Illinois online horse betting is regulated and you can download horse betting apps in IL. Continue this article to find out about the best online horse betting in Illinois.
Our top choice for Illinois Online Horse Betting
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96 /100TVG
Get a $20 No Sweat First Bet!Age and residency restrictions apply. See terms at racing.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit site -
95 /100AmWager Racebook
100% First Deposit Match up to $150New users only. Must be of legal age in the relevant jurisdiction to open a wagering account. Full T&C Apply. Visit site -
90 /100
TwinSpires Racebook
$400 Sign Up Offer!Create your new wagering account with TwinSpires.com and earn a $200 sign up bonus! Must use promo code on registration to be eligible. Valid for one use per household. $200 bonus cash will be credited in increments of $100 for every $400 wagered. To earn the full $200 bonus players must wager $800 within 30 days of creating a TwinSpires account. Completed wagers mean that the race has run and the results are official. This sign up offer cannot be combined with any other registration bonus offer. Certain exclusions apply. Visit site
All Illinois Horse Betting Sites
Betting at Illinois OTB locations and online has been legal in Illinois for some time. What we are seeing is an expansion of Illinois’ existing racetracks into the casino and sports betting markets, which may also include online horse betting, online sports betting, and online casino and table games.
| Operator | Best Feature |
|---|---|
| TVG | Live Betting |
| BetAmerica | Great Interface |
| TwinSpires | Streaming |
Furthermore, the new bills passed through the Illinois General Assembly mean Illinois online sports betting in the Prairie State is expanding. Online casinos in IL might not be far behind either.
TVG
TVG is America’s racing forum. If you’re looking for free horse racing picks, info on your favorite jockeys and owners, and anything else that might make your betting experience a more informed one, visit TVG. And when you’re ready to start putting some money down, TVG online horse betting is open to Illinois residents.
TVG’s interface feels more like an online off-track betting location than other websites. This is great for experienced bettors but might seem a bit overwhelming to the newbie. However, don’t fret. TVG has a knowledge base that can educate even the greenest of horse racing bettors.
Like with other online horse betting sites, TVG has a Wager Rewards program that will actually net you cashback bonuses as you earn points for every dollar you spend! Don’t forget to check out their regular promotions as well as get your $100 deposit bonus when you sign up.
BetAmerica
If you’re looking for a well-designed horse betting app and a bunch of promotions, then BetAmerica is for you. Whether you’re new to racing or you’re an experienced bettor who appreciates an app that takes horse racing seriously, you’ll find a home using the BetAmerica service.
You’ll have access to bet on all the Triple Crown races in addition to smaller derbies, harness racing, and quarter horse racing.
TwinSpires
TwinSpires is Churchill Downs’ online home, and it offers online horse betting to Illinois residents. The TwinSpires app interface is gorgeously designed and easy to understand for beginner bettors. Get online with the TwinSpires app today and bet on races all across the country!
IL Horse Betting Apps
There’s no need to go down to your local Chicago OTB when you can play from the comfort of your own home or smartphone. BetAmerica, TwinSpires, and TVG all have fantastic, easy-to-use apps that you can download and play from right now!
The apps each have geolocation software embedded, so make sure you enable location settings on the app of your choice before you start to play. You must be physically in a state with legal horse racing bets and of legal gambling age, 21+, to bet.
Take a look at the promotions and Wager Rewards programs (or lack thereof) on these three operators above. That’s a good metric for deciding which app is the best for you.
BetAmerica and TwinSpires have cleaner interfaces that are designed for beginner and intermediate bettors, while TVG is a bit denser. Either way, all three of these online-only operators are known for providing solid customer service with well-functioning apps.
How To Bet On Horses in IL
Betting on this historically high-society sport is simpler than you would think. We’ll lay out a few types of common horse racing bets and what they consist of. There are a few things to note when betting on horses.
Types of Horse Racing Bets
- Win: In a win, bet, pick one horse to win. Pretty simple, but lots of beginner players lose their money on picking a winner. Try one of the other bets like a quinella, place, or show. These bets pay out less, but you have a statistically better chance of getting it right.
- Place: Pick the horse you think will come in first or second place to get a payout. This is a bit simpler to pull off, but the payout will be less than a Win bet or one of the “exotic bets”.
- Show: One of the simplest bets to correctly pull off, but also one of the lowest paying, a “Show” bet requires you to pick the three winning horses in any order.
- Exacta: You win an exacta bet when you choose the first and second place horses in the correct order. The horse racing odds multiply, leading to a high payout.
- Trifecta: A trifecta bet requires you to choose the first, second, and third-place horses in the order they come across the wire.
IL Horse Racing Tips
There’s no such thing as a “formula” for winning, and none of the free horse racing picks offered by your favorite forum are a guarantee. That being said, there are two things that beginner horse racing bettors would benefit from knowing.
Firstly, if you’re not a fan of the sport, you’re not going to have the interest that will keep you reading the forums or other free horse racing picks, and you’ll be behind. Races have been won or lost because of last-minute jockey changes and other unforeseen circumstances that you wouldn’t know about unless you were keeping up with horse racing news.
Secondly, the more specific a horse racing bet, the higher the payout. On a show bet, you’ll get a payout if your three horses win in any order, but it won’t be nearly as much compared to a successful trifecta bet.
Horse Racing Tracks in Illinois
Illinois isn’t the first place you think of when you think horse racing, but it should be. The sport is alive and well in the Prairie State. Illinois has a long history of horse racing, and is actually home to the longest-running racetrack in North America!
You can find harness racing and thoroughbred racing in Illinois, with racetracks expanding to include casino games in the near future. Get to one of your favorite Illinois OTB locations to bet on your favorite local races or jump on an Illinois online horse betting app!
Here’s a little bit about the three racetracks in Illinois.
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a thoroughbred track with a surprisingly important history as it pertains to horse racing. It was the first track to offer a million-dollar purse for a thoroughbred race and continues to be a celebrated destination for fans of the Sport of Kings to this day.
Interestingly, Arlington Park also offers mobile wagering through the FastBet service, but you are required to physically visit the track to create an account. We’re hoping to see Arlington Park roll out a more comprehensive, personalized online experience in the future. However, it is a neat feature and we’re glad to see online representation from Arlington, a sister track of Churchill Downs.
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park offers thoroughbred racing from June to September and has a celebrated history in Illinois. Since 1925, Fairmount Park has offered harness racing and thoroughbred racing. Now, it’s strictly a thoroughbred flat track, with room enough for 1 ¼ mile races.
There are plenty of OTB locations serving Fairmount Park races throughout Illinois, and you can find Fairmount races on any of your favorite Illinois online horse racing sites. Visit the historic track and then bet on the races from the comfort of your own phone!
Hawthorne
Hawthorne Race Course is famous for being the longest operating race track in America! The track has been in operation since 1891 and owned by the Carey family since 1902.
Hawthorne Race Course is also one of the first racecourses we’ve seen to have a Promotions page clearly listed on their main site. You can double your Hawthorne points by wagering at Chicago OTB locations or, now, from your phone!
ClubHawthorne.com offers mobile wagering right from your smartphone. After you sign up, get a Club Hawthorne ID for free and earn points on your mobile wagering. There’s no app support for Club Hawthorne yet, but we’re excited to see an individual racetrack come out with their own online horse betting site.
Illinois OTB Locations
Off-track betting allows you to place bets without being physically at your favorite racetrack. As it pertains to Illinois Online Horse betting, the entire industry wouldn’t exist without off-track betting.
Essentially, bills allowing for electronically placing bets are the backbone of online horse betting, and these bills are precisely what allowed OTBs to conduct business. The first OTBs were legalized in Illinois in 1987, and now there are over two dozen Illinois OTB locations all over the state.
OTB Chicago
Chicago OTB locations typically serve one track alone. We’ve chosen two top Chicago nightlife spots offering off-track betting for their ratings and varied, interesting events. While Club Corliss covers Hawthorne races, Joe’s Bar on Weed Street covers Arlington Park.
Club Corliss OTB
The OTB from Club Corliss on South Corliss is one of the best-known Chicago OTB locations. Club Corliss OTB is only 35 minutes away from Hawthorne Race Course. Place your bets on Hawthorne races until after midnight and enjoy the Players’ Pub and Grill.
Joe’s Bar on Weed Street
Joe’s Bar on Weed Street is a top-reviewed sports bar and grill. Now, players can head to Joe’s not only for their favorite snacks and brews, but also to bet on their favorite horses. This Chicago OTB is one of the best rated in the city, so go check them out if you’re interested in a fun betting experience.
Illinois Online Horse Betting – Final Thoughts
We were surprised to find out that Illinois has such a historic relationship with horse racing. It’s no surprise, however, that Illinois residents would jump at the chance to bet on their favorite horse races online. The ability of Illinois racetracks to offer all kinds of casino games and online experiences to their players is expanding. Likewise, we’re excited to see what happens to Illinois online horse betting in the near future.
Whether you want to get online with an online-only app and bet on horse races all over the world, or you’re interested in spending your money at a local racetrack’s online horse betting platform, you’ll have options in Illinois. Get online today and start betting on your favorite horses, and don’t forget to sign up with Wager Rewards programs and get your bonus cash!
Keep in mind that whenever there will be any new Sportsbooks launching we will inform you as soon as possible. Brands such as DraftKings or Pointsbet may launch Horse betting at any time. As soon as that happens we will provide you Pointsbet Sign up code for Horse Betting.
