At fairs and private race tracks across the state, you can watch horses shoot out of the starting gates and hear the thunder of hooves.

You can, however, bet on those races from 23 casinos and county fairs around the state, or even from home. People outside the state can bet on races taking place in California as well. It’s the only form of sports betting currently allowed in the Golden State. 

The most common bets on horse races are:

• ‘Win’, where you bet on a horse to win the race 
• ‘Place’, where you bet on a horse to come either first or second in a race
• ‘Show’, where you bet on a horse to come in first, second, or third.

Animal welfare advocates have taken issue with the sport, especially after a spike in horse deaths at the Santa Anita horse race track in 2019. Forty-two horses died at that track alone that year, causing concern and spawning regulatory change. State lawmakers made it easier for the state to suspend racing licenses. The state board that regulates racing also enacted a new rule restricting how often jockeys can whip horses, put more limits on drugs horses can be given before races, among other changes. 

In the wake of the new rules, horse deaths fell dramatically, from 144 during the 2018-19 season, to 72 during the 2020-21 season.