Betting On OTB New York Online

New York has been one of the most important places in American horse racing for centuries, dating back to Newmarket Race Course, which opened on Long Island in 1665 and operated for several decades before closing. Over the years, dozens of tracks have opened and closed across the state, keeping the sport alive even during times when betting was not allowed in New York.

New York remains one of the nation’s premier horse racing circuits. On the Thoroughbred side, the three New York Racing Association tracks anchor the calendar: boutique summer racing at Saratoga, winter racing at Aqueduct, and the traditional spring and fall meets at Belmont Park. However, with Belmont under construction through the mid-2020s, those meets are being temporarily run elsewhere—most notably at Aqueduct and Saratoga—until Belmont’s planned reopening in 2026. Outside the NYRA circuit, Thoroughbred fans can also enjoy racing upstate at Finger Lakes Racetrack.

Harness racing also runs deep in New York. Goshen Historic Track, which opened in 1838, is recognized as the oldest continuously operating harness track in America. As of 2025, eight harness tracks remain active in the state: Batavia Downs in Batavia, Buffalo Raceway in Hamburg, Goshen Historic Track in Goshen, Monticello Raceway in Monticello, Saratoga Harness in Saratoga Springs, Tioga Downs in Nichols, Vernon Downs in Vernon, and Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers—the most high-profile of them all.

OTB New York Betting Sites

Thanks to offshore racebooks, you can wager on horse racing in New York and all over the world from anywhere with an internet connection on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. These offshore betting sites offer secure wagering, market-leading odds, as well as bonuses you will never find at the track including deposit bonuses and horse racing rebates.

Here are some of our favorite offshore betting sites for New York bettors in 2025:

New York Race Tracks

Three of the most prestigious Thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the country are located in New York.

Saratoga has been open since 1863, and it remains the hot spot for summer horse racing. The track hosts top-class stakes racing every single weekend between mid-July and early September, including signature races like the Travers Stakes (G1), Sword Dancer (G1), and Hopeful Stakes (G1).

Belmont Park, which first opened in 1905 in Elmont on Long Island, is currently undergoing major renovations. The track is scheduled to reopen in September 2026, restoring its role as the traditional home of New York’s spring and fall racing seasons. Its flagship race, contested at Saratoga during the construction project, is the Belmont Stakes: the third and final jewel of the Triple Crown series. Other signature races at Belmont include the Met Mile (G1) on dirt and the Manhattan (G1) and Joe Hirsch (G1) on turf.

Aqueduct, located in Queens, is the final piece of the NYRA trifecta. A city oasis for horse racing, it serves as the winter home of Thoroughbred racing in New York. Its signature races include the Cigar Mile (G1) for older horses and the Wood Memorial (G2), one of the major prep races on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

Thoroughbred racing also takes place upstate at Finger Lakes in Farmington, New York. In 2025, the live racing season runs from April 28 through November 26, with simulcast wagering available year-round.

Harness Racing

New York is home to eight harness tracks, ensuring trotting and pacing action is never far away, no matter the season or region of the state. These venues include Batavia Downs in Batavia, Buffalo Raceway in Hamburg, Goshen Historic Track in Goshen, Monticello Raceway in Monticello, Saratoga Harness in Saratoga Springs, Tioga Downs in Nichols, Vernon Downs in Vernon, and Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers.

New York Horse Races

The most iconic horse race of the New York year is the Belmont Stakes, the third and final jewel of the Triple Crown, traditionally run in mid-June. Whenever a horse wins both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, the entire sports world looks to New York to see if another Triple Crown champion will enter the history books, or if connections and fans alike will suffer the agony of defeat once more.

Though high-class stakes racing happens every weekend of the Saratoga summer meet, no race at Saratoga is more eagerly awaited than the Travers Stakes in mid-August. The best three-year-olds in the country line up to go the classic 1 1/4 miles and mark themselves the best horse at that crucial middle point of the season, getting them on the road to the Breeders' Cup Classic and perhaps even Eclipse Award glory.

One of New York’s most prominent late-season races is the Cigar Mile, a Grade 1 event run in early December at Aqueduct. Its unique one-turn mile often produces an intriguing clash of sprinters stretching out, milers at their best distance, and older handicap horses turning back in trip. Its timing also creates a perfect stage for top three-year-olds to test themselves against proven older rivals.

Most of the stakes racing at Finger Lakes is open to New York-bred horses. The richest race of the season is the $200,000 New York Breeders' Futurity, a mid-October sprint for juveniles bred in the Empire State.

On the harness side, the biggest race in New York is the $1 million International Trot at Yonkers Raceway. The race draws trotters from all around the world to compete for one of the largest purses in all of Standardbred racing.

Off Track Betting in New York

All horse racing, on-track wagering, and off-track wagering in New York fall under the jurisdiction of the Division of Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering. As of 2025, off-track betting is administered by four regional public benefit corporations, each overseen by a board of directors appointed by participating counties and cities. Unlike in past decades, New York City no longer operates its own OTB, and the areas once covered by Catskill OTB—as well as thirteen additional counties including Westchester, Onondaga, and Saratoga—do not currently have any OTB parlors.

The four active OTB corporations are:

  • Capital District Regional OTB – Covers 16 counties, including Albany and Schenectady, with 33 branch locations and its flagship Clubhouse Race Book in Albany.
  • Nassau OTB – Operates six branches in Nassau County, including its flagship Race Palace teletheater in Plainview. It also holds the license that enabled the expansion of Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct.
  • Suffolk OTB – Runs four branches in Suffolk County, anchored by the Racing Forum teletheater in Hauppauge. It also owns Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino in Islandia, which features up to 1,000 slot machines.
  • Western OTB – Serves 15 counties in western New York, including Buffalo and Rochester, with 19 branches. It also owns and operates Batavia Downs racetrack and casino.

Together, these corporations ensure that off-track betting remains widely available across the state, giving fans a variety of ways to watch and wager year-round even when they can’t attend the track in person.