Alabama law still allows residents to bet on horses and dog racing at off-track wagering facilities in Mobile, Macon, Jefferson, and Greene counties or via online advance-deposit wagering (ADW) services – or at least some operators think it does.
Only two of the big four horse racing betting sites – TwinSpires.com and NYRABets.com – currently provide service for Alabama residents, along with some smaller online operators and betting apps like AmWager.com, 1st.com, and 123Bet.com.
You must be 21 to place online horse bets in Alabama.
Alabama Horse Race Betting Sites & Offers
| Racebooks | Welcome Offer for Alabama | Other Promos |
| AmWager | $300 deposit match | Daily cash rewards |
| TwinSpires | $200 sign-up offer | Exacta insurance offer |
| Nyra Bets | $200 deposit match, promo code TOGA200 | Odds boosters, daily offers |
| 123bet | $1230 new member bonus | Refer-a-Friend bonus: get $50 |
| 1/ST BET | $100 sign-up bonus | Rewards points every Tuesday and other weekly offers |
How to claim a horse racing bet promo in Alabama?
Horse racing betting features for Alabama
- Nyra Bets Alabama Features:
- Free live video streaming (HD live and replay) on Thoroughbred, Harness and Quarter horse racing and race replays nationwide
- Free handicapping tips
- Swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers
- Weekly live money handicapping contests with cash prizes
- TwinSpires Alabama Features:
- Live races and highlights of previous races, both on the website and the app
- Bet Back offers (receive a refund for your bet if the horse you bet on to win the race finishes in second or third)
- Daily Double bets
- AmWager Alabama Features:
- No minimum play requirements
- Cash back rewards on most wagers
- Fair Value Exacta Grid (allows you to quickly see exacta bets that have been over bet or under bet based on the win pool)
Horse bet types available online
In Alabama you can place different types on horse wagers. the most popular online bets are:
- Win (the horse you bet on must come first)
- Place (the horse must finish first or second)
- Show (the horse must come either first, second or third)
- Exacta (you bet on horses to come first and second in that order)
- Quinella (the same as exacta, but horses can finish in any order for you to win the bet)
- Trifecta (three horses should finish first, second and third in that order)
- Superfecta (the same as trifecta but here you bet on four horses)
- Grand Slam – Pick a horse to finish in the top three in three straight races, capped by the winner of the fourth race in the sequence.
Banking
- Credit and Debit Cards
- Bitcoin: AmWager via BitPay.
- ACH / eCheck
- Green Dot
- PayNearMe
- Check or Money Order
- Paypal
Alabama Horse Betting Overview
Alabama is an unusual state when it comes to betting on horses and other forms of gambling.
On its surface, the Cotton State isn’t exactly wager-friendly.
It has no commercial casinos and just three tribal casinos operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.
It’s also one of just a few states without a lottery and has yet to authorize sports betting, though backers have made multiple attempts to get it approved.
But even though Alabama has no horse racing tracks, it allows legal parimutuel wagering at what used to be horse and dog racetracks and at least tolerates online betting on both sports.
The state used to have a horse racing track, the Birmingham Race Course, but it closed in 1995.
The Alabama Stakes, a prestigious Grade 1 race at 1 ¼ miles for 3-year-old fillies, is run each year at Saratoga Race Course in New York. The race was named after the state before its inaugural running in 1872 because the thoroughbred owner and breeder William Cottrell of Mobile was too modest to have a race named after him. So he requested it instead be named after his home state, according to a New York Racing Association history of the race.
Popular horse racing events to bet on in Alabama
- The Alabama Stakes
- The Kentucky Derby
- Preakness Stakes
- Belmont Stakes
- Dubai World Cup
- Melbourne Cup
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
- Grand National
Horse Race Tracks in Alabama
- Birmingham Race Course (closed)
- Mobile Greyhound Park (simulcast racing)
- Pensacola Greyhound Track (simulcast racing)
FAQs
Yes, it is legal to bet on horse racing online and via mobile apps in Alabama.
TwinSpires.com, Amwager, and NYRABets.com.
No, it does not operate in the state.
No, BetMGM is not available in the state of Alabama.