So, you live in one of the states that don’t allow horse racing betting (either online or at the track) but you have a hankering to bet on horses anyways. It’s kind of a rip when you know your neighbors the next state over can bet all they want while you sit here on the other side of an imaginary line where it’s completely outlawed.
Some states even have access to legal, US-based horse gambling sites thanks to an exception in the UIGEA that allows for online horse betting. The problem is each state has to opt in. If your state hasn’t opted in, those sites won’t let you register for an account.
Well, I have good news. There is a solution to your dilemma: you can simply do business with offshore gambling sites. The sites that I name below are located in countries where online gambling is legal. These sites accept American customers and let you place real money bets on all the major racetracks of the world.
Bovada.lv
Bovada has a whole portion of its website dedicated to horse racing. You can visit the website any time and click on the “horses” tab near the top of the screen. From there, you can choose from dozens of tracks and bet on any upcoming races. All the same types of bets you would see at the track are posted online.
I like Bovada the most because it has a great reputation for paying winners and operating an all-around trustworthy organization. They’ve been doing business in the United States for years and have always taken care of their customers.
One of the other cool things about betting at Bovada is you can take advantage of their weekly cashback program. Every Wednesday afternoon, Bovada returns up to 5% of all your previous week’s action. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose – you always get a percentage of your total wagers returned to your account.
5Dimes.eu
5Dimes is not the prettiest betting site in the world, but it has been in business for a very long time. You can ask around and all the experienced sports bettors will tell you that 5Dimes is one of the best. Not only is it a safe gambling site, but it often has the best-priced lines in the business.
If you can get past the outdated website design, 5Dimes is an excellent choice. They have never failed to pay a winner over all the years they’ve been in business. I cannot say enough good things about the people at 5Dimes. This is a good group of bookmakers.
5Dimes has a few horse racing promotions that I’m sure you’ll like. You can get up to 9% of your total action returned each week. They also have a “10% Racebook” that adds a 10% bonus to every WIN or EXOTIC wager placed at major tracks.
Is This Legal?
This is kind of an awkward question to answer correctly. Offshore horse racing betting isn’t exactly illegal, but it’s also not expressly legal. The sportsbooks who accept customers from the US are supposedly in violation of US law even though they do not break any of the laws in their home countries.
There are no laws that make it illegal for YOU to place wagers. Simple bettors like you and me are in very little danger of ever getting in trouble for simply placing bets over the internet. It’s a weird situation, but you can read more about it here.