North Dakota is small potatoes as far as live horse racing is, but it has a big footprint when it comes to online betting on races.
That’s because the Peace Garden State is one of two states that have established themselves as major licensing hubs for providers of online betting on horse races, the other being Oregon. A license granted by those states allows operators of advance-deposit wagering (ADW) sites to take bets from residents of all states that allow parimutuel wagering on horses.
Because of North Dakota’s laws permitting parimutuel wagering, virtually every ADW provider accepts online betting from customers from the state, including the four biggest – TVG.com, TwinSpires.com, NYRABets.com, and Xpressbet.com.
These sites offer a variety of signup bonuses and rewards for play, so it pays to shop around.
You must be 21 to place online horse bets in North Dakota.
North Dakota Horse Race Betting Sites & Offers
| Racebooks | Welcome Offer for North Dakota | Other Promos |
| Nyra Bets | $200 deposit match | Odds boosters, daily offers |
| TVG | Get up to $200 back | Get a $25 Bonus for every friend you refer |
| TwinSpires | $200 sign-up offer | Free play daily & weekly options |
| Xpressbet | $100 sign-up bonus | XB Rewards loyalty program |
| 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 |
| AmWager | $300 deposit match | Daily cash rewards |
| DRF | Get a $200 bonus on the first deposit | Earn up to $50 every week |
| Hollywoodraces.com | $200 Sign Up Bonus | WINsurance Offers: refund up to $20 |
| WatchandWager.com | Bonus up to $25 | The weekly 3-2-1 Bonus, no maximum payouts on cashback |
How to claim a horse racing bet promo in North Dakota?
Horse racing betting features for North Dakota
- Nyra Bets North Dakota Features:
- Free live video streaming (HD live and replay) on Thoroughbred, Harness and Quarter horse racing
- Free handicapping tips
- Swap positions quickly for Exacta, Tri & Supers
- Weekly live money handicapping contests with cash prizes
- TVG North Dakota Features:
- TVG Expert Picks for everyday
- Free Past Performances Program
- Live streams from tracks around the US and beyond
- Money Back Special on select races
- TwinSpires North Dakota Features:
- First Race Freeplay: get $100 in Free Bets
- 15% boost on a winning Trifecta bet every Tuesday
- Exacta insurance: get a bet back of up to $10
- 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)
- Xpressbet North Dakota Features:
- Horse racing’s leading loyalty program (receive two XB Rewards Points for every dollar you wager)
- Cash prizes in regular handicapping contests
- Bet the horse races over the phone
- AmWager North Dakota Features:
- Advanced wagering structuring tools. Dutching, ABC method, Rank betting.
- Fair Value Exacta Grid (allows you to quickly see exacta bets that have been over bet or under bet based on the win pool)
- DRF North Dakota Features:
- Unlimited DRF Classic and Formulator Past Performances
- Free Beyer Speed Figures
- Free DRF expert picks
- 1st/bet North Dakota Features:
- Up-to-date news about upcoming races
- Unlimited access to the BETMIX products
- 123bet North Dakota Features:
- No fees Friday (deposit $10 or more via credit card or Paynearme)
- Loyalty Reward Points
- Handicapping products from Equibase
- Hollywood Races North Dakota Features:
- Free Expert Picks
- Loyalty program for top players (earn up to $200 in bonuses each week)
- Watch and Wager North Dakota Features:
- Horse Racing Contests Daily for free
- Refer-a-Friend Bonus.
Horse bet types available online
In North Dakota, you can place different types of 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)
- Win Place (places a win and a place bet in one bet)
- Win Show (places a win and a show bet in one bet)
- Win Place Show (aka “across the board”; combines Win, Place and Show into one bet)
- 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)
- Super High 5 (you have to choose the winner of five races in a row)
- 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)
- Parlays (combine multiple selections on the same ticket, even if the races aren’t in sequential order).
Banking
- Credit and Debit Cards
- ACH Bank Transfer / eCheck
- Wire Transfer
- Green Dot
- PayNearMe
- Check or Money Order
- MoneyGram
- PayPal
- By mail: Xpressbet & Hollywood Races
- Bitcoin: AmWager via BitPay
North Dakota Horse Betting Overview
Live racing in the state consists of two short midsummer meets featuring both thoroughbred and quarter horse races at the North Dakota Horse Park in Fargo in July and at Chippewa Downs, operated by the Turtle Mountain band of the Chippewa tribe, in the town of Belcourt in June.
Among the ADW operators licensed in North Dakota are Elite Turf Club, Lien Games Racing, and WatchAndWager.com. Unlike Oregon, the state does not release betting totals, but Elite Turf Club is probably the largest operator in the state, “with a number of high volume customers employing computer-assisted wagering programs,” according to the Paulick Report racing publication.
In addition to wagering on horse races, state law allows casino gambling run by tribes and charitable organizations, a state-run lottery, card games, and other charitable gaming like bingo.
Fun fact about horse racing in North Dakota
A 3-year-old horse from North Dakota known simply as “Larry” was among the equine stand-ins for the great Secretariat in the 2010 Disney movie of the same name. Larry, whose real name is Cyclone Larry, got the part after North Dakota Horse Park general manager Heather Benson noticed a casting call for the movie and thought that Larry fit the bill.
“They were looking for a big, bright chestnut Thoroughbred with a happy attitude and good health and Larry fit that to a T,” Benson was quoted as saying in a 2009 article in Equus magazine. “We sent in his photos and biography to their website, www.secretariat.com, and a week later Larry got the call to Hollywood!”
Popular horse racing events to bet on in North Dakota
- The North Dakota Derby
- North Dakota Futurity
- The Chippewa Downs Derby
- The Kentucky Derby
- Belmont Stakes
- Preakness Stakes
- Breeders’ Cup
- Royal Ascot
- Cheltenham Festival
- Travers Stakes
- Dubai World Cup
- Melbourne Cup
- Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
- Grand National
Horse Race Tracks in North Dakota
- North Dakota Horse Park
- Chippewa Downs
- Millarville Races
FAQs
Yes, you can. Horse racing betting is legal for North Dakota customers 18 or older. You must be 21 to bet on horses at any of the state’s land-based casinos.
Yes, North Dakota allows horse racing betting online and through mobile apps.
The four biggest horse racing betting sites operate in North Dakota, including TwinSpires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com, and NyraBets.com along with some smaller online operators and betting apps like DRF or AmWager.
No, the BetMGM Horse Racing App is not allowed in North Dakota. It’s available In Ohio, Florida, and Louisiana.