California off track betting gives horse racing bettors access to simulcast wagering locations across the state as well as legal online horse betting options.
Our guide covers licensed OTB locations across California, the state's active race tracks, major races and the online options available to CA bettors in 2026.
For wider betting coverage, visit our online sportsbooks page.
Best online OTB sites in California
Legal online horse racing wagers in California must be placed through a CHRB-authorized advance deposit wagering provider. The general betting-site rankings below should not be treated as the CHRB's official list of approved horse racing operators.
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California OTB locations
California currently has 27 simulcast-only facilities alongside three live race tracks, all regulated by the California Horse Racing Board.
OTB wagering is available at a variety of locations, including fairgrounds, casinos, cardrooms, sports bars and restaurants, with payment methods, admissions charges and opening hours varying by venue.
We have detailed some of the key venues below. For more information, see our guide to horse racing bets.
Sacramento OTB
Del Mar OTB
Fresno OTB
Ventura OTB
Address: 1600 Exposition Boulevard, Lot D, Sacramento, CA 95815
Information: The Cal Expo Sports and Wagering Center is Sacramento’s year-round simulcast facility, located inside the Michelob Ultra Grandstand. This is the best location for bettors in the state capital and northern Central Valley.
Phone number: 916-263-3279
Address: 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, CA 92014
Information: The Del Mar fairgrounds is a multi-use venue and site of the annual San Diego County Fair. Bettors can use the OTB facility all year round, regardless of whether the site is hosting live racing.
Phone number: 858-755-1141
Address: 1121 S. Chance Avenue, Fresno, CA 93702
Information: The Starting Gate at the Big Fresno Fair is Fresno’s main simulcast wagering facility. Located on the second floor of the grandstand, it serves bettors throughout the Central Valley.
Phone number: 559-994-310
Address: 10 W. Harbor Boulevard, Ventura, CA 93001
Information: The Derby Room at Ventura County Fairgrounds combines simulcast horse racing with food and beverage service. Its beachfront fairground location makes it a convenient wagering venue for bettors in Ventura and the surrounding coastal communities.
Phone number: 805-515-4236
California horse racing tracks
Live thoroughbred and quarter horse racing is available at three active tracks in the state of California. These are all located in the south of the state.
Below we have profiled each of the tracks. For further info visit our central off track betting resource.
Santa Anita Park
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia is California’s best-known thoroughbred venue and the state’s most frequent Breeders’ Cup host, having staged the championships a record 11 times.
Its annual program is divided between a winter–spring season, generally running from late December through June, and an autumn meet from late September into early November.
Racing takes place on a one-mile dirt track and the Camino Real Turf Course, which includes a distinctive hillside layout and turf chute.
With major fixtures including the Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Handicap and numerous Grade 1 stakes, the track anchors California’s winter and spring racing calendar.
| Location | Arcadia, California |
|---|---|
| Racing type | Thoroughbred |
| Main racing season | Late December through June |
| Autumn meet | Late September into early November |
| Main track | 1-mile dirt track |
| Turf course | Camino Real Turf Course with a hillside layout and turf chute |
| Major races | Santa Anita Derby, Santa Anita Handicap and Grade 1 stakes |
| Breeders’ Cup record | Hosted 11 times |
Del Mar
Del Mar is California's premier summer thoroughbred racing venue with the main meet running from July through early September, followed by the much shorter Bing Crosby Season in November.
The seaside track is known for hosting nationally significant races, including the Pacific Classic, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, Del Mar Oaks and Bing Crosby Stakes, as well as Breeders’ Cup events.
| Location | Del Mar, California |
|---|---|
| Racing type | Thoroughbred |
| Main meet | July through early September |
| Autumn meet | Bing Crosby Season in November |
| Major races | Pacific Classic, Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, Del Mar Oaks and Bing Crosby Stakes |
| Major event | Breeders’ Cup |
Los Alamitos
Los Alamitos Race Course is California’s primary Quarter Horse racing venue and the state's most consistently used racecourse.
Weekend night racing runs through most of the year on its one-mile dirt oval, giving the track more live racing days than any other facility in the state.
The track also stages short daytime thoroughbred meetings, including September and December programs, as well as the Los Angeles County Fair meet from late June into early July.
| Location | Los Alamitos, California |
|---|---|
| Primary racing type | Quarter Horse |
| Regular schedule | Weekend night racing through most of the year |
| Main track | 1-mile dirt oval |
| Thoroughbred racing | Short daytime meetings, including September and December programs |
| Fair meet | Los Angeles County Fair meet from late June into early July |
California Fairgrounds Racing
Currently the only fairground racing events in California for 2026 can be found at Los Alamitos. There is also a planned harness meet at Fresno Fairgrounds beginning in December, but this is pending final licensing.
This follows the Golden Gate Fields’ 2024 closure, which was the catalyst for collapse of the Northern California’s fair circuit.
Alongside Golden Gate, Pleasanton’s replacement meet has now ended, whilst Cal Expo, Santa Rosa and Fresno canceled their 2025 programs, and the CHRB rejected later applications for Fresno, Ferndale and Red Bluff.
Major California horse races
California’s headline races are staged at Santa Anita Park, Del Mar and Los Alamitos, the state’s three established Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse tracks.
These events attract national betting interest with several serving as key prep races for the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup.
The guide below details the principal events by venue.
Major Santa Anita Park Races
Santa Anita is most prominent during California’s winter and spring, staging several of the state’s most prominent thoroughbred races.
Its program ranges from a decisive Kentucky Derby qualifier to a historic event for older horses and a championship juvenile prep.
The three key races to watch out for are as follows:
Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Handicap
American Pharoah Stakes
The Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby is contested over 1⅛ miles on dirt, usually in early April, as one of the final major stops on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
It awards 100, 50, 25, 15 and 10 points to the first five finishers, normally securing a Churchill Downs berth.
It typically attracts leading West Coast three-year-olds and accomplished national challengers.
First run in 1935, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap is a 1¼-mile dirt race for older horses and one of California’s longest-established major stakes.
Its ‘Big Cap’ nickname dates to its rise as one of America’s richest handicap races, earning it the nickname ‘Hundred Grander’, due to its $100,000 purse.
Previous winners include Seabiscuit, Round Table, Affirmed, Spectacular Bid and John Henry.
The Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes is a 1¹⁄₁₆-mile dirt race for two-year-olds, normally run in late September or early October.
It is Santa Anita’s principal prep for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and a Win and You’re In event carrying an automatic, fees-paid berth.
The race also awards Road to the Kentucky Derby points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale, giving emerging juveniles two championship incentives in one start.
Major Del Mar Races
Del Mar hosts California’s premier summer thoroughbred meeting, where a concentrated Grade 1 schedule draws national runners and betting interest.
Its headline program includes a $1 million test for older horses and two leading juvenile events near the closing weekend.
The three principal summer races are detailed below.
Pacific Classic
Del Mar Futurity
Del Mar Debutante
The Grade 1 Pacific Classic is Del Mar’s signature race, carrying a $1 million purse over 1¼ miles on dirt for horses aged three and older.
It is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In event, providing the winner an automatic, fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Its purse, championship implications and position late in the summer consistently attract established older runners, leading three-year-olds and prominent stables from across the country.
The Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity is a seven-furlong dirt race for two-year-olds, normally held during the final weekend of the summer meet in early September.
It is the division’s leading local test before the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, attracting accomplished maiden winners and stakes performers.
Former winners include American Pharoah and Nyquist.
The Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante is the seven-furlong dirt counterpart to the Futurity for two-year-old fillies. Staged near the end of the summer meet, it provides an important progression toward the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
The race field typically combines leading Southern California maiden winners, proven stakes fillies and occasional national shippers.
Past winners such as Beholder and Songbird later earned championship honors, reinforcing the race’s standing within the juvenile filly division.
Major Los Alamitos Races
Los Alamitos is California’s principal Quarter Horse venue, staging a near-year-round night schedule and some of the richest short-distance races in North America.
The three races below illustrate the track’s importance across both breeds.
Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity
Los Alamitos Futurity
Champion of Champions
The Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity is a 400-yard Quarter Horse championship for two-year-olds and the centerpiece of the track’s December program.
The 2026 final is scheduled for December 13 with a $1.8 million purse, which varies with nomination and sustaining payments despite the race’s name.
Its qualifying trials and prize fund attract leading juveniles from California, the Southwest and other major Quarter Horse regions, making it one of the country’s most valuable races for the breed.
The Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity is a 1¹⁄₁₆-mile dirt race for two-year-old thoroughbreds during the track’s short December daytime meet.
It awards Road to the Kentucky Derby points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis to the first five finishers.
Previous winners including Dortmund and Journalism later contested Triple Crown races, with Journalism winning the Preakness, demonstrating the race’s ability to produce nationally competitive three-year-olds from a compact winter field.
First run in 1972, the Grade 1 Champion of Champions is Los Alamitos’ year-end test for accomplished Quarter Horses aged three and older, contested over 440 yards in December.
The 2026 race is scheduled for December 12 with a $700,000 purse.
Its field is assembled largely from winners of designated qualifying races, bringing together leading three-year-olds and older sprinters from major regional circuits.
California horse racing history
California voters legalized pari-mutuel horse wagering in 1933, when the Legislature also established the California Horse Racing Board. Permanent tracks and county-fair meets then followed, building a statewide racing circuit.
Satellite wagering began at fairgrounds in 1985 and later reached private mini-satellite venues, while simulcasting opened access to races from other jurisdictions.
Unfortunately, racing in California has since contracted. Bay Meadows closed in 2008, Golden Gate Fields in 2024, and Pleasanton’s replacement circuit ended that December.
With Northern fair racing largely gone, the established flat-racing calendar now centers on Santa Anita, Del Mar and Los Alamitos.
OTB betting tips for California bettors
Knowing where to wager is only part of the equation. And whilst no strategy guarantees a profit, we do have some tips that can help bettors improve their chances of winning.
Below we detail practical tips for California OTB bettors.
Monitor scratches and track conditions
Before placing a wager, always check scratches, surface changes and track conditions.
Likewise, a withdrawn front-runner can alter the expected pace, while rain or a switch from turf to dirt may favor different horses.
This information can be gleaned from OTB information screens and official track feeds, with updates typically provided live.
Watch the odds live
Morning-line odds are forecasts rather than guaranteed prices. Make sure you check the odds movement in the lead up to a race before placing a bet.
A horse may remain the most likely winner but become poor value at a short price as the market moves throughout the day. Probable payouts are also useful when assessing exactas and doubles.
Specialize instead of betting every race
California OTBs show races from numerous tracks, but more choice does not create better opportunities.
Concentrating on selected circuits, surfaces or race types makes form analysis more manageable.
Set a budget
Always establish a budget before placing a bet, then avoid increasing stakes solely to recover earlier losses.
Is online horse betting legal in California?
Yes. Californians aged 18 or older may place online pari-mutuel horse-racing wagers through advance deposit wagering providers licensed or approved by the California Horse Racing Board.
This authority comes from California’s horse-racing laws and is separate from fixed-odds sports betting, which the state has not authorized through conventional sportsbook apps.
ADW providers must verify customers, protect account funds and place wagers into the appropriate pari-mutuel pools.
For California off track betting online, confirm that the provider appears on the CHRB's current authorized ADW list before registering or depositing, as approvals and available racing signals can change.
