Data from Standardbred Canada and the United States Trotting Association indicates that pari-mutuel wagering on harness racing posted an increase North America-wide in 2019.

Numbers indicate that total wagering on Canadian racing surpassed $491.4 million in 2019, up more than 8.3 per cent from the $453.7 million total in 2018. The number of races with pari-mutuel wagering stood at 11,671 for the year, providing a per race handle of $42,303, up 9.39 per cent from 2018's per race handle of $38,672.

Total purses across Canada were also up in 2019. Combined purses offered reached $119.7 million, up from the $106.6 million offered in 2018.

The total wagering on harness racing at U.S. tracks in 2019 surpassed $1.42 billion, a 3.53 percent increase compared to 2018 according to statistics provided by the U.S. Trotting Association.

During the past year, the $1,424,886,558 wagered on pari-mutuel harness racing stateside was up from the 2018 total of $1,376,360,696. Despite a 1.3 percent drop in race days, the average handle per race was up 4.45 per cent. The $39,991 average handle per race bested the $38,253 average posted in 2018.

In addition, there was an 2.36 per cent increase in total purses awarded nationally with $439.5 million distributed in 2019 versus $429.4 million in 2018.

(Please note: Includes U.S. and Canadian common and separate pool wagers on races contested in the U.S. Data source: United Tote (US) and Standardbred Canada.)