Horse racing remains a very popular event for betting in the United States. Even though New Hampshire no longer hosts live races, those in the Granite State can enjoy online wagering on horses at industry-leading betting sites.
Sports betting sites in New Hampshire were legalized in 2019. The only licensed online sportsbook in the state is DraftKings; DK Horse remains unavailable. However, you can already bet big on horse races with trusted offshore racebooks.
In this guide, we show you the best online horse betting sites as well as the history of horse racing in the Granite State.
| SPORTSBOOK | TRUST SCORE | ONLINE SINCE | Expert Review | BONUS | Bet Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2011
|
$750 Cash Bonus
|
|||
|
|
2001
|
100% Free Play
|
|||
|
|
1996
|
$500 Cash Bonus
|
|||
|
|
2002
|
55% Cash Bonus
|
|||
|
|
1996
|
$1,000 Cash Bonus
|
|||
|
|
2001
|
$250 Free Bet
|
|||
|
|
2014
|
50% Free Play
|
Is horse race betting legal in New Hampshire?
Yes, legal horse race betting precedes local sports betting laws by many decades in New Hampshire. It was legal to bet on horse racing in New Hampshire starting in 1933 and it was in 1991 when simulcast betting was introduced in the Granite State.
Horse race wagering remains a popular gambling activity today. The last remaining off-track betting facility, The Brook in Seabrook, is still going strong.
For bettors who are looking for more variety, horse racing betting is also available with offshore sportsbooks. These online platforms have a wide range of betting markets available, in addition to offering competitive betting odds and generous bonsues.
New Hampshire Horse Racing FAQs
Does New Hampshire have horse racing?
New Hampshire doesn’t have a significant horse racing industry today. Historically, the state hosted harness racing at venues like Rockingham Park. However, Rockingham Park closed in 2016.
Can you bet on horse racing in New Hampshire?
Yes, horse race betting is a popular gambling activity in the Granite State. While New Hampshire no longer hosts any live horse racing events at racetracks, you can bet on horse races from a variety of tracks from around the world, including Belmont Park and Churchill Downs.
Where can I bet on horses in NH?
In New Hampshire, The Brook is the only off-track betting facility that remains in operation now that all other retail locations have closed. Offshore sportsbooks also offer horse race betting online in the state.
Can you bet on the Kentucky Derby in New Hampshire?
Whether it is the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont Stakes, you can bet on Triple Crown races and more with the use of sites like BookMaker, BetOnline and Bovada.
Can I use TwinSpires in NH?
Yes, TwinSpires is available to use in New Hampshire. However, offshore platforms typically offer better bonuses, promotions and betting odds, in addition to featuring a wider variety of betting markets and options.
Our Top-Rated Online Horse Racing Betting Sites
We have combed through online racebooks to compile a list of the 10 best options for bettors in New Hampshire. They are all located in regions where online gambling is perfectly legal, so feel free to join any of these horse racing sites to win real money today.
- Heritage Sports – Great for cashback
- Bovada – Nice racebook design and virtual racing
- BetOnline – Highest racebook rebate
- BetAnySports – Dozens of global tracks
- BookMaker – All fixed odds horse race betting
- JustBet – Similar product to BookMaker
- BetUS – Good for expert analysis
- WagerWeb – Good for crypto users
- Everygame – Great site design and poker
- SportsBetting.ag – Risk-free bet in racebook
The Best Online Racebooks Compared
From our top 10 list, we have included a more in-depth review of the top five online racebooks. These horse racing sites are great for finding horse racing tracks from North America, South America, the U.K., Italy, Ireland, Australia and more. These offshore sites allow you to do more than place wagers on horse racing, you will also enjoy an online sportsbook, slots, table games and sometimes even poker. But the experience you get on race day is our main interest here.
1. Great for Cashback: Heritage Sports
Key Features
- Up to 8% rebate on exotic wagers
- Can use bonus funds anywhere on site
Since 2001, Heritage Sports has been one of Costa Rica’s best online gambling sites. It offers reduced juice lines and cashback programs for the different sections of the site. The nice part is your bonus funds can be used anywhere on the site without restriction. If you earn a sportsbook bonus, instead of having to use it to place sports bets, that bonus money can still be used on the racebook.
Heritage Sports offers full track odds for over 60 tracks, including the biggest ones in the game. You can expect the highest limits on those races and the mobile site is one of the best on our list, so you can easily build your bet slips in the racebook.
The welcome bonus is smaller than most rivals, but Heritage Sports makes up for it with all these rebate programs. Users can get up to 8% back daily as rebates for their racebook vets (win or lose). The maximum rebate is $2,000 daily and these bonus funds come with a reasonable 4x rollover requirement.
2. Nice Racebook Design and Virtual Racing: Bovada
Key Features
- Top choice for virtual horse betting
- Great sportsbook and poker room
Racing fans will find a lot to like about the Bovada horse racing section. You get a sleek racebook design with drop-down menus making it easy to jump around the races, available tracks and betting types, including quinella bets. You also can bet weeks in advance on the Triple Crown race winners to try to get the best value.
Bovada is also the best choice for virtual racing games, which allow you to place your wagers before watching the races stream live. Not only do they have virtual horse betting but you can bet on virtual greyhounds, camels and supercars. It is a neat alternative to real horse racing and you can find these games at all hours of the day.
But the big knock on Bovada in the horse racing department is that it does not offer a daily rebate like the other sites on our list. Instead, you will have to take advantage of the loyalty program, where the more you bet, the more points you accumulate. Those points never expire, your level in the program never decreases and you can redeem those points for perks like bonus bets and poker tournament entries. Plus, there are some excellent promo codes at Bovada that customers can take advantage of. Bovada is our top choice for online poker fans too.
3. Highest Racebook Rebate: BetOnline
Key Features
- Try your first racebook bet risk-free
- Largest daily rebate (9%) on exotics
BetOnline has decades of experience in providing an all-around great product for bettors. The welcome bonus is a generous deposit match and those new to the racebook can get their first horse racing bet risk-free for $25, along with using various other BetOnline promo codes. You also can enjoy a daily rebate of up to 9% on exotic wagers and 4% on win/place/show bets, making it the largest daily rebate on our list. There is no limit on how much you can make on the rebates but these rebates are not eligible for fixed odds bets or propositional bets.
But if you want to do fixed odds betting on the biggest races in the sport like the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, then BetOnline is a great place to do that with their high limits and fast payouts. They also have reasonable limits on lesser races from tracks all around the world.
The racebook is well designed with additional information on the trainer, the jockey and the jockey’s weight. The site makes it clear what the limits are on each race and you can easily choose from win/place/show bets to the exotic options. You can also expect to choose from a good mixture of payment methods at BetOnline.
4. Dozens of Global Tracks: BetAnySports
Key Features
- Get up to 6% daily rebates on racebook
- Bet on dozens of tracks from around the world
Our last racebook in the top five is BetAnySports. It is a cashback racebook that offers a 6% daily rebate program on your betting volume of exotic wagers and 3% for win/place/show bets. There are restrictions on what counts for a rebate, as bets like prop bets, fixed odds bets, harness races and races run on Tracks D & E are not eligible for rebates.
On the biggest events like the Triple Crown races and Breeders’ Cup, you can win up to $100,000. But the limits on smaller races are also reasonable, with up to $30,000 on Major Tracks A and $15,000 on Major Tracks B. The site does a great job of detailing which tracks fall into each category as you will find tracks from all over the world to bet on.
Beyond the horse racing, you can bet on many sports from around the world with one of our favorite sportsbooks. They also have great casino variety and a whole section dedicated to lottery numbers that no other option has.
5. All Fixed Odds Horse Race Betting: BookMaker
Key Features
- Get 8% daily rebates on exotic bets
- Choose from more than 50 racetracks
Bookmaker.eu is our top-rated online gambling site, and that comes from having a top-notch sportsbook known for its early lines. But it also has a high-quality racebook that only offers fixed odds betting (no pari-mutuel betting). You will be locked into the odds you bet on for your horse and you will know exactly how much you stand to win at BookMaker.
They also offer 8% daily rebates on exotic bets and 3% on win/place/show bets. The mobile site is well-designed, and the racebook makes it easy to jump from race to race and choose from the betting types you want to use.
BookMaker offers over 50 tracks and many from around the world in addition to the more popular markets like the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. You can also join the loyalty reward program to earn great reload bonuses in addition to the other generous bonuses that are available. Additionally, winning players and sharp bettors do not get limited at BookMaker.
Our Racebook Rating Methodology
We will get into our rating methodology later, but whether you are using an online horse betting site or dealing with sports betting operators, we expect to see certain features done at a high level to provide users with a quality gambling experience. Some of the metrics we look for are competitive odds, a variety of betting markets, varied payment methods, generous bonuses, good customer service, quality mobile site design and good security features.
New Hampshire’s History of Gambling Laws
New Hampshire has gone through a long history with horse racing. Rockingham Park built its racetrack in Salem back in 1906, but it was not until 1933 that pari-mutuel horse betting was legalized in the state. By 1971, greyhound racing was also approved for live events.
A decade later, New Hampshire formed the Pari-Mutuel Commission to combine the offices in charge of regulating horse and greyhound racing in the state. It was not until 2008 that this agency changed its name to the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.
This took place in 1991 and 1992, when simulcast wagering for horse and greyhound racing was legalized at off-track betting locations, adding to the gaming revenue in the state.
Because popularity had waned, live races stopped in New Hampshire in 2009 after the state removed funding for the racing commission. Rockingham Park closed for good in 2016 before getting demolished the next summer.
In 2018, Hinsdale’s off-track betting parlor was closed for good, leaving The Brook in Seabrook as the last of the retail locations for horse racing in the state. But things were changing around the country at this time as PASPA was overturned in 2018, leading to legal sports betting in many states. New Hampshire passed sports betting in 2019, but no retail sportsbooks other than DraftKings are operating in the state as of 2024.
Timeline of Gambling in New Hampshire
The following timeline shows the history of horse racing and related matters in the state of New Hampshire:
- 2023: DraftKings hopes to soon launch DK Horse in more states, including New Hampshire, as a standalone online horse betting product.
- 2019: Sports betting is legalized in New Hampshire, bringing retail sportsbooks to in-person gambling establishments.
- 2018: The off-track betting site in Hinsdale closes, leaving The Brook as the last retail racebook in the state.
- 2016: Rockingham Park closes its doors for good and is demolished the following summer.
- 2009: Rockingham Park hosts its last live races after the state removed all funding for the regulation of live races done by the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.
- 2008: The Pari-Mutuel Commission changes its name to the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission.
- 1991: Simulcast betting is first introduced in the state for horse races, and in 1992, it was included for greyhound racing.
- 1982: The Pari-Mutuel Commission was formed to combine the overseeing of horse and greyhound racing and betting.
- 1971: Greyhound racing is approved and legalized in the state.
- 1933: Placing pari-mutuel wagers on horse racing becomes legal in New Hampshire; a commission is formed to oversee all activities relating to it.
- 1906: Rockingham Park Race Track is built in Salem.
Important Features of the Best Online Racebooks
In the following sections, we are looking at the important features that characterize the best online horse betting sites for users in New Hampshire.
Gambling Odds
With horse racing, we expect fairly competitive odds across the different racebooks. But you may find better values at certain sites on longshots. It can also be advantageous to bet as early as possible to get the best price on a certain horse.
Betting Markets
For all forms of gambling, we expect a wide variety of betting markets, making sure we do not have to visit other sites for our needs. In the racebook, we expect to see the biggest races like the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup, but we also want to see races in other countries and smaller American tracks. You should always find win/place/show bets and more exotic wagering options.
Banking Methods
Any quality racebook is going to have a variety of options for deposits and withdrawals. You should have traditional methods (credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, etc.) and modern methods such as eWallets and crypto options (Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, etc.). We also take note of the associated fees, limits and processing time for these different forms of payment.
Promotions & Bonuses
These online gambling sites do a great job of drawing customers in with a big welcome bonus, which is usually a one-time match of your initial deposit paid out in bonus bets. But the best promotions may be the ongoing ones for loyal users, including risk-free bets, bonus bets, reload bonuses (which work very similar to a deposit match) and good programs for referring friends and earning loyalty points. For the racebook, the best sites usually offer a daily rebate for your betting volume. You could get 8-to-9% back on exotic wagers.
Live Betting
It is hard to offer live betting for a horse race since it is over so quickly. But the sportsbook certainly must have a good live betting market to be viable in competing with other sportsbooks these days.
For horse racing, fans in New Hampshire should be able to live stream races at sites like TVG and TwinSpires. The same can be said of the upcoming DK Horse racebook from DraftKings, which should be available soon in New Hampshire. The offshore racebooks lack live streaming of races, but that could change in the near future as mobile devices are taking over betting.
User Experience
When it comes to online betting with an offshore racebook, we are looking for an experience that is fun and pain-free. We should be able to quickly choose the horses and races we want to bet on and stake our bet slips. It helps to include extra information on the race like the jockey and trainer. We also always enjoy offshore sites that offer a daily rebate on the racebook.
Mobile Site Functionality
Mobile wagering is so important to the betting experience now. Whether you are using downloadable mobile apps or visiting mobile horse racing sites, you want a site design that works well and is simple to navigate. So many of our bets are placed from our mobile devices, so the mobile betting must be on point with a site that can handle lots of traffic during big events like the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. We should be able to switch quickly from mobile sports wagering to playing in the casino or checking in on a horse race.
Customer Support
Sometimes we just need help with our account. This is where customer service comes in handy to answer our questions in a timely fashion with useful solutions. The best racebooks for customer service should offer this service 24/7 and with the most contact methods possible, including a phone number to call, an email address, a form on the site to send a message and a live chat feature.
Safety & Security
When we try to win real money online with these gambling sites, we must be willing to share our personal, identifying information. We may also connect our bank accounts or eWallets with these sites. For this reason, the site must use strong security to keep our sensitive data safe and encrypted. This is why we only choose the most reputable sites that have a long track record in the online gambling industry.
Popular Horse Racing Breeds
There are different breeds of horses that are better served for a certain type of race, including harness racing and flat races. In the following sections, we look at four common breeds of horses and the races you can see them in.
Thoroughbred Horses
Thoroughbreds are the most well-known breed of horses in racing. The most popular events in thoroughbred racing are the Triple Crown races: Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. These Thoroughbred races bring the most viewers (and bettors) to horse racing tracks each year, as the speed and excitement are as good as it gets in the sport.
Standardbred Horses
The Standardbred is an American breed of horse that is primarily used in harness racing where the horses compete at a trot or pace. The 1980 running of the Meadowlands Pace was the first horse race for Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds with a $1 million purse. There is also a Triple Crown circuit in harness racing, including the races called Hambletonian, Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity.
Arabian Horses
Arabian horses are one of the oldest breeds, originating on the Arabian Peninsula. These horses are best used in endurance races. They have competed in many Olympic events over the years as well as events like the Kentucky Three-Day Event.
Quarter Horses
Also known as the American Quarter Horse, this is the most popular breed of horse in America. They excel at sprinting short distances. There is a Triple Crown for Quarter Horse racing, which includes the Kansas Futurity, Rainbow Futurity and All-American Futurity. In addition to races, the Quarter Horse is used in rodeo shows as well.
Horse Racing Betting Odds in New Hampshire
In horse racing, you either have fixed odds betting or pari-mutuel wagering. In the next two sections, we explain the difference between the two popular systems.
Fixed-Odds Betting
If you have done sports betting before, then you have experienced fixed odds betting. This is when the bettor is going up against the odds set by the bookmaker. The odds you bet on are locked in at the time of your bet and that number will not change for you no matter what happens between now and the event. The odds are fixed, meaning you always know exactly how much you stand to win based on the size of your stake.
Pari-Mutuel Betting
In horse racing, the pari-mutuel system is preferred since it does lend itself well to events where the ranked order matters. With pari-mutuel wagering, all the bettors are competing with each other rather than the bookmaker. All the money from the bets is placed in a pool, which is why this is also called pool betting, and the house then takes a cut, which is known as the vig. Winners are then paid from the remaining pot.
Unlike fixed odds betting, you will not know for sure how much you stand to win when you place your bet. It will depend on the size of the pool and the spread of bets. If everyone bets on a favorite and you pick a longshot who wins, you stand to win more this way than you would have with fixed odds betting.
Calculating Horse Race Betting Odds in NH
To give you a good idea of how the odds work in horse race betting, we have included the following chart for a selection of common odds and what the $2 wager payout would be if you won. We also have included the implied probability of these odds winning.
| Horse Racing Odds | $2 Wager Payout | 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% |
This is always going to be an inverse relationship. As the odds get larger, the potential winnings also increase, but the odds of this happening sharply decrease.
Horse Racing Bet Types in New Hampshire
Horse race betting sites will offer you traditional win/place/show bets, but you will also be treated to exotic wagers, including those that involve betting on the outcome of consecutive races. In this section, we explain what the common horse race betting types involve for you to win the bet.
- Win: You must pick the horse that wins the race.
- Place: Pick the horse that finishes first or second to win the bet.
- Show: Pick the horse that finishes first, second or third to win the bet.
- Exacta: Pick the horses that finish first and second in the exact sequence to win the bet.
- Trifecta: Pick the top three finishing horses in a race in the exact sequence to win the bet.
- Superfecta: Pick the top four finishing horses in a race in the exact sequence to win the bet.
- Daily Double: Pick the winner of two consecutive races to win this bet.
- Pick 3/4/5/6: Similar to the Daily Double, you must pick the winning horse in three, four, five or six consecutive races to win the bet.
Horse Racing Betting Terms
In horse racing, there is a lot of jargon used to describe the types of bets made and other features of the sport. To help you get ready for race day, we have included an explanation of some of those important terms.
- Ante-Post: A value bet some make well before the final race list is completed. These bets are made with the assumption that the best price on the horse is the one you can get now.
- Drifter: When a horse fails to attract much betting action, its odds get worse and drift, making the horse a real longshot to win.
- Dead Heat: This is when multiple horses tie by crossing the finish line at the same time.
- Dutch: A betting technique where you back multiple outcomes in the same event or race. This is to increase your chances of betting on a winner, even if the bets are usually at odds with one another and both cannot win.
- Exotic Bet: The name given to any horse racing wager that is more than just a win/place/show wager. Exotic can refer to Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Daily Double, etc.
- Favorite: The horse that has the best odds and the highest chance of winning the race.
- Furlong: This is the unit of distance on a horse track; one furlong equals one-eighth of a mile.
- Longshot: A horse that has long odds and is unlikely to win the race.
- Morning Line: The final odds predicted by the track’s expert handicapper prior to the start of the race.
- Odds: The probability of an event happening with respect to how much money is gambled on each outcome. The odds will determine how much money you can win on your bet.
- Pari-Mutuel: A betting system where players compete against each other by placing all their money in a pool, the house takes their cut and the winners share the remaining pot.
- Stake: The amount of money you are placing on a bet.
Creating an Online Racebook Account in NH
You can start doing online wagering in minutes by joining online horse betting sites. We walk you through the four-step process in the following sections.
Step 1. Signing-Up
Find the site you wish to join and begin creating your account like you have done many times before at other sites. You should come up with a new password that you will not share with anyone or use on another site.
Step 2. Verifying Your Details
Verification of your account is only complete after you share some more personal info, including your name, address, email and phone number. Expect the site to send you a confirmation link via email or a code via text that you will have to use to verify your account.
Step 3. Funding Your Account
Now you must fund your account with real money. But before you do that, you should read the full terms and conditions of the welcome bonus on the site, as that is a one-time offer based on the size of your initial deposit. Once you know how much you want to deposit, head to the cashier and make that deposit from a diverse list of payment methods.
Step 4. Placing Your Horse Wagers
Your account is verified and funded, so you are ready to start betting on the next horse race available in the racebook. Visit the racebook and find the horses you want to bet on. Remember to bet responsibly and enjoy yourself.
