North Carolina Horse Betting 2023 – Comparing The Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in NC

The best North Carolina horse racing sites cover thousands of events from across the USA and around the world each month. You will be able to enjoy pari-mutuel betting on a daily basis, while they also provide fixed-odds futures betting on big races like the Kentucky Derby.

There are lots of sites targeting horse racing North Carolina bettors, but only a handful are worth your time. This page highlights the best sites for betting on horse racing in North Carolina and explains why you should choose these trustworthy bookies ahead of their rivals.

Read on to discover the top 10 horse racing North Carolina betting sites, their key attributes, and the bonuses they offer. We will also teach you how to bet on horse racing in North Carolina, explain how pari-mutuel betting works, and explain how to calculate horse racing payouts.

Ranking The Top 10 Betting Sites for Horse Racing in North Carolina

We signed up for accounts with every site that accepts bets on horse racing in North Carolina. Registration was easy for each horse racing North Carolina bookie. The sign-up speed, deposit options, the number of races covered, and the range of betting options offered make betting sites for horse racing in North Carolina worth every penny.

1. BetOnline – Best all-round site to bet on horse racing in North Carolina
2. Bovada – Online North Carolina racebook with a great loyalty program
3. Everygame – Elite site for online horse racing in North Carolina
4. MyBookie – Convenient and reliable mobile racebook for NC bettors
5. BetUS – The largest bonuses for horse racing in North Carolina
6. XBet – User-friendly site for horse racing North Carolina bettors
7. BUSR – Clear and insightful racecards for NC racing fans
8. BetNow –  Great horse racing rebates in North Carolina
9. Jazzsports – North Carolina racebook with a reduced juice sportsbook
10. Sportsbetting.ag – Lots of racebook promotions

More on gambling in North Carolina…

Learn about all types of online gambling in North Carolina in our expert guides below:

• North Carolina Sports Betting
• North Carolina Real Money Online Casinos
• North Carolina Online Poker
• North Carolina Online Gambling
• North Carolina Sports Betting Apps

Comparing The Best Sites for Horse Racing North Carolina Has to Offer

There are some important considerations that we focused on when weighing up the overall quality of each horse racing North Carolina betting site. You can also consider these aspects when trying to decide which online bookie is best for you.

Horse Racing Odds

Most races at horse racing North Carolina sites are paid out on a pari-mutuel basis. The money wagered on each market goes into a pool, which is then divided among the winning bettors after the race. Your payout on most races will be the same at any sites featured on this page. However, they offer fixed odds on certain races.

Lots of Races to Bet On

The best horse racing North Carolina sites offer a wide array of races for you to bet on. They cover the major tracks – such as Aqueduct, Arlington, Belmont, and more. You can bet on racing worldwide, while thoroughbred – including flat racing and steeplechase racing – should be available along with harness racing and perhaps greyhounds.

Horse Racing Betting Promotions

Note that many betting sites do not offer racebook welcome bonuses. They offer sportsbook bonuses and casino bonuses for new customers, but those offers are not valid for horse racing.

Bovada stands out, as its flagship sign-up offer can be used on horse racing. We also like the $25 risk-free horse racing bet that BetOnline provides new customers, while the top horse racing North Carolina sites on this page provide some great racebook rebates too.

Broad Betting Limits

At BetOnline, casual players can to bet $1 on races, with large maximum net profits on other races up to $100,000 on a big race like the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont, and $25,000 on Category A tracks.

User-Friendly Design

The racebook section should be clean and easy to navigate, allowing you to get their bets on before the horses are at the post. You should also be able to browse a reasonable amount of information about each runner in an easily digestible format on the racecards.

Additional Betting Options

The best five sites for horse racing also offer online casino gaming and sports betting in North Carolina. At BetOnline and Bovada, you will also find an online poker room. SportsBetting.ag shares an online poker room with sister site BetOnline too. You can sign up for a single account with one of those sites and bet on everything.

How to Choose the Best North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Sites

We have laid out the key areas you should focus on when choosing a horse racing North Carolina site: breadth of races to bet on, betting limits, wagering options, the quality of the odds, the promotions, and the interface. Yet there are some additional areas to consider when trying to find your perfect match:

Brand Recognition

Only use trusted sites for betting on horse racing in North Carolina. You avoid online bookies with too good to be true offers, as you cannot trust them to grade wagers fairly and to pay out winnings. The horse racing North Carolina bookies on this page have proven to be trustworthy operators for many years, so we highly recommend that you stick to these brands.

Payment Methods

The best sites for betting on horse racing in North Carolina will provide you with a wide array of payment options. The deposit options normally include credit cards, debit cards, eWallets like Skrill and Neteller, and bank transfers, wire transfers, eChecks, and P2P transfers. The horse racing North Carolina bookies featured on this page also offer cryptos.

Safety & Security

We recommend sticking to horse racing North Carolina betting sites that have impeccable security records. BetOnline offers extremely robust security measures, including powerful encryption tools, and none of its customers have ever faced security problems. If safety is one of your primary concerns, BetOnline is a great choice.

Speed & Design

As previously mentioned, speed and design are crucial attributes for the best sites for betting on horse racing in North Carolina. If you are a bettor that likes to place wagers as quickly and efficiently as possible, a site like BetOnline, XBet, or MyBookie is perfect. You can find a race in seconds, click a couple of buttons and get your bets on without missing out.

Customer Service

The best horse racing North Carolina sites offer 24/7 customer support over the phone, live chat, or email. At sites like BetOnline and Bovada, you will be put through to a representative quickly, who can help with any issues you might have. If you need assistance on a payment, a bonus, or a horse racing rule, they will be more than happy to provide help.

Overall Value

You should weigh up the overall value that a betting site offers you. Betting on a horse race is very exciting, but the aim is to make profit. You stand a chance of doing so if you find a horse racing North Carolina site that offers maximum value.

Horse Betting Guides State by State

North Carolina Horse Betting Guide – How to Bet on Horse Races in North Carolina

Visit an online betting site, as there are no North Carolina horse racing tracks or retail racebook venues. The best online gambling sites for North Carolina players allow you to bet on racing from venues across the country and overseas, with straight and exotic bets available.

It is legal to bet on horse racing in North Carolina, but the state does not regulate a local online wagering industry, so it is important that you stick to reputable sites like BetOnline and XBet.

Check Out Our Popular Horse Racing Guides

How Does Horse Racing Betting Work in North Carolina?

Sign up for an account with a horse racing North Carolina online betting site and make a deposit. You can then navigate to the racebook section to browse a list of upcoming races. You will be able to bet on the win, the place or the show, an exotic bet like an exacta or a trifecta.

The money wagered on each market goes into a pool, which is then divided among the successful bettors after the race. You will see a dividend for each market on the tote board, which tells you the payout you will receive from each $1 wagered. If your bet was a winner, the North Carolina horse racing site will credit the funds to your account.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Explained

The image below shows a typical racecard that you will find at a horse racing North Carolina site. You will see the name of each runner, along with the saddlecloth number, the jockey, and the trainer. If you want advanced information, such as the recent results and times of each horse, you can visit an external site like TimeForm.

You will also see the morning line odds on each horse. That is the handicapper’s best guess as to what the payout on each horse will be, but it does not pertain to the actual payout you receive. You can mark win, place or show, or switch from a straight bet to an exacta, quinella, trifecta, superfecta, Daily Double or Pick 3 at the top of the page.

The bottom of the page will also tell you the minimum bet amount and the maximum win amount for the race. Type in the amount you want to wager in the corresponding box and click to add it to the bet slip, where you can confirm the bet.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Odds

It is important that you understand what horse racing odds and dividends mean. That allows you to work out your potential profits and ensure you have received the correct payout.

Fixed odds for Horse Racing Betting in North Carolina

There are a few fixed odds betting options available at sites offering betting on horse racing in North Carolina. You will find them on big races like the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, or the Belmont Stakes in the weeks leading up to the event.

They are normally presented in the fractional format. You simply multiply the amount you want to wager by the fraction to work out the profit you would gain. For example, if a horse is 9/2 and you want to bet $10 on it, you would win $45. You get your bet amount returned on winning bets, so you would be returned $55.

Pari-Mutuel Betting in North Carolina

Pari-mutuel betting is how most wagers are settled in the USA. All the money that you and your fellow bettors stake on a particular market – such as a horse to win a race or an exacta on a race – goes into a pool. The racetracks take a cut, and the rest is divided between winning bettors. You will see a dividend for each bet type. It tells you the payout to expect for each $1 you bet.

For example, if the dividend on a horse that won a race was $4.63 and you bet $15 on it, you would be returned $69.45. The dividend tends to be larger if you place a successful bet on an underdog, as the pool is then divided up among a relatively small group of bettors.

Pool Betting on North Carolina Horse Races

Pool betting is just another name for pari-mutuel betting. The money wagered on each market goes into a pool, which is divided up between the bettors that guessed correctly.

What Are the Different Types of Horse Racing Bets?

Win

A bet on the horse that will win the race.

Place

A wager on a horse to finish first or second.

Show

A bet on a horse to finish in the top three.

Exacta

An exacta bet is a prediction on the horse that will finish first and the horse that will finish second. It is called an exacta because you need to specify the exact order in which they will finish. A quinella allows you to pick two horses that can finish first and second in any order. You can also go for boxed exactas and exacta wheels.

Trifecta

A trifecta is a bet on the horse that will win a race, the horse that will finish second, and the horse that will finish third. Once again, you must specify the precise order, but you can alternatively go for a trifecta box.

Superfecta

A prediction on the first four horses to finish a race, in that exact order. Superfectas tend to offer large payouts to anyone that guesses correctly.

Daily Double

A bet on the horses that will win two consecutive races at a particular racetrack.

Pick 3/4/5/6

A Pick 3 requires you to pick the winner of three separate races. A Pick 4 is a parlay on four different races, and so on.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Terms

These are some of the key terms you should familiarize yourself with if you want to start betting on horse racing in North Carolina:

• Across the board – This encompasses a bet on the win, another bet on the place, and a third bet on the show. A $10 across-the-board bet will therefore cost you $30.
• At the post – The race is about to begin and betting is no longer possible.
• Blinkers – A trainer can choose to put this headgear on a horse to restrict its field of vision, which may have a positive or a negative impact, depending upon how the horse reacts.
• Claiming Race – A special race where every horse is up for sale.
• Classic – A generic term for a highly prestigious race.
• Dead Heat – Two or more horses finishing at exactly the same time.
• DQ – A horse that was disqualified.
• Exotic bet – A bet on an exacta, quinella, trifecta, superfecta and so on.
• Favorite – The horse deemed to have the best chance of winning the race.
• Fixed Odds – Odds that tell you the precise amount you will win.
• Furlong – One-eighth of a mile.
• Length – The full length of a horse, a measurement used to report how comprehensive a victory was.
• Morning Line – The official track handicapper’s best guess on the dividend each horse would pay if it were to win.
• Pari–Mutuel – A pool of money that is distributed among successful bettors.
• Purse – The prize money that will be shared among the horses’ owners, with the winner taking the lion’s share.
• Tote Board – A board at the track that shows you the dividends paid for each market on a race.
• Wager – Another word for a bet.

How To Calculate Horse Racing Betting Odds

Most horse racing bets are paid out on a pari-mutuel basis. The pot of money wagered on the race is distributed among the players with winning tickets. The racetrack will tell you the dividend payout for each market – win, place, show, exacta, quinella, trifecta and superfecta – which tells you the return you will get per dollar wagered.

Just multiply your bet amount by that number to calculate your return. For example, if you placed a correct $10 bet on the exacta, and the exacta pays $82.04, you will be paid $820.40. If you bet on a fixed odds market, you just multiply the bet amount by the fraction. For example, a successful $10 bet at odds of 7/1 pays $70. You also get your $10 stake back, so your return will be $80.

North Carolina Horse Racing Odds Chart:

This table shows you a series of fractional odds, with the corresponding American odds in brackets. You can also see the payout on a successful $2 bet on each of those fixed-odds markets (including the profit and the return of your bet amount), along with the implied chance of success the odds suggest.

North Carolina Horse Racing Tracks

There are no North Carolina horse racing tracks that host races with pari-mutuel betting. There is an annual charity steeplechase held near Charlotte, and you might see a few harness races occasionally taking place as part of traveling fairs in the state, but they are not held at official horse racing tracks in North Carolina. 

The History of Horse Racing in North Carolina

Horse racing was a popular spectator sport in North Carolina from the colonial period until the Civil War. It was dominated by wealthy plantation owners, but that came to an end after the Civil War and jockey clubs disappeared. A few races were held at fairs, but horse racing all but died out in the early 20th century.

In 2021, a bipartisan bill was launched in the North Carolina Senate in a bid to legalize professional thoroughbred horse racing in North Carolina, along with the pari-mutuel betting that would pay for it. However, it faced opposition from the socially conservative North Carolina Family Policy Council, and it did not gain the necessary legislative support.

Comparing Betting At The Racetrack With Online Horse Racing Betting

There are no horse racing tracks in North Carolina, so you would need to drive out of the state to visit a racetrack. It is much quicker, cheaper, and more convenient to use an online horse racing in North Carolina betting site.

General Terms and Conditions at Horse Racing Betting Sites in North Carolina

You will need to be aged 18 or older to sign up for an account with a horse racing North Carolina site. At some point, you may be asked to upload documents proving your identity and address for a KYC process. For more general terms and conditions, check the racebook rules and the general rules.

Rollover Requirements

This relates to the number of times you need to turn bonus funds over before you can make a withdrawal. For example, if you claim $50 in bonus funds and it has a 5x rollover, you need to place $250 worth of bets before you can cash out whatever is left over.

North Carolina Horse Betting Bonuses

Welcome Bonus

You will be offered a sign-up bonus at most horse racing North Carolina sites. You need to deposit some of your own money, and the betting site will match it with free bet credit. A rollover requirement must be completed before you can cash out. The bonuses do not normally apply to horse racing, but Bovada’s bonus can be used in the racebook.

Risk-Free Bet

BetOnline gives you a risk-free bet when you first use its racebook. You can place a $25 wager on any horse race and, if it loses, you will get a 100% refund. The refund is paid in site credit, and you must complete a rollover before cashing out.

Loyalty/VIP Program

You will earn points for placing bets. These points can then be traded for free bets and other rewards. You will move up to higher loyalty tiers, earning better rewards as you progress, until you eventually reach the VIP program. At that point, you can expect gifts, event invitations, an account manager, and other perks.

Racebook Rebates

The best sites for horse racing in North Carolina betting pay a rebate on your net losses. For example, BetOnline gives you a 4% rebate on straight bets and 9% on exotics. That gives you another chance to pick a winner and return to profit.

Virtual Horse Racing Betting in North Carolina

The top bookies listed on this page also offer virtual horse racing. It is similar to a casino game because it uses a Random Number Generator to deliver the results, but you can bet on the virtual horses and watch them race to the finish line.

North Carolina Horse Racing Betting Apps

There are not currently any horse racing apps in North Carolina. The likes of TwinSpires and TVG have not launched in the state, so you will need to visit the mobile version of a site like BetOnline or XBet.

iPhone Apps for North Carolina Horse Betting

There are no horse racing apps in North Carolina for iOS users, so we recommend using a high-quality, mobile-optimized racebook site such as BetOnline, XBet, or Bovada.

Android Apps for Online Horse Betting in North Carolina

Google Play does not allow you to download an Android app for horse betting in North Carolina. Instead, you can sign up with a mobile betting site like XBet, BetOnline, or Bovada, and you will not have to worry about downloads or upgrades, as you can just access it directly from your browser.

How To Start Betting on Horse Racing Sites in North Carolina

Follow these steps to set up a North Carolina horse racing account:

Step 1 – Choose a Racebook and Fill in the Registration Form

Choose one of the horse racing North Carolina sites reviewed on this page, click the link to visit the site and click on the “Join Now” button. Fill in the registration form and make a deposit.

Step 2 – Visit the Racebook Section

You will find the racebook on a toolbar menu at the top of the homepage.

Step 3 – Select a Race

Choose a race you would like to bet on and click on it to browse the racecard.

Step 4 – Select a Bet and Place the Wager

Type in the amount you want to wager in the correct box, add it to the betslip and then confirm the bet.

Other Types of Gambling in North Carolina

The leading horse racing North Carolina sites featured on this page have sportsbook and online casino sections. You can bet on races, slots, table games, sports, esports, and politics with a single account.

BetOnline is the best all-rounder, as it has a comprehensive sportsbook, a dedicated esports section, a vibrant poker room, and a great online casino in North Carolina alongside its top-ranked racebook.

What Is the Best Site for Horse Racing Betting in North Carolina?

We rate BetOnline as the best site for horse racing betting in North Carolina. You can sign up today and receive a $25 risk-free bet on a race of your choice. You might prefer one of the other horse racing North Carolina sites listed on this page, but make sure you stick to these trustworthy online bookies.

North Carolina Horse Racing FAQs

Are there any horse races in North Carolina?

There are no commercial horse racing tracks in North Carolina. There is a charity steeplechase near Charlotte each year, but there are no racetracks that offer betting. If you are looking for a horse racing track near Asheville, North Carolina, or a horse racing near Chapel Hill, North Carolina you will have to venture out of state to find one.

What states have live horse racing?

You will find live horse racing in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming. The closest horse racing near North Carolina is Colonial Downs in Virginia.

Can you bet on horse racing in North Carolina?

Betting on horse racing and online gambling are not permitted through local operators in North Carolina. To enjoy these activities, you’ll need to visit offshore sites like BetOnline, XBet, Bovada, MyBookie, or BetUS, which offer options for horse racing, sports betting, and casino games in North Carolina.

How to bet on horse racing in North Carolina?

Since betting on horse racing in North Carolina is illegal in-state, your best chance is to sign up with a licensed and regulated online betting site that is based outside the state, such as BetOnline, XBet, Bovada, and the others in this review.