Philippine Online Legal Horse Betting: A Complete Guide 2023

The Philippines has long had horse racing as one of its favourite pastimes. This dates back to the mid-18th century during the Spanish colonial era. In those early times, it was a ¼ mile-long straight racetrack that drew the crowds. Wagering on horse races only began about 1903 that was then authorized by the current governing body. 

Jumping to the present day, the game has evolved by leaps and bounds. The tracks are now circular and the breed of horses has also become one of the most elegant factors of the sport. Before the internet connected everything, it was always an exciting event to be at the races. Deeply rooted in Filipino culture and tradition, horse racing also kept pace with the changing times. It is now widely accepted and can be accessed as well via online casino game sites. 

Here are some of the legitimate online sports betting sites in the Phillippines:

Site Name	Bonus Offer	Payout Speed	PH	Play Link
BetOnline	50% Max $1,000	24-48 Hours	✅	PLAY NOW
Sports Betting	50% Max $1,000	48 Hours	✅	PLAY NOW

Is making wagers on horse racing legitimate in the Philippines?  

Horse racing is legal to wager on in the Philippines. It is a resounding yes. In fact, betting on horse races has been legal since 1903. Currently, the Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM) oversees the industry and protects horses. Of course, there is a small tax on every wager and this goes back to the sport for it is critical for regulators to keep the breed healthy.  

Can locals legally wager on horse races online? 

This is also a resounding, yes. There are racebooks that are licensed and authorized as online operators compliant with the rules and regulations. It is really a must that the online gaming operator is legitimate to make sure you’re also in a safe environment. It is highly encouraged by the Philippine government to go to local bookies to make sure that accountability is ensured and that no matter what happens, the bettors, and likewise, the gaming operators are protected. 

It’s best to stick to the establishments in our guide for the bookies are legally sanctioned, legitimately regulated and high-quality online betting sites. 

Are there options on how to wager on horse racing in the Philippines?  

Yes, there are three options on how to make a bet on horse racing in the Philippines. Namely, this can be via online sportsbooks, land-based sportsbooks, and at the racetrack itself.  

Be assured that there are legally sanctioned Philippines online sportsbooks that are also able to offer international horse racing events and wagers. Online betting has grown tremendously for it is very convenient for bettors to simply go online and access the races 24/7.

You do need to fill up the necessary information on your bet slip: your horse number, bet type, race number and wager. Bets must be placed prior to the start of the race. 

There are land-based sportsbooks among them MegaSportsWorld (MSW) which are also able to offer online wagering on horse racing. Their setup is similar to betting online. A bettor must sign into his account and fill out the bet slip. Again, the wager must be in before the race begins unless you are participating in live betting. 

You might also want to see: Online Sports Betting Philippines Guide

The stronger trend nowadays is that more bettors prefer online sportsbooks when they make their wager on horse racing. This is largely due to the wider selection of betting lines and wagering options. The drawback to this is that only the larger, more prominent international horse races are featured online most of the time. There can be some difficulty seeing the local races taking place in the Philippines in an online sportsbook.

Meanwhile, when betting at the racetrack venue itself, you do need to place your bet at the wagering terminal or cashier’s counter. Sometimes, there are also machine betting terminals available at the site. The process again is simple. Just complete the bet slip details and pay for your bet at the cashier or teller.  

Are there several kinds of wagers and betting options in horse racing?  

There are several types of bets and wagering options with horse racing or dog racing. The following are only some of the more basic and common types of bets and ways to play the wager you’ll most likely run into when making your bets on horse racing: 

Basic Bet Types:

• Win – when you pick the first-place winner
• Place – when you pick the first or second-place horse
• Show – when you are able to pick the first, second and third-place horse  

Exotic and Combination Bets:

• Across the board – 3 equal wins, place, and show bets.
• When your horse finishes 1st you win all three bets.
• When your horse finishes 2nd, you win place and show bets.
• When your horse finishes 3rd, you win on the show bet.
• Exacta – When you pick two horses and what order they will finish in, 1st and 2nd exact order, you win.
• Quinella – When you pick two horses and they finish 1st or 2nd in either order, you win.
• Trifecta – When you pick the top 3 horses and they finish in the exact order you picked, you win.
• Superfecta – When you pick the top 4 horses and their exact finishing order, you win.
• Daily Double – 2 races make up the daily double, you pick 1 horse from each race and if either horse wins both races, you win.
• Pick 3, Pick 4 & Pick 6 – Similar to the Daily Double, players pick winners for 3-6 consecutive races. Pick 6 is the biggest bet you can make.

Betting Pools & Pari-mutuel bets

There are betting pools in horse racing that are similar to the ones in the lottery and are considered a variant of pari-mutuel betting. Bettors pay a fixed price as their buy-in into the pool or a pot and then select an outcome. 

There are no odds, nor “house take” and each winner’s payout is determined by the number of participants and the number of winners in the pool. This is the most commonly practised way of betting pools which are also seen in dog racing as well as in other sports. 

How horse racing history influenced how this is practised today in the Philippines

There are three distinct eras based on time periods in the Philippines. These are named Pony, Arabian and Thoroughbred. The Pony era is the time when horse racing was first introduced in the country back in the period of Spanish colonialism. This lasted for about 30 years. This is the time before wagering became popular for the sport.

The period that came after this is the Arabian era. This is also the time when the Philippines was under the Commonwealth where it is considered, “American-Philippines: after the Spanish-American war ended and the US took control of the Philippines, making it one of its territories. The bets started by 1903 and this enabled the sport to become ferociously popular throughout the islands. The next era was marked as the Thoroughbred era when Filipino racers started breeding their own local breeds. 

The Thoroughbred era began in 1935. Local horse breeding became a passionate arena on the horse racing circuit. This also marked the Philippines becoming fully independent from America by 1946 and is still the current era that lingers on to the present day. 

PHILRACOM

The government agency that oversees the horse racing industry is The Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM). Their role was established under Presidential Decree 420 wherein PHILRACOM is under the direct administrative supervision of the Office of the President. The commission was created to supervise, promote and maintain the unbiased operation of racing and to raise public confidence in the sport while improving the breed of Filipino horses.

Drug testing on horses

PHILRACOM announced back in late 2017 that drug testing shall begin on racehorses as a result of their new memberships with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). Drug testing protocols will be tested for six months, during that time no fines will be imposed. Drug testing is administered to protect the interest of the bettors and to protect the health of the horses.

Horse Racing Tracks In The Philippines

Currently, there are 3 horse racetracks in the Philippines and all of which are in close proximity to the major business area of Metropolitan Manila. They are Metro Manila Turf Club, Santa Ana Park, and San Lazaro Leisure Park.

Below is their contact info and address.

Metro Manila Turf Club

Santa Ana Park

San Lazaro Leisure Park

That’s a wrap! We hope that we were able to help you get straight facts about horse racing in the Philippines. We know how things can be difficult to fully make sure that the news you’re getting online is based on facts and current information. Let us know in the comment section below if you have topics in mind that you’d like us to feature on our pages. We’ll get to it right away! Cheers!