Back in the day – say, the 1930s – if you wanted to gamble, the only legal action was the local horse track. Sure, Nevada had casinos, but nowhere else. There were no lotteries, no riverboats, no Internet. Horse racing was not just the only legal gambling option, but it was also one of America’s most popular sporting events. Only baseball could rival horse racing for fan appeal and newspaper headlines. It was a time of Seabiscuit, War Admiral, and Whirlaway.
Flash forward to today. Some form of gambling is available in almost every state. There are casinos damn near everywhere, on land, on water, on reservations. Mega-jackpot state lotteries flourish. Daily Fantasy Sports are the latest “next big thing” online, and, of course, we’ve gone through a boom-and-bust-and-reborn cycle with online poker.

And racing? Long proclaimed dead more than once, horse racing, specifically Thoroughbred racing, is alive and well. Who doesn’t know about American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown AND Breeder’s Cup winner ever? There are new tracks popping up across the country, and horse racing is as strong as ever overseas, as England, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Hong Kong have strong racing programs.

And, thanks to the Internet, you can wager on ALL OF IT.

The ABC’s of Online Horse Racing looks at the various online websites that provide you with a box seat on the action. Every aspect of setting up an account and learning the betting pad are covered, and later chapters teach you how to handicap like the professionals.

Geared to gamblers who have never considered betting the ponies, The ABC’s of Online Horse Racing is a beginner’s guide to online horse racing, teaching you how and where to watch, wager, and win in the 21st Century version of this great sport.