June wagering handle again lags 2025
Trails last year for fifth time in six months
The Biz
July 6, 2026
June marked another month of declining wagering on U.S. horse racing, even as purses continued to climb, according to the latest national economic indicators provided by Equibase. The data includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.
Total wagering on U.S. races in June was $911.9 million, down 4.7% from the $956.8 million bet during the same month a year ago. The decline came despite a racing calendar that was nearly unchanged from last year, with race days down 1.6% and the number of races off just 0.5%, and marked the fifth time in six months that monthly handled trailed the same month a year ago.
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On a per-day basis, wagering averaged $2.44 million, a 3.2% decline from June 2025.
The wagering drop continued a difficult first half of the year for the industry. Through the end of June, bettors had wagered $5.525 billion on U.S. races, down 4.5% from the $5.786 billion handled during the first six months of 2025.
At the same time, purses continued to trend upward.
Available purses in June totaled $117.7 million, an increase of 2.7%, while paid purses rose 3.2% to $113.8 million. Average available purses per race day climbed 4.4% to $314,807.
For the year, available purses are up 1.2% to $596.8 million, with paid purses increasing 1.4% to $570.0 million. Average available purses per race day have risen 3.5% to $356,270.
Racing opportunities changed little during June. U.S. tracks conducted 374 race days, down from 380 a year ago, while 2,948 races were run, compared with 2,964 in June 2025.
The number of starters continued to fall. There were 20,249 starts during the month, down 3.2%, and average field size slipped from 7.06 horses per race to 6.87, a decline of 2.7%.
The same pattern has held throughout the year. Through six months, race days and races are both down 2.2%, while starts have declined 5.8%. Average field size has fallen from 7.54 to 7.26 horses per race, a 3.8% decrease.
The latest figures continue a trend seen through much of 2026: wagering has generally lagged behind the previous year even as purses have remained strong, aided in part by alternative gaming revenues in most major racing jurisdictions. Meanwhile, a shrinking horse population continues to pressure field size, a key driver of wagering interest.
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