Standardbred (harness) racing at Plainridge Park Casino; Suffolk Downs, New England’s last Thoroughbred track, closed in 2019.
Online wagering is legal for bettors 18+; TwinSpires, TVG, AmWager and FanDuel Racing are among the apps serving the state. The racebooks below are the ones our team rates highest for Massachusetts bettors, judged on track coverage, rebates and the welcome offer.
You must be 18+ to bet the horses in Massachusetts, with racing overseen by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Division of Racing. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Best Massachusetts Horse Racing Betting Sites
Our top-rated advance-deposit wagering (ADW) apps for Massachusetts 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
AmWager accepts Massachusetts residents and is known for a user-friendly interface backed by advanced wagering tools, including conditional, Dutch and rank betting, which cater to both novice and experienced bettors. With Suffolk Downs gone, Bay State players use it to bet the national and international simulcast menu from one account. AmWager accounts are open to bettors 21 and older, even though the state minimum for pari-mutuel wagering is 18.
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
TwinSpires, the ADW of Churchill Downs, has some of the widest track coverage available to Massachusetts bettors, with live video and a reliable app on big race days.
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. -
Iron BetsRebates★ 4.1 / 550% Deposit Bonus up to $300 · No Promo Code neededHalf your first deposit added to your bonus account
Iron Bets Racing, run by North Dakota-licensed Lien Games Racing, lists Massachusetts among the 30 states it serves. Accounts come with free race video and replays, cash back on wagers through the Iron Rewards program, and lower-takeout bets flagged under its Iron Values banner. You can bet through the mobile site or the iOS app.
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 Massachusetts
Standardbred (harness) racing at Plainridge Park Casino; Suffolk Downs, New England’s last Thoroughbred track, closed in 2019.
Online wagering is legal for bettors 18+; TwinSpires, TVG, AmWager and FanDuel Racing are among the apps serving the state.
Plainridge’s Spirit of Massachusetts Trot, the state’s harness feature.
Massachusetts has quietly become a strong betting state, combining online horse racing wagering with a fast-growing sports betting market. While live horse racing is limited compared to neighboring states, bettors in the Bay State still have full legal access to major U.S. horse races and top sportsbook apps, all from their phones.
Horse players can legally wager online through NYRA Bets, TwinSpires, TVG, DRF Bets, AmWager, and 1/ST BET, while sports bettors have access to the best MA online sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM since statewide legalization.
Plainridge Park offers simulcast wagering to Massachusetts horse bettors. As well, Massachusetts horse bettors can live stream races via TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing (TVG), 1/ST BET, NYRA Bets and 123Bet.
| Track | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainridge ParkPlainville · Harness · Harness racing, usually April – November |
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 Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a rising hub for both horse racing and sports betting, offering bettors numerous opportunities to enjoy their favorite pastimes. For horse racing enthusiasts, AmWager, TwinSpires and FanDuel Racing (TVG) lead the way with their top-rated apps and websites.
At 123bet.com, new players are eligible for a signup bonus.
AmWager Massachusetts
AmWager welcomes new Massachusetts players with a 100% First Deposit Match up to $50 with Promo Code AMWAGER. This means if you deposit $50 and bet $50, you’ll get $50 in bonus wagering credits. AmWager is renowned for its user-friendly interface and advanced wagering tools, catering to both novice and experienced bettors. Please note that while AmWager operates in Massachusetts, there are no Suffolk Downs races to bet: the track closed in 2019.
Popular Online Horse Bet Types & Races
Straight wagers offered at Massachusetts race tracks start with a win bet, which is self-explanatory. In the case of a place wager, a bettor wins if their horse is first or second. A show bet entitles a payout if the horse wagered finishes among the top three.
Exotic wagers offer higher payouts with added risk. An exacta requires selecting the top two finishers in order. Trifectas must correctly pick the top three finishers. Quinellas are like exactas, only the top two finishers can finish in either order. Superfectas need the bettor to predict the top four finishers in a race.
A double necessitates selecting the winners of successive races. Growing this idea, Pick 3s, Pick 4s, Pick 5s and Pick 6s require selecting the winners of that many races in a row correctly.
Boxing an exacta, trifecta or superfecta will allow the horses featured in the wager to finish in any order among the designated places required to win the bet. Wheeling or keying these types of wager enables designating one horse to finish in a specific position in the bet, thus keying that horse, while wheeling other horses into the available finishing positions around the keyed horse.
Massachusetts Horse Racing Betting Legal Overview
Suffolk Downs operated as a thoroughbred track in the Boston area from 1935-2019. The track was constructed in a little over a couple of months after the state legalized parimutuel wagering in 1934. During its heyday, legendary race horses such as Seabiscuit, John Henry and Cigar all raced at Suffolk Downs. In 1966, the Beatles held their final North American live concert there. Suffolk Downs was sold to developers planning to turn the land into housing and shopping areas.
A proposal to bring a $25 million horse racing track and community center to Sturbridge, Massachusetts was soundly defeated in a vote held in the town in 2021.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s Division of Racing oversees licensing and regulation of horse racing in the state.
Massachusetts Racetracks
In an odd development, in 2020 the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association moved their annual Massachusetts-bred racing series to Fort Erie Raceway in Ontario, Canada. This was done to keep the series alive after Suffolk Downs was shuttered. It was the Massachusetts Handicap, a thoroughbred stakes event at Suffolk Downs from 1935-2008 that brought racing superstars Seabiscuit, Riva Ridge, Cigar, and Triple Crown winner Whirlaway to the track.
There is just one track remaining in the state of Massachusetts that offers live horse racing. Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville delivers live standardbred racing every April-November. The daytime race cards go postward four days a week at 2 p.m. The track also provides daily simulcasting of racing from around the world. Plainridge Park opened in 1999.
Plainridge Park · 301 Washington Street, Plainville, MA 02762
Offering live standardbred racing every April-November.
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 Massachusetts
- 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.
Massachusetts Horse Racing Betting Sites and Apps (October 2026)
Massachusetts Horse Racing Betting FAQs
Where to watch online/stream horse races in Massachusetts?
Plainridge Park offers simulcast wagering to Massachusetts horse bettors.
How old must you be to bet on horses online in Massachusetts ?
18 for pari-mutuel horse wagering.
Which racetracks run in Massachusetts?
Standardbred (harness) racing at Plainridge Park Casino; Suffolk Downs, New England’s last Thoroughbred track, closed in 2019.
Which apps can I use in Massachusetts?
Our top-rated picks are listed above. Online wagering is legal for bettors 18+; TwinSpires, TVG, AmWager and FanDuel Racing are among the apps serving the state.
What is the biggest horse race in Massachusetts?
Plainridge’s Spirit of Massachusetts Trot, the state’s harness feature.