It’s a busy time in horse racing as the Preakness and Kentucky Derby happened just a few weeks ago, and now it’s time for the Belmont Stakes. The Belmont Stakes is a famous horse race that occurs in Elmont, New York, and is one of the Triple Crown races. The race is expected to draw a large crowd, but can those attending the race bet on it? Here’s all you need to know about betting and the history of the Belmont Stakes.

How and where can I bet on the Belmont Stakes?

Is betting on horse racing legal in New York?

Yes, betting on horse racing is legal in New York. In fact, betting on horse racing has been happening far longer than sports betting in the Empire State. Pari-mutuel betting on horse races was legalized in New York in 1939, which means gambling on horse races in the state has been happening for decades. In total, there are four thoroughbred and seven standardbred tracks in the state, plus 170 OTB parlors (NY Sports Day).

Once the federal ban on sports betting was overturned in 2018, it provided New York with the opportunity to allow online horse betting as well.

Is sports betting legal in New York?

Yes, both in-person and mobile sports betting are legal in New York. Retail sports betting was launched on July 16, 2019, at the Rivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino in Schenectady, New York (Sports Betting Dime). Online sports betting was expected to follow shortly, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the legislation.

Senator Joseph Addabbo continued to push for mobile sports betting, and finally, in 2021, legislators passed a bill that paved the way for legal online sports betting. A few months later, on January 8, 2022, online sports betting was launched in the Empire State (Sports Betting Dime).

Location Rules

There are more states in the country that have legalized gambling on horse racing than sports betting. Since horse racing is slightly different from sports betting, states have different rules between the two. There are over 40 states that have legalized betting on horse racing compared to the 30 states that have legalized online sports betting. 

The states that have legalized gambling on horse racing are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas (in-person only), Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Age Rules

Rules on sports betting and horse racing vary by state. The majority of states that have legalized sports betting require a person to be 21 years old to bet, but there are a few states that have a minimum age of just 18 years old to gamble.

For horse racing, it’s generally the opposite. Horse racing tracks and some online sportsbooks in certain states only require a person to be 18 years old. With that said, there are a handful of states that require a person to be at least 21 years old to bet on horse racing, like Arizona, Iowa, Nevada, and Texas (Forbes).

Do FanDuel and DraftKings offer betting on the Belmont?

Both FanDuel and DraftKings will offer odds for the Belmont Stakes. FanDuel has launched FanDuel Racing, their horse racing betting platform. DraftKings has a platform called DK Horse. Each sportsbook will offer several markets for the Belmont Stakes, including betting on the outright winner and exotic bets.

Is betting on horse racing the same as sports betting?

Although similar, betting on horse racing and sports betting are not the same thing. They both fall under the umbrella of gambling, but there is an important difference between the two. The difference was created by the United States government back in 2006 when illegal gambling was on the rise across the country.

To stop the spread, Congress passed the Anti-Gambling Act, which made sports betting illegal. The bill listed all of the sports that were not allowed to be gambled on, and horse betting was not present (Past The Wire). By not including horse racing in the act, it demonstrated that the United States government viewed horse racing as different from sports betting.That difference continues today as 40 states have legalized betting on horse racing, but only 38 states have legalized sports gambling.

History of betting on the Belmont

The Belmont Stakes has been happening every year for over a century. It’s the longest and oldest of the Triple Crown races and is often referred to as the hardest Triple Crown race to win. The race is nicknamed “Test of the Champion” due to its difficult nature (Twin Spires). Gambling on the Belmont Stakes has been going on for decades, and the first instance of pari-mutuel betting on the race happened in 1940.

Since 1940, only 11 odds-on favorites have been victorious at the Belmont Stakes (Twin Spires). For this year’s race,Sierra Leone is the favorite at 7/4 odds. Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan is not far behind at 5/1 odds.

Pari-mutuel versus fixed-odds betting in horse racing

If you’re planning on betting on the Belmont Stakes, you should know the two types of wagering: pari-mutuel and fixed odds. At sportsbooks like FanDuel Racing or DK Horse, you will see only fixed-odds wagering. Simply put, fixed-odds wagering means that your odds will not change from the time you place the bet to the start of the race. If you bet on Mystik Dan at 5/1 odds, you’re locked in at that price no matter the odds movement leading up to the race.

Pari-mutuel has been the most common type of wagering for horse racing in its long history. The main difference is that your odds can change from the time you place the bet to the start of the race. The reason for this is that the odds for each horse cannot be calculated until all the bets have been placed. Once the race is over, the money bet on that horse is divided up among the winners, after a small “hold” is taken from the racetrack.

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Sources:

Betting on Horse Racing in New York 2024

The Full Timeline Leading Up to Online New York Sports Betting

How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble? – Forbes Betting

Horse Racing Betting: Is it Legal in America? - Past The Wire

Belmont Stakes History | TwinSpires