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.
Wagering in the USA in 2022
Unfortunately, wagering on harness racing in The States was way down in 2022 as compared to 2021 even though Covid was much less a factor last year than it was 2 years ago. $1.485 billion was wagered in The USA last year compared to $1.622 billion in 2021, a drop of 8.44%. At least harness racing is alive and thriving north of the border!