How to Place a Bet 

The ABC's of Placing a Bet at the Betting Window

Once you have made your selection, go to a teller in the betting area. Don't worry it's easy, all you need to provide the teller with is the following information in the order listed:

• Dollar amount to be wagered: $2
• Type of bet you wish to place: WIN
• Your choice - horse's number from the program: Horse number 4

With this information, you have just made a $2, WIN bet on number 4. In the event that you are wagering on a simulcast race and more than one is available at your location, please indicate which track you are wagering on.

The teller will punch out a ticket and you pay $2.

Be sure to check your ticket before you leave the betting window. Once you leave the window, your bet may not be changed.

Bets can also be placed on a SAM (Screen Activated Machine). Before approaching a SAM, you must buy a Betting Voucher from a teller. Similar to your bank machine, the SAM will guide you through each step using screen prompts. You can even let the machine make a random educated guess and buy a Quick Pick.

Once you have placed your bet it's time to sit back and watch the action. Keep your eye on the rider or driver's brightly colored silks. Make sure to keep your ticket until the race results have been declared official.

Collecting Your Winnings

As they near the home stretch you see number 4, Cotton-Eye-Joe edge out number 2 and win by a nose! You've won! You can take your ticket to any teller and they will tell you what you've won and give you your winnings. Want to challenge your abilities and new found skills? Try to figure out what the payoff will be by reading the race results displayed on the Tote Board and then cash in.

The Payoff

The payoff for Win, Place and Show bets is always based on a minimum $2 wager. In this example, you placed a Win bet on horse number 4 which paid $11.90. If you had placed a Place bet, you would have collected $7.80. In addition to a Win, Place or Show bet, there are a number of other types of bets which are described in the TYPES OF BETS section.

The reason a Place bet nets you less money is that the Place Pool is divided between the two groups of successful ticket holders who made a Place bet on either #4 or #2. The money in the Win pool is paid only to those people with a successful Win ticket. In this case, horse #4. Similar to the place pool, the show pool is divided among those people who made a Show bet on #4, #2 or #5.