Off Track Betting Pennsylvania

Horse racing has deep roots in Pennsylvania. Legend has it that state founder William Penn gave Philadelphia’s Race Street its name because he raced horses there. In the early 1800s, Hunting Park became home to the first one-mile trotting track in the United States. Although the site was converted into a park by 1855, racetracks have risen and fallen ever since, keeping the sport of kings alive across the Keystone State.

Today, the Philadelphia region is still at the heart of Pennsylvania racing. Parx in Bensalem is the state’s premier Thoroughbred venue, while Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester offers fast-paced harness action along the Delaware River. Beyond the city, fans can also enjoy Thoroughbred racing at Penn National in Grantville and Presque Isle Downs in Erie, as well as harness meets at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre and The Meadows near Pittsburgh. With off-track betting locations and online wagering, the action is always within reach.

Recommended Online Racebooks

Although Pennsylvania has six racetracks and a handful of OTB locations, it’s a large state—and depending on the season, getting to a betting venue in person can mean a long drive. Fortunately, in 2025 you don’t have to travel to enjoy the action. Offshore racebooks let you wager on horse racing year-round from anywhere in Pennsylvania.

These racebooks make betting quick, easy, and reliable, with access not only to local races but also to major events around the world. Beyond the traditional wagers you’d find at the track, many offshore racebooks also feature futures, props, and other betting options that were once limited to casinos.

Another advantage is the rewards: sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral perks, and even daily rebates that return a portion of your wagers as cash or credit. Offshore racebooks combine convenience with value, helping you stretch your bankroll further than ever. Here are some of the top options available in 2025:

Pennsylvania Horse Racing Tracks

With six racetracks spread across Pennsylvania, you’ll have plenty of options to explore—find the one that suits your style, whether you’re visiting in person or betting from home.

Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Tracks

Parx, located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, features live Thoroughbred racing nearly year-round. The track takes a brief three-week break in late July and early August, but outside of that pause, racing action continues throughout the season. Parx offers a dirt track in use year-round, along with a turf course available whenever weather allows.

Penn National, set in the mountains of central Pennsylvania, offers Thoroughbred racing for most of the year. While the track pauses for three-week breaks in January, April, and October, the call to post rings out the rest of the season.

Presque Isle Downs in Erie hosts live racing in western Pennsylvania from late May through late October. Presque Isle conducts all its racing on a synthetic Tapeta track, making it an interesting and unique handicapping and betting challenge.

Pennsylvania Harness Tracks

Pocono Downs, in northeastern Wilkes-Barre, gets underway in mid-February and runs harness racing all the way through late November.

The Meadows, just southwest of Pittsburgh, hosts live harness racing all year long except for a week in April and a week in September.

Harrah’s Philadelphia hosts live harness racing from early April through mid-December.

Horse Races in Pennsylvania

Here are some of the major events on the Pennsylvania horse racing calendar:

Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Races

At Parx, stakes racing runs throughout the year, but the marquee event in 2025 is Pennsylvania Derby Day on Saturday, September 20. The card showcases top horses from across the country, headlined by the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1) and the $1 million Cotillion (G1). These prestigious races for three-year-olds are among the nation’s most important fall preps for the Breeders’ Cup.

The highlight of the Presque Isle Downs season is the Presque Isle Masters (G2) in mid-September, a 6½-furlong sprint for fillies and mares aged three and up run on the all-weather track with a $300,000 purse. While it has occasionally produced Breeders’ Cup contenders, its influence on the Filly & Mare Sprint is less consistent than the original text suggests.

The feature race at Penn National is the Penn Mile (G3), a turf event for three-year-olds. In 2025 it was held on June 27 with a $400,000 purse.

Pennsylvania Harness Races

Some of the richest races at Pocono Downs include the Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for three-year-old trotters and the Max Hempt Memorial for three-year-old pacers. Pocono has also hosted the Breeders Crown, harness racing’s year-end championship series, most recently in 2018.

The signature race at The Meadows is the Adios Pace, a prestigious event for three-year-old pacers contested each July.

Off Track Betting in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania remains a great state for horseplayers, with six active racetracks offering live racing and simulcast wagering on events from around the world. In years past, fans could also visit numerous off-track betting facilities across the state. Parx once operated six OTBs in the Philadelphia area, but most have since closed—including the South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook, which shut down in the summer of 2024. Today, Parx offers off-track betting only at its main track in Bensalem.

Penn National had also planned to bring OTB wagering to Hollywood Casino York and Hollywood Casino Morgantown, but those proposals were shelved. At present, just one OTB location remains open in Pennsylvania.

Whether you prefer the excitement of live racing at the track, the convenience of simulcast wagering, or the flexibility of betting online, there is still no shortage of ways to enjoy horse racing in the Keystone State.