Tennessee Horse Racing Betting

The Volunteer State was one of the former pillars of the horse racing industry. Tennessee horse racing betting has always been an important part of the economic development of the state. There was even a Tennessee Derby that in its hay day was as well revered as the famed Kentucky Derby. It ran for more than a decade, right up until lawmakers put a halt on pari-mutuel wagering. The state is also known for its former Cumberland Park racetrack that at one point in time once held the largest purse of any stakes event. While the Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing scene within the state is not as active as it once was, there are still thousands of horse enthusiasts that bet the Triple Crown and other races throughout the year.

For many Tennessee natives, betting the ponies is almost second nature. Whether you are a pro bettor or new to horse betting, there is always more to learn when it comes to how and where to bet on horses. Most horseplayers use online racebooks for horse racing betting in T.N, and we can help you narrow down the best horse betting sites specifically for residents. If you want to learn everything there is to know about betting on horses in TN, keep reading!

With legal horse racing events showcased throughout the year, you would assume that betting on horses is also legal in T.N. While residents can use legitimate offshore horse betting sites at their leisure, you will not find horse bets being accepted at any racing venues in the state. The Racing Control Act of 1987, which essentially regulated horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering, was repealed in 2015. Since then, legislators have been scrambling to introduce new measures that would reestablish horse racing betting in TN. The first step was Senate Bill 1738 which ordered the establishment of a committee to research how the reintroduction of horse betting would impact the local economy. While the regulation of horse racing betting on a state level is underway, TN residents can legally bet on horse racing online.

Read More: Is It Legal To Gamble Online In Tennessee?

In horse racing, there are several different ways to bet on the horses. The categories of bets include straight and exotic wagers. You can think of straight bets as the more straightforward wagers, because they only involve betting on one horse. The payoffs are less than exotics because the bets are less difficult to place. It is simple to calculate the expected payout of a straight bet, just multiply your wager times the odds, and then add your original wager for the total.

Win – The horse must finish in the first place.

Place – Your horse may finish first or second.

Show - A bet that your horse will be in one of the top three spots.

Exotic bets are undoubtedly more complex, but they also have much bigger payoffs. You are able to bet on multiple horses and different races. Unlike with straight bets, the exact order that a horse finishes in matters with exotic bets. The most common exotic bets include exactas, trifectas, superfectas, pick 3’s, pick 4’s, and pick 6’s.

Exacta – Betting on which horse will finish first, and which horse will finish second.

Trifecta – A bet on the first, second, and third finishers, in exact order.

Superfecta – Picking the horses that will finish in the top four of the race, in a specified order.

Box – A box is not a wager on its own, but can be paired with any exacta, trifecta, or superfecta bet. Boxing a bet makes it so that you can pick your winning horses regardless of order. It costs more to box a bet being that you are bet on all possible combinations.

Pick 3 - Betting on the winners of three consecutive races before they begin.

Pick 6 – Choosing the winners of six races before the start of the first.

The chance to win the Triple Crown only comes around once a year, which is why it is the most popular horse racing event to bet on. You can bet on the Triple Crown winner, or on each of the three races that encompass the series. The first opportunity to place a wager will be at the Kentucky Derby. The one and a quarter mile race takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY on the first Saturday of May. You can then bet on the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, a one and three-sixteenths mile race that happens at the famed Pimlico Race Course. Belmont Stakes betting is your final chance to wager on the Triple Crown races, as it is the third jewel of the coveted Triple Crown. You can bet on any leg of the race using a horse racing betting site. The online racebooks even have horse racing picks, tips, and handicapping information.

Outside of the Nashville Fairgrounds, there are not many horse racing events occurring in TN. Even during horse shows, bets are not accepted for the horses. The only real option for TN horse bettors are horse racing betting sites. The sites have everything you need to bet on the horses today, tomorrow, and any other day of the week. There are Triple Crown betting odds for each of the high stakes races. You will even see odds for the race to the Triple Crown in the prep races before the main event. Online racebooks make it so that you can bet at all of the top racetracks in the nation without having to leave your home. That is not to say that you can only bet on horses from your computer, because the top sites offer mobile horse racing betting. You have the freedom to place wagers, make deposits, and even watch live horse races all from the palm of your hand. There are dozens of horse betting sites to choose from, but the two best online racebooks are Bovada and SportsBetting for Legal gambling for Tennessee residents.