Ohio off track betting is supported by one of the busiest racing circuits in the Midwest. Seven active tracks, three thoroughbred and four harness, provide live racing somewhere in the state nearly every week of the year.
This is our complete guide to off track betting Ohio bettors can reach. We cover the state's only standalone OTB and simulcast wagering at all seven tracks. We also rank the best online sportsbooks serving Ohio racing fans in 2026.
Best online OTB sites in Ohio
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The racebooks below are long-established international operators with solid payout records and deep racing coverage. We rate them on those grounds.
Ohio OTB locations
Ohio has exactly one standalone off track betting facility: Cedar Downs in Sandusky. Every other wagering venue in the state is a race track, giving bettors several alternatives when looking for off track betting near me.
For bettors searching for off track betting in Columbus, Ohio, there is no standalone OTB parlor in the city. But Eldorado Scioto Downs sits on the south side of Columbus and runs simulcast wagering year-round. For most Columbus bettors, that is the practical answer.
In our analysis, the Ohio off track betting sites that matter most are the tracks themselves. All seven keep their racebooks open well beyond their own live meets, and between them they cover the full calendar.
If you are hunting off track betting near me elsewhere, other states run very different networks.
Ohio race track simulcast venues
All seven Ohio tracks operate as simulcast parlors when their own meets are dark. That is the practical backbone of wagering here.
Three are thoroughbred venues covering Cleveland, Cincinnati and Youngstown. Four are harness tracks. Full profiles follow.
Ohio thoroughbred racing tracks
Ohio's three thoroughbred tracks are spread across the state, and their meets barely overlap.
Thistledown covers spring to autumn near Cleveland. Belterra runs a similar window near Cincinnati. Mahoning Valley takes the winter. For wider background, see our horse racing hub.
JACK Thistledown
JACK Thistledown is Ohio's premier thoroughbred venue and the only track in the state hosting a graded stakes race.
It sits in North Randall, a village inside the Cleveland metro, and has raced since 1931. The live meet runs roughly April through October, mixing weekdays and weekends.
The Ohio Derby is the draw. It is the state's only Grade 3 event and it pulls Triple Crown horses to Cleveland each June.
The racebook stays open year-round for simulcast, which matters through the winter when Thistledown itself is dark.
| Location | 21501 Emery Road, Cleveland, OH 44128 |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Racing Type | Thoroughbred |
| Live Meet | April through October |
| Flagship Race | Ohio Derby (G3) |
| Phone | 216-662-8600 |
Belterra Park
Belterra Park is the Cincinnati area's thoroughbred track, on the banks of the Ohio River.
It raced as River Downs from 1925 until a rebuild, reopening under the current name in 2014. The live meet runs roughly May through October, mostly Wednesday to Saturday.
Belterra offers both dirt and turf. That gives it a more varied card than either of the other Ohio thoroughbred tracks.
There is no graded stakes here, but the $75,000 stakes program is solid. The Babst/Palacios Memorial, the Cydney Gendelman Memorial and the Queen City Oaks anchor it.
Simulcast runs year-round.
| Location | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Formerly Known As | River Downs |
| Surface | Dirt and Turf |
| Racing Type | Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse |
| Live Meet | May through October |
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Mahoning Valley race course
Mahoning Valley is Ohio's winter thoroughbred track and the newest on the circuit. It opened in 2014 in Austintown, just west of Youngstown.
The meet runs from October through April, filling the exact gap the other two tracks leave. That makes it the busiest place to bet on Ohio racing between November and March.
The $300,000 Steel Valley Sprint in November is its marquee day, and the Best of Ohio program showcases Ohio-bred horses.
| Location | 655 N. Canfield Niles Road, Youngstown, OH 44515 |
| Opened | 2014 |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Racing Type | Thoroughbred |
| Live Meet | October through April |
| Flagship Race | Steel Valley Sprint |
Ohio harness racing tracks
Ohio is one of the strongest standardbred states in the country. Four active harness tracks, and between them, they cover January to December with almost no gap.
Northfield races nearly all year. Miami Valley takes winter and spring, Scioto Downs the summer, and Dayton Raceway the autumn.
Northfield Park
Northfield Park is Ohio's premier harness venue, with more than 200 live racing nights a year. Nothing else in the state races that often.
It is a half-mile oval 15 miles southeast of downtown Cleveland, nicknamed the Home of the Flying Turns. Racing has run here since 1958.
The Battle of Lake Erie is its signature race. The Carl Milstein Memorial Pace, the Cleveland Trotting Classic and the Courageous Lady fill out the stakes calendar. Ohio Sires Stakes legs run here too.
Northfield also owns and runs Cedar Downs, which makes it the single most important operator for Ohio off track betting.
| Location | 10777 Northfield Road, Northfield, Ohio |
| Racing Type | Standardbred Harness |
| Track | Half-mile oval |
| Live Racing | Year-round, 200+ nights |
| Post Time | 6:00 pm ET |
Eldorado Scioto Downs
Eldorado Scioto Downs is the Columbus harness track and the closest wagering venue to the city center.
The live meet runs May through September, on a 5/8-mile track. Post time is 5:05 pm ET.
Its racebook opens at 11 am daily and runs year-round. That is what makes it the default answer for Columbus bettors outside the meet.
Scioto also hosts Grand Circuit racing. The Nadia Lobell for three-year-old pacing fillies and the Moni Maker for three-year-old filly trotters are the highlights.
| Location | Columbus, Ohio |
| Racing Type | Standardbred Harness |
| Track | 5/8-mile |
| Live Meet | May through September |
| Post Time | 5:05 pm ET |
| Casino | Caesars |
Miami Valley gaming & racing
Miami Valley runs Ohio's winter and spring harness meet, roughly January through May.
Racing is Sunday through Thursday with a 4:00 pm post time. Weekday afternoon cards are an unusual slot on the national simulcast schedule. Useful, if you bet during the day.
The track opened in 2013 as the replacement for Lebanon Raceway, whose license transferred to the new site.
Simulcast from North American harness tracks runs seven days a week, year-round. TwinSpires handles race replays rather than on-site replays.
| Location | 6000 State Route 63, Turtlecreek Township, Ohio |
| Opened | 2013 |
| Racing Type | Standardbred Harness |
| Live Meet | January through May |
| Race Days | Sunday through Thursday |
| Post Time | 4:00 pm ET |
| Replaced | Lebanon Raceway |
| Race Office | 513-934-7792 |
Dayton Raceway
Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway is the autumn harness venue, run by Penn Entertainment.
Live racing returns September through December 2026. That makes it the next Ohio track to open a meet. It also closes out the state's harness calendar for the year.
The track offers track-side seating with a close-up view. Not every racino still bothers with that.
Simulcast runs seven days a week, 11:30 am to 11 pm, in the simulcast theater and clubhouse area.
It handles the tail of the Ohio harness calendar. The Ohio Sires Stakes Finals and the Dayton Derbies run here in late September. The Montgomery County Fair meeting races here too.
One useful detail for families. Under-21s are welcome to watch the harness racing. They enter through the Racing Entrance near the racetrack and Sunset Patio, rather than the casino floor.
| Location | 777 Hollywood Blvd, Dayton, OH 45414 |
| Racing Type | Standardbred Harness |
| 2026 Live Meet | September through December |
| Simulcast | Daily, 11:30 am to 11 pm |
| Operator | Penn Entertainment |
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Ohio bet types explained
Every Ohio track and Cedar Downs takes the same core wagers. If you are new to the windows, this is the whole menu.
| Wager | You need | Difficulty |
| Win | Your horse to finish first | Hardest of the three straight bets |
| Place | Your horse to finish first or second | Moderate |
| Show | Your horse to finish first, second or third | Easiest |
| Exacta | First and second, in exact order | Moderate |
| Trifecta | First, second and third, in exact order | Hard |
| Superfecta | First through fourth, in exact order | Hardest |
Multi-race wagers run across several races on the same card. Daily doubles, pick threes, pick fours and pick fives all work this way. They carry the biggest payouts on any Ohio card.
Three terms worth knowing before you bet:
- Pari-mutuel means you bet against other bettors, not the house. All money goes into a pool, the track takes its cut, and the rest is split among winners. Odds move until the gates open.
- Takeout is the track's cut of that pool, typically 15% to 25% depends on the wager. Straight bets take out less than exotics.
- Simulcast is a live feed of races from another track. It is why a Sandusky OTB can take your bet on a race in California.
At a window, give the clerk five things in order. Track, race number, dollar amount, wager type, horse number.
Major Ohio horse races
Ohio Derby
Steel Valley Sprint
Battle of Lake Erie
Ohio Sires Stakes
The 2026 running was a Grade 3 with a $500,000 purse, held in late June.
The race is for three-year-olds, and its timing is what makes it interesting. Falling weeks after the Triple Crown, it draws both Triple Crown runners and later-developing horses looking for a summer target.
For a state with one graded race, Ohio picked a good one. Next running is late June 2027.
The Steel Valley Sprint is Mahoning Valley's marquee event, and the next big Ohio thoroughbred date on the calendar.
It is a six-furlong dash worth $300,000 for three-year-olds, run on a stakes-filled card each November.
That makes it one of the final major stakes days of the Ohio thoroughbred season. It is also the highlight of the winter meet's opening weeks.
The Battle of Lake Erie at Northfields Park is Ohio's most significant harness race. It is a Grade 2 worth $200,000 for older male pacers.
It runs in early June as the finale of the War on the Shore series. Top free-for-all pacers ship in from across the country.
Crowds here dwarf a normal Northfield night. Next running is June 2027.
The Ohio Sires Stakes is a season-long program, not a single race. It runs across multiple tracks from spring through autumn.
The series is restricted to Ohio-sired standardbreds. That makes it the backbone of the state's breeding industry, not an open contest.
Legs are contested at Northfield, Scioto Downs, Miami Valley and Dayton Raceway, plus county fair meetings. The finals are held at Dayton Raceway in late September, alongside the Dayton Derbies.
For anyone following Ohio harness racing seriously, this is the program to track.
Is online horse betting legal in Ohio?
Yes. Online horse racing wagering is legal in Ohio through licensed advance deposit wagering platforms.
The Ohio State Racing Commission, established in 1933, licenses and regulates racing and pari-mutuel wagering in the state. Advance deposit wagering, shortened to ADW, is the framework behind it. You fund an account and bet from a phone rather than at a window.
That is what makes Ohio different from a state like Texas, where online horse wagering is banned outright.
The offshore racebooks listed above operate outside that state framework. They accept Ohio customers and cover tracks worldwide, but they are not Ohio-licensed. Understand the distinction before you deposit.
The minimum age for pari-mutuel wagering in Ohio is 18.
Ohio horse racing history
Ohio racing goes back nearly two centuries. The modern industry dates from 1933, when the Ohio State Racing Commission was established to regulate pari-mutuel wagering.
Thoroughbred and harness racing developed side by side, which is why the state still supports both at scale. OTB legislation in 1994 opened the door to off track wagering facilities.
The bigger shift came in 2012, when video lottery terminals arrived at Ohio tracks. VLT revenue lifted purses sharply and made the circuit viable in a way it had not been.
Mahoning Valley opened in 2014, the newest track on the circuit. Historic venues did not all survive. Glenville, Ascot Park and Beulah Park have all closed.
Ready to bet on horses in Ohio?
Ohio is among the most active racing states in the Midwest. Seven tracks, both disciplines, and a calendar that barely pauses.
The retail side is thin, with just one standalone OTB at Cedar Downs. But every track runs a year-round racebook, and for off track betting Ohio fans that fills most of the gap.
The next date to plan around is Dayton Raceway's live meet, opening in September. The Ohio Sires Stakes Finals follow later that month. The Steel Valley Sprint follows in November, and the Ohio Derby returns to Thistledown next June.
Ohio off track betting gives bettors access to seven race tracks, Cedar Downs and online horse racing options throughout the year. The Steel Valley Sprint follows later in the season, while the Ohio Derby returns to JACK Thistledown next year.
Responsible gambling
Betting should stay entertainment. If gambling is causing you or someone you know harm, confidential support, treatment and self-exclusion tools are available.
Ohio bettors can contact the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. National support is also available by calling or texting the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738).
- National Council on Problem Gambling – Access the National Problem Gambling Helpline, confidential 24/7 call, text and chat support, and links to local treatment resources.
- Problem Gambling Network of Ohio – Find Ohio-specific support and treatment information, including access to the 24/7 Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966.
- Ohio Gambling Telehealth Network – Provides specialist telehealth counseling for Ohio residents affected by problem gambling, including people who do not have suitable treatment available locally.
- Time Out Ohio – Ohio's voluntary exclusion program allows people to exclude themselves from Ohio casinos, racinos and sports gaming for one year, five years or a lifetime.
- Gamblers Anonymous – Offers free peer-support meetings for people who want to stop gambling, including in-person, virtual and telephone meetings.
- Gam-Anon – Provides support and meetings for family members and friends affected by another person's gambling.
If gambling-related harm is contributing to a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for immediate crisis support.
