Posted on: January 16, 2026, 02:52h.
Last updated on: January 16, 2026, 02:52h.
- Santa Anita Park now has slot-like gaming machines at the California racetrack
- Historical horse racing machines are based on previously run horse races
- California tribes say Santa Anita is encroaching on their slot machine exclusivity
California tribes are voicing their opposition to historical horse racing (HHR) gaming machines after the state’s most famous racetrack recently installed more than two dozen of the slot-like terminals.
This week, Santa Anita Park, home to the Breeders’ Cup and Santa Anita Derby, powered on 26 HHR gaming machines. The games allow bettors to instantly bet on previously-run horse races.
Also known as racing on demand, the “Final Stretch” terminals are billed as a form of parimutuel wagering. Players risk $1 on a three-by-three wager, with the race details for the trio of races hidden. The player picks his horses with the same odds they had that day.
The machine then simulates the outcomes of the races. Winning payouts are determined by how well the players’ three horses fare and the associated parimutuel odds.
These are the same legal horse racing bets as have been offered at California racetracks for years, including existing multi-race wagers, using real horse races under the same rules and governmental oversight,” said Scott Daruty, the senior vice president of the Los Angeles Turf Club. “We’re simply offering it on demand instead of waiting for specific race times. This gives fans the opportunity to wager on their own schedule.”
The gaming machines at Santa Anita replaced what was formerly the Horse Wizard Lounge on the grandstand’s ground floor. The HHR machines at Santa Anita were developed by PariMAX, a subsidiary of The Stronach Group (1/ST), which also owns the racetrack.
1/ST is additionally the parent entity to the Elite Turf Club, a computer-assisted wagering (CAW) platform, the Xpressbet betting system, Gulfstream Park in Florida, and the Maryland Jockey Club.
Tribes Opposed
HHR and on-demand racing machines blur the lines between parimutuel wagering and casino gambling, the latter of which is controlled by federally recognized tribes in California. Tribal leaders voiced their opposition to the HHR gaming machines at The Great Race Place.
“This puts it on a collision course with the tribes,” Victor Rocha, conference chair of the Indian Gaming Association, told the Los Angeles Times. “They clearly know what they are doing; they are smart guys, but it is clearly gambling. They will get the appropriate response, politically speaking.”
Rocha said HHR machines are gambling games, and not parimutuel as legally defined in California.
When you put illegal gambling machines in a liquor store, it gets shut down. If Santa Anita has illegal machines, they should be out of business. California didn’t sign up for racinos,” Rocha said.
He added that, like sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets operating online, “everyone has lost their mind when it comes to gambling.”
“Everyone is looking for a loophole. This is very clearly a violation of state compacts,” Rocha concluded.
HHR Legality
Most states that have HHR gaming have passed laws to authorize the machines, including in Kentucky and Virginia. Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, New Hampshire, and Wyoming are other states where HHR laws have been enacted.
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