12, 2026; hosted the Preakness on May 16, 2026 while Pimlico is rebuilt | ||||||||||||
| TimoniumLutherville-Timonium · Thoroughbred · Maryland State Fair meet Aug 28 – Sep 7, 2026 | ||||||||||||
| Ocean DownsBerlin · Harness · Harness, usually summer (June – August) |
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 Maryland
Maryland is a state rich in horse racing tradition and opportunity. There are five racetracks in the state, including both thoroughbred and standardbred tracks. Often referred to as the cradle of American racing, Maryland is home to the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of thoroughbred racing’s triple crown. Laurel Park plays host to the Maryland Million.
There’s world-class harness racing each year at Rosecroft Raceway. Ocean Downs also offers live standardbred racing, while Timonium Downs holds live thoroughbred racing cards every summer on the grounds of the Maryland State Fair. Rosecroft Raceway plays host to the Maryland Sire Stakes, showcasing the best Maryland-bred standardbreds.
Popular Online Horse Bet Types & Races
Straight wagers offered at Maryland race tracks start with a win bet. Pick the winner of the race – that’s it. With a place wager, a bettor wins if their horse is first or second. A show bet entitles a payout if the horse played comes in among the top three.
Then there are exotic wagers. An exacta entails picking the top two finishers in order. Trifectas must nail down the top three finishers. Quinellas are similar to exactas, except the top two finishers can come home in either order. Superfectas call upon the bettor to identify the top four finishers in a race.
A double requires selecting the winners of successive races. Furthering this concept, Pick 3s, Pick 4s, Pick 5s and Pick 6s require selecting winners of that many races in a row correctly.
Boxing an exacta, trifecta or superfecta enables the horses included in the wager to finish in any order among the designated places required to win the bet. Wheeling or keying these types of wager means designating one horse to finish in a specific position in the bet, thus keying that horse, then wheeling other horses into the available finishing positions around the keyed horse.
Major US Horse Betting Events That You Can Bet On In Maryland
Held on the third Saturday in May, the Preakness is contested at a length of 1 3/16th miles. It is the bubble race in the Triple Crown, determining whether there will be a bid for the coveted three-race title in June at the Belmont Stakes. The run for the Black Eyed Susans was first contested in 1873. Past winners include Secretariat, Man o’ War, Northern Dancer, Seattle Slew, Citation and American Pharoah.
Since 1919, the Black Eyed Susan Stakes, a Grade II thoroughbred event for three-year-old fillies run over a distance of 1⅛ miles, has been run on Preakness weekend — at Pimlico traditionally, and at Laurel Park while Pimlico is rebuilt.
The Maryland Million is held in October. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a horse must be sired by a stallion who stands in Maryland. There have been several two-time winners of the race, but only Eighttofasttocatch captured the Maryland Million on three occasions.
Rosecroft Raceway plays host to the Maryland Sire Stakes, showcasing the best Maryland-bred standardbreds.
Maryland Horse Racing Betting Legal Overview
Horse racing in Maryland has been around longer than the United States. The Maryland Jockey Club was founded in 1743. That was 33 years prior to the American Revolution.
Legendary thoroughbred Man o’ War was bred in Berlin, Maryland. Standardbreds have raced at Rosecroft in Fort Washington since 1949. The first racing at Pimlico Race Course took place in 1870.
Maryland Racetracks
Pimlico Race Course · Hayward and Winner Aves, Baltimore, MD 21215
The historic home of the Preakness, currently closed for a rebuild; the 2026 Preakness was run at Laurel Park.
Laurel Park · Rt 198 and Racetrack Rd, Laurel, MD 20724
Offering live thoroughbred racing from January-May, June-August, and September-December.
Rosecroft Raceway · 6336 Rosecroft Dr, Fort Washington, MD 20744
Offering live standardbred racing from January-May.
Ocean Downs · 10218 Racetrack Rd, Berlin, MD 21811
Offering live standardbred racing from June-August.
Timonium Downs · 2200 York Rd, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093
Offering live thoroughbred racing from August-September.
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.
Maryland allows betting on win, place, show, plus exotics like exacta, trifecta, superfecta, quinella, and multi-race wagers including Daily Doubles and Pick 3–6 bets. Most apps support boxing and wheeling, making it easier to cover multiple outcomes.
How to Start Betting on Racing in Maryland
- 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.
Maryland Horse Racing Betting Sites and Apps (November 2026)
NYRA Bets, FanDuel Racing (TVG), TwinSpires, DK Horse, OffTrackBetting.com and Iron Bets are top horse racing betting sites and apps available to Maryland horse players. Use Promo Codes and promotions for bonuses.
Maryland Horse Racing Betting FAQs
Is online horse race betting legal in Maryland?
Yes. Online wagering is legal for residents 18+; TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing (TVG) serve the state, overseen by the Maryland Racing Commission.
How old must you be to bet on horses online in Maryland ?
18 for pari-mutuel horse wagering.
Which racetracks run in Maryland?
Laurel Park (Laurel), the state’s sole active Thoroughbred track.
Which apps can I use in Maryland?
Our top-rated picks are AmWager, TwinSpires and the other ADW apps listed above. Online wagering is legal for residents 18+; TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing (TVG) serve the state.
Where to watch online/stream horse races in Maryland?
Laurel Park offers both simulcast and off-track betting to horse players in Maryland. Rosecroft Raceway offers simulcasting and live streaming. Ocean Downs provides simulcasting. The Maryland Jockey Club offers live streaming of racing from Laurel Park.