Indiana Horse Racing Betting
Indiana offers legal and regulated online horse racing betting through advance deposit wagering platforms (ADWs) that provide residents with access to pari-mutuel pools worldwide.
The state has a long history of horse racing, with two major racetracks hosting live events and supporting the industry through various breeding development programs.
Today, Indiana race tracks handle more than $40 million of in-state wagers and export nearly $400 million via simulcasting to make this a competitive state on the national scene.
Legal Indiana Horse Racing Betting Apps
Indiana licenses secondary parimutuel organizations (SPMOs) to operate ADW platforms, ensuring they meet financial, operational, and security standards.
USGambling’s Recommended Indiana ADWs include:
- TwinSpires: Offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, with live streaming, handicapping tools, and access to major US/international races.
- AmWager: Focuses on value-added features like cash-back rewards and international racing options, available on mobile and desktop.
- FanDuel Racing: Provides comprehensive coverage of Thoroughbred, harness, and Quarter Horse races, including video replays and expert analysis. Features a user-friendly app with deposit options via credit card, ACH, or PayPal.
To sign up, users verify identity, age, and residency. Licensed Indiana horse racing betting sites use geolocation technology to restrict access outside Indiana borders.
Unlicensed offshore betting sites are prohibited, and residents should avoid them to ensure legal protections and fair play.
Indiana Online Horse Racing Betting Overview
Online horse racing betting in Indiana operates under a regulated framework established by state law, allowing residents to place parimutuel wagers via licensed ADW platforms. These sites enable users to deposit funds in advance, place bets on races, and receive payouts directly into their accounts. Indiana’s system prioritizes consumer protection, industry integrity, and revenue generation to support horse racing development.
Key aspects include:
- Legal Status: Regulated and legal for Indiana residents aged 21 and older.
- Permitted Wagering Types: Parimutuel betting on win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, and multi-race pools like pick-3, pick-4, and daily doubles.
- Availability: Year-round access to simulcast races from US tracks and select international events, plus live Indiana races.
- Taxes and Fees: Winnings over $600 may be subject to federal withholding; state taxes apply to gambling income, but Indiana does not impose a specific state withholding on horse racing winnings under $1,200.
- Economic Impact: ADW revenue supports breed development funds for Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse racing, contributing to purses, breeding incentives, and racetrack operations.
Additionally, licensed ADW operators must contract with Indiana’s racetracks, pay licensing fees, and comply with strict reporting and auditing requirements to maintain transparency and fairness.
Indiana Horse Racing Betting Bonuses
Licensed ADW operators in Indiana may offer bonuses and promotions to attract and retain users, subject to approval by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission.
These incentives must comply with general consumer protection laws and cannot mislead users or encourage irresponsible gambling.
Common horse racing bonus formats include:
- Sign-Up Bonuses: Matching deposits up to a set amount (e.g., 100% match up to $150), often requiring a minimum wager volume within 30 days to unlock.
- No-Sweat First Bets: Refunds on losing initial wagers, up to $500, credited as site credit.
- Cash-Back Rewards: Percentage rebates on net losses or total handle, typically 2-10%, paid weekly or monthly.
- Referral Bonuses: Credits for referring new users, such as $50 per successful referral.
Indiana Code 4-31-7.5 allows SPMOs to establish terms and agreements for ADW, including promotions, as outlined in their approved plan of operation.
The Commission reviews these plans annually to ensure fairness and prevent predatory practices (71 IAC 9-2.2-3).
Bonuses cannot target minors or violate advertising rules, which require truthful marketing. As USGambling always recommends, bettors should review any applicable terms, including wagering requirements and expiration dates, to avoid forfeiture.
Indiana Online Horse Racing Betting Law
Indiana’s horse racing laws are relatively lenient with trackside betting, OTBs, and online racing betting all legal and regulated.
Parimutuel horse racing law is covered by Chapter 4, Article 31 of the state code, which establishes the legal framework in which the industry operates.
The Indiana Horse Racing Commission (HRC) oversees the industry, and its duties include licensing, ensuring the sector is run according to the law, and adopting additional regulations as needed.
Online horse racing betting is regulated completely independently of sports betting. In fact, online racing betting was legalized well before sports wagering in a bid to support the state’s horse racing industry.
Indiana’s first attempt to legalize advance deposit wagering was vetoed by then-governor Mike Pence in 2015, but legislation approved later paved the way for licensed betting sites to set up shop in Indiana. TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, and AmWager are the largest racing betting sites now active in Indiana.
To clear up any confusion, be aware that certain Google searches can bring up an outdated FAQ from the Gaming Control Division that claims online racing betting is illegal. This is no longer the case. More recent legislation approved by the General Assembly makes it clear that advance deposit wagering is legal.
Indiana Code § 4-31-7.5-9 lays it out in plain terms:
“Advance deposit wagering is permitted in Indiana, subject to this chapter and to rules adopted by the commission.”
Indiana regulations also outline the rules that govern licensed horse racing betting apps. Some of the key provisions governing Indiana racing betting sites include:
- Licensing: Horse racing betting platforms must apply for annual licenses, pay a $5,000 fee, and demonstrate financial stability and compliance with state laws.
- Contracts: Operators must have written agreements with Indiana’s racetracks for signal transmission and revenue sharing.
- Age Verification: ADWs must verify the age of every customer and only accept wagers from customers who are 21 or older
- Residency Requirement: Only Indiana residents may open accounts and wager; non-residents are prohibited.
- Revenue Allocation: A portion of the handle funds breed development, purses, and Commission operations.
Additional rules include:
- Account Management: Funds must be held in segregated accounts; inactive accounts escheat to the state after dormancy (71 IAC 9-2.2-7).
- Wagering Limits: Minimum bet is $1 for most pools; no credit wagering allowed (71 IAC 9-1-13).
- Consumer Protections: Operators provide self-exclusion tools, deposit limits, and access to responsible gambling resources (71 IAC 9-2.2-5).
- Auditing and Reporting: Monthly reports on handle, payouts, and taxes; audits ensure no commingling of funds.
- Prohibited Conduct: No insider betting, manipulation, or acceptance of wagers from excluded individuals (71 IAC 9-2.2-4).
Violations can result in license suspension or fines up to $10,000 per incident.
Licensed Indiana Horse Race Tracks
Two permanent race tracks are authorized by the Indiana Horse Racing Commission to host live racing events.
Both of Indiana’s permanent race tracks are operated by Caesars Entertainment, which naturally means visitors will find much more than a simple track at each location.
Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indiana are both full-fledged casinos complete with slots, poker, table games, sports betting, and year-round racing betting via simulcast.
- Horseshoe Indianapolis (Shelbyville): Hosts Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing from April to November, with over 100 race days. Features a 1-mile dirt track and 7-furlong turf course; includes casino, sportsbook, and dining.
- Harrah’s Hoosier Park (Anderson): Specializes in Standardbred (harness) racing from March to December. Offers a 7/8-mile dirt track; amenities include slots, table games, and entertainment venues.
State and County Fairs
County fairs and the Indiana State Fair host a smaller series of races throughout the year in partnership with the Indiana Standardbred Advisory Board and the Indiana Standardbred Breed Development program.
The Indiana-Sired Fair Circuit is designed to showcase local racing talent as all entrants must be foaled in Indiana and sired by a local stallion.
Off-Track Betting in Indiana
Off-track betting facilities (OTBs) are legal in Indiana. Under state law, permanent racetrack permit holders may operate satellite facilities that meet the following requirements:
- Offer full dining service
- Provide multiple TVs for patrons to view simulcast races
- Able to comfortably seat 200+ patrons
Caesars Entertainment operates three Indiana OTBs:
- Caesars Race & Sportsbook Clarksville: Featuring both big screen TVs and personal monitor stations, this location offers a full-service bar and concession stand.
- Winner’s Circle Pub, Grille & OTB Indianapolis: Located in downtown Indianapolis, this OTB option also has a sports bar vibe with a pub and grille featuring daily specials. Winner’s Circle Indianapolis also houses a sportsbook with HD LED TVs, video wall and lounge chairs.
- Winner’s Circle New Haven: The New Haven OTB offers horse racing and sports betting seven days a week with craft beer on tap and a full food menu courtesy of VooDoo BBQ & Grill.
Indiana Horse Racing Betting Timeline
Despite Indiana’s rich history of horse racing, legal wagering did not come until the late 1980s. Prior to 1988, all forms of gambling and lotteries were prohibited under the state constitution. That changed in 1988 when residents voted in favor of a constitutional amendment authorizing the lottery.
In doing so, Hoosiers granted the legislature the authority to authorize additional forms of gambling. This resulted in the passage of a law authorizing a state lottery and parimutuel wagering in 1989. The passage of that law also established the HRC.
Simulcasting and live racing betting officially got underway in 1994 with the opening of Hoosier Park (now Harrah’s Hoosier Park).
- 1993: Pari-mutuel wagering legalized (IC 4-31).
- 1994-1995: Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs (now Horseshoe Indianapolis) open.
- 2010: ADW authorized via SB 405, allowing interstate wagering.
- 2015: Governor vetoes expansion bill, maintaining current framework.
- 2018: Caesars acquires both tracks; ADW rules updated (LSA Document #18-370).
- 2020-2023: Emergency rules during COVID; amendments to wagering pools (71 IAC 9-2.2).
Major Horse Racing Events in Indiana
The Indiana horse racing industry runs a good seven months out of the year every year with a handful of significant events that stand above all the rest in terms of prestige and prize money.
- Indiana Sired Fair Circuit Finals: Culminates in September at the Indiana State Fair, for young Standardbreds.
- Indiana Derby: The Grade III Indiana Derby has been running since 1995, first at Hoosier Park and now at Indiana Grand with a purse valued at $500,000. The 1 1/16 mile race is open to 3-year-olds and serves as a path to the Breeders’ Cup.
- Indiana Oaks: The Indiana Oaks is the fillies’ answer to the Indiana Derby as a Grade III event that offers a path to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The Indiana Oaks is also run at Indiana Grand, spanning 1 1/16 miles, with a $200,000 purse on offer.
- Breeders Crown: The $6 million Breeders Crown is the pinnacle of harness racing, and although it is a traveling event, the harness track at Harrah’s Hoosier Park does play host occasionally, including in 2017 and 2020. The last time the Breeders Crown came to Hoosier Park, it set a single-night record of $2.1 million in total wagers handled.
- Dan Patch Stakes: Every August, the Dan Patch Stakes serves as the premier race at Harrah’s Hoosier Park and the biggest event in Indiana harness racing, with $330,000 in purse money. The race itself capstones Harrah’s annual Dan Patch festival, which also features a full race card, family activities and a free concert that is open to the public.
- Caesars Stakes: Formerly known as the Centaur Stakes, the $200,000 Caesars Stakes reigns as Indiana’s richest turf race.