Data from Standardbred Canada indicates pari-mutuel wagering on harness racing in Canada was booming in 2022.

After a dip in wagering and race dates over the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, wagering on Canadian harness racing rebounded beyond pre-pandemic levels to more than $608.7 million in 2022. Wagering was up 39.4 per cent from the $436.6 million total in 2021 and up 23.9 per cent from the last full racing season in 2019.

The number of race dates and races with pari-mutuel wagering in Canada climbed closer to pre-pandemic levels, with 11,211 races contested over 1,109 race dates in 2022, while per race handle increased. The average per race handle of $54,296 in 2022 was up 14.2 per cent from 2021's per race handle of $47,564 with 2,031 more races contested in 2022. In comparison to pre-pandemic data, the 2022 per race handle increased by nearly 28.4 per cent from 2019 when 407 more races were contested and total per race handle was $42,304.

Total purses for pari-mutuel races across Canada were also up in 2022. Combined purses offered reached $128.5 million, up nearly 40.9 per cent from the $91.2 million offered the previous year in 2021. The 2022 total marked an increase of nearly 7.3 per cent from the $119.8 million offered in 2019.

Total wagering on harness racing at U.S. tracks in 2022 was close to $1.49 billion, an 8.4 per cent decrease compared to 2021, according to statistics provided by the United States Trotting Association. The per race handle averaged $43,713 at U.S. tracks in 2022, a drop of 7.7 per cent from the 2021 average of $47,358, with six more race dates bringing the total to 3,279. Total purses increased nearly 10.5 per cent in the U.S. with nearly $483.8 million distributed in 2022 versus $437.9 million in 2021.