New Mexico online horse betting 2024

New Mexico online horse racing betting stems from a long tradition started in 1947, when parimutuel betting on horse races was legalized in the state. Today in New Mexico, online horse racing betting is the only legalized form of online real money gambling. Horse racing betting has been a very popular entertainment in the Land of Enchantment.

New Mexico Online Horse Betting Sites

New Mexico Online Horse Racing Betting

Although online sports betting and online casinos are not yet legal in NM, horse race betting is.

When it comes to NM online horse racing betting, your options are limited to two operators: TVG and Xpressbet. Although New Mexico has a proud and relatively long history of horse racing, the local law prohibits its residents from wagering online on the tracks within the state.

TVG is one of the main US operators for online horse racing bets. Xpressbet, although not as big, is also a decent option for betting. Here is a basic comparison between the two operators for New Mexico online horse racing betting.

Brand	TVG	Xpressbet
Welcome bonus	100% match on your first bet up to $100	Three sing-up bonus options: $500, $100 and $20
Other promos	Wager rewards  $25 for friend referral	Race specific bonuses $50 for friend referral
Restrictions in New Mexico	Residents not allowed to bet on tracks in the state	Residents not allowed to bet on tracks in the state
Mobile app iOS	Yes	Yes
Mobile app Android	No, but you can use a browser from your mobile device	Yes

TVG

TVG boast about its wide betting offer, as more than 150 race tracks are included in their horse betting services. There is no doubt they are the biggest actor in the US horse betting online industry.

Registration is easy. However, you will need to provide four last digits of your social security number so that your age and identity can be verified. TVG is also using geolocation services, as different laws on horse racing apply in different states.

For the new players, TVG has a welcome bonus – doubling your first bet up to $100. Although not very impressive, this is just one among many many promotions you will find at TVG website. Many of them are specific to a concrete race track. Currently, this includes promos for races at Woodbine Mohawk Park, Canterbury Park, and Deauville.

A mobile app is available for iOS devices users. For Android mobile devices, you will have to go through a browser. It’s also worth mentioning that TVG has its own channel dedicated to horse racing. The mobile app offers live streaming, alerts that will help you not miss any major races, and instant cash deposit option. It’s slick, easy to navigate and well-liked by the users.

TVG website has a well-developed support section, addressing dozens of potential issues users might face. If you don’t find your answer there, you can try email, phone call or live chat, the last one so far only available at the desktop version, during day hours.

Xpressbet

The main advantage Xpressbet holds over TVG is the Android mobile app, available for downloading at Xpressbet website. You need Android 8.0 or higher operating system. Xpressbet has also iOS mobile app at the Apple Store.

Xpressbet offer includes 300 tracks, live streaming, live odds updates, and many other features. It’s also a solid choice for New Mexico horse betting fans.

The customer service is good. Live chat is available at all times, and whatever your question is, you will get someone to help you in seconds.

New Mexico horse racing

Betting on New Mexico horse racing was legalized in the 1940s, and until Texas followed in the footsteps in the 1980s, NM had no competition in the region. Currently, there are five New Mexico race tracks. The local laws specify that up to six such facilities could exist. But just recently, on 1 August 2019, the New Mexico Racing Commission refused to issue the license for a sixth racetrack and casino. The existing five racing places opposed the idea of another track in the state, fearing loss of their income. Let’s have a look at the five New Mexico race tracks.

Ruidoso Downs Race Track & Casino

Ruidoso Down Race Track & Casino is the oldest New Mexico race tracks, with first races taking place back in the 1930s in the flooded cornfields of the Ruidoso Downs’ village. Also the first bets, supposedly, were no joke: sometimes a bag of oats, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars.

This racetrack offers both betting on live racing and simulcast wagering. The big event here is All American Futurity race. The horses that take part in it are two-year-old and of American Quarter Horse breed. This breed earned its name by being extremely fast in the first quarter mile. The race always takes place on Labor Day.

This is also connected to another special feature of the Ruidoso Downs. This racino has two types of tracks. One is a straight track, specially designated for the Quarter Horses races and the other one – oval, for thoroughbred horses.

Downs Racetrack & Casino in Albuquerque

The Downs Racetrack is located in the city of Albuquerque. Here too you can enjoy simulcast wagering, which allows you to place bets on the races taking place at other racetracks. Live races take place between end of June and end of September, three nights a week and on Sundays during the day.

Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino

Founded back in 1959, close to the Texas border, Sunland Park started off just as a racetrack. The important event here is the Sunland Derby, held each year in March. It’s a race for three-year-old thoroughbreds.

Sunray Park & Casino

Live racing at Sunray Park & Casino is over for 2019, and it shall return in Spring 2020. However, simulcast wagering with races aired at more than 40 screens, is a year-long feature. This racino has a very unique location. If you come to bet here, make sure you visit the four corners monument, a place where borders of four states meet at a straight angle.

Zia Park

This racino is located in Hobbs, and its facilities include a hotel. Just like other New Mexico race tracks, this one too offers live and simulcast wagering, for the quarter and thoroughbred horse races. The live racing takes places between September and December.

Conclusion

The New Mexico online horse betting limitations might seem a bit paradoxical. A state with such a rich history of horse racing forbids its residents from online betting on the tracks within the state. On the other hand, it makes perfect sense. Once you are in the Land of Enchantment, it would be a crime not to enjoy New Mexico horse racing at one of its five tracks. Restriction on betting online on New Mexico horse racing, forces you to go old school, and experience placing a bet at a mutuel window and watching the race among other horse racing fans. And also, the rule ensures local race tracks don’t lose their income.

However, if the New Mexico horse racing offer is not enough, you can always go online. For the NM online horse racing betting, you can choose between two decent providers – TVG and Xpressbet. Both have an attractive welcome offer, live streams, mobile app options and hundreds of races to bet on.