Here is a full breakdown of Kansas online horse betting: which advance deposit wagering (ADW) apps accept Kansas players, where live racing has returned, and what to know about bet types and taxes.
In this article 11 sections
- Kansas horse betting offers
- Kansas horse racing: facts and figures
- Is online horse betting legal in Kansas?
- Horse betting sites in Kansas
- Best horse betting apps in Kansas
- Kansas horse racing tracks
- Local and major horse betting events for Kansas bettors
- Types of horse racing bets in Kansas
- Taxes on horse racing winnings in Kansas
- Responsible gambling in Kansas
- Kansas horse racing betting in 2027
Kansas horse betting offers
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GET! code applied automaticallyRead our AmWager reviewVisit AmWager →New AmWager customers 21+ in eligible states. Deposit $50 and bet $50 within 30 days of opening the account (show betting excluded) to earn a $50 wagering credit, paid within 7 business days. The credit must be wagered, unused credit expires after 30 days and winnings are cash. One account per person, one offer per household.
Online betting on horse racing is available to Kansas residents through ADW platforms that list Kansas as an eligible state.
Kansas also has legal sports betting since 2022, but racing is a separate product. Your Kansas sportsbook app will not take an exacta at Oaklawn, and a racing app will not take a Chiefs spread.
For years there was no live racing in Kansas at all. That changed in fall 2026, when Eureka Downs ran the state’s first races in 16 years.
Kansas horse racing: facts and figures
| Quick facts | Kansas |
|---|---|
| Online horse betting | Yes, through ADW apps that accept Kansas customers |
| Live racing | Eureka Downs, Eureka (fall 2026 meet, first in 16 years) |
| Historical horse racing | Yes, at Gilley’s Gambling Hall in Park City |
| Racing regulator | Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission |
| AmWager minimum age | 21+ |
| Sports betting | Legal since September 2022 (21+) |
Is online horse betting legal in Kansas?
Yes. Kansas residents can place pari-mutuel bets through ADW operators that accept Kansas customers. Your money goes into the same pools as bets placed at the host track, and payouts are set by the pool after the track’s takeout.
The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission oversees racing in the state, including the rules at Eureka Downs.
Horse betting sites in Kansas
AmWager is our racing partner and accepts customers in Kansas. It is a racing-only platform, with pari-mutuel pools from tracks across North America and abroad, free past performances and live video on many races. Customers must be 21 or older.
Read our AmWager review Visit AmWager →
Other national ADW brands also serve many states, including TwinSpires and DRF Bets. TwinSpires is known for competitive pools and coverage of racing worldwide; DRF Bets pairs wagering with Daily Racing Form’s handicapping data. Check each operator’s eligible-state list before you sign up.
Best horse betting apps in Kansas
There are solid betting apps available for Kansas online horse betting.
- AmWager: an app built around simple menus and a quick bet slip, available on iOS and Android.
- TwinSpires: a straightforward product with iOS and Android apps.
- DRF Bets: a clean interface that makes betting simple, downloadable on iOS and Android.
All of them use your device’s location to confirm you are in an eligible state.
Kansas horse racing tracks
For more than a decade there was nowhere in Kansas to watch a live race. Eureka Downs, in the small town of Eureka about an hour east of Wichita, stopped racing in 2010. It reopened in fall 2026 for three weekends of racing running into early November, the state’s first races in 16 years.
The track has real history. Eureka Downs opened in 1872 and bills itself as the oldest horse racing track west of the Mississippi. The Greenwood County Fair Association owns it, and a $2.1 million rework of the racing surface replaced the steel rail with safer PVC, alongside updated viewing areas and a new video board. Races for maidens (horses that have never won) carry purses of up to $30,000.
The money behind the revival comes from historical horse racing (HHR) machines at Gilley’s Gambling Hall in Park City. They let players bet on previously run races, with reels and bonus features that resemble slots. A Kansas law passed in 2025 directs a 3% tax on HHR to racing: 30% to the Kansas Horse Breeding Development Fund and 70% to the Fair Horse Racing Benefit Fund, which pays purses and track costs.
Local and major horse betting events for Kansas bettors
The Eureka Downs meet gives Kansas a local reason to follow racing again, and the track has said it could eventually send its signal to other states for betting.
Most action, though, is on the national calendar. The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the signature events in American horse racing, and Kansas residents can bet all of them through ADW apps, along with the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Remington Park in Oklahoma City are the closest major meets and popular with Kansas bettors.
Types of horse racing bets in Kansas
When wagering in Kansas you can bet in several ways. The win wager is simple: you bet on the horse you believe will win the race.
The place bet is slightly different. You are betting on the horse to finish first or second. A show bet pays if the horse finishes in the top three.
Exotic wagers add bigger pools and bigger risk:
- Exacta: first and second in exact order.
- Trifecta: first, second and third in order.
- Superfecta: the first four in order.
- Daily Double and Pick 3 to Pick 6: winners of consecutive races.
A worked example: a $1 trifecta box on three horses covers all six possible orders and costs $6. If your three finish in the top three in any order, you collect the trifecta payout for a $1 ticket.
Taxes on horse racing winnings in Kansas
Winnings count as taxable income under federal and Kansas law. Large pari-mutuel payouts can trigger federal reporting, and withholding generally applies when a payout exceeds $5,000 and is at least 300 times your stake. From the 2026 tax year, only 90% of gambling losses can be deducted, and never more than your winnings. You must report your winnings on your income tax return, so keep a record of every ticket.
Responsible gambling in Kansas
Set a budget before the first post and stick to it. ADW accounts offer deposit limits and self-exclusion. Help in Kansas is free and confidential at 1-800-522-4700, with resources at KSGamblingHelp.com, or nationally at 1-800-GAMBLER. Our responsible gambling guide has more.
Kansas horse racing betting in 2027
A second Eureka Downs season
The 2026 meet was a restart after 16 years away. Whether Eureka Downs returns, and for how many weekends, depends on HHR tax revenue flowing into the racing funds.
Simulcasting Kansas races
Eureka Downs has floated sending its races to other states for betting. If that happens, Kansas racing could appear on ADW menus nationwide.
Belmont and the Breeders’ Cup
The Belmont Stakes returns to the rebuilt Belmont Park in 2027, and the Breeders’ Cup follows there in the fall, two of the biggest betting days of the year for Kansas ADW customers.
What is the best horse racing betting site in Kansas?
It depends what you bet. AmWager, which is our partner, pairs a long list of US and overseas tracks with live video and an easy bet slip. TwinSpires, owned by Churchill Downs, has deep handicapping content and DRF Bets builds Daily Racing Form past performances into the bet slip. Plenty of Kansas horseplayers hold two accounts and pick whichever has the better rebate or video for a given race.
Can you place a horse racing bet online in Kansas?
Yes. ADW platforms that accept Kansas customers, such as AmWager, let you bet on tracks nationwide from your phone or computer.
Are there any horse racing tracks in Kansas?
Yes, again. Eureka Downs in Eureka reopened in fall 2026 for the state’s first live races since 2010.
What is the age to bet on horses online in Kansas?
It depends on the operator. AmWager requires customers to be 21 or older.
What is historical horse racing in Kansas?
HHR machines let you bet on previously run races. In Kansas they operate at Gilley’s Gambling Hall in Park City, and a 3% tax on them funds breeding and racing.
Do I have to pay tax on horse racing winnings in Kansas?
Yes. Winnings are taxable income federally and in Kansas. Large pari-mutuel payouts can trigger a W-2G and federal withholding.