Massachusetts Horse Bettors Left $404,803 In Unclaimed 2021 Winnings

A whole lot of winnings were left unclaimed at Massachusetts horse race betting simulcast facilities in the 2021 season.

In total, Massachusetts horse bettors didn’t claim $404,803.54 in winnings from bets placed in 2021. That figure was revealed during Thursday’s Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting. Gamblers have a year to claim their payouts, so Thursday’s meeting focused on 2021 numbers. Next year’s will focus on 2022 numbers, and so on.

Here are the unclaimed winnings, broken down by facility:

• Plainridge Racecourse — $124,370.56
• Suffolk Downs — $134,019.51
• Raynham Park — $146,413.47

The three facilities will pay those amounts to the MGC. The MGC, in turn, will return the money and earmark it for specific funds.

Simulcast horse race betting in Massachusetts

Plainridge Racecourse is attached to Plainridge Park Casino. It has a simulcast facility, but it’s also the only racetrack in Massachusetts that still conducts live racing. It has live harness racing from April through November every year.

Suffolk Downs is located in East Boston. It hosted thoroughbred racing until 2019. Since then, it has served as a simulcast racing facility. Suffolk Downs partners with TVG, FanDuel Racing, Twinspires, 1/st Racing and NYRA Bets for its simulcast wagering. Deposit and withdrawal windows are open from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Raynham Park is located in Taunton, 39 miles south of Boston. It used to be a greyhound racetrack, and it held greyhound races until the sport was ruled illegal in 2010. It’s been exclusively a simulcast facility since then. It’s currently undergoing major renovation, as it will also host a retail Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts later in 2023.

Wonderland Park was located in Revere, just north of Boston. Like Raynham Park, it also hosted greyhound races until 2010 and had off-track dog betting until it was demolished in 2017. It now offers simulcast dog race betting through Suffolk Downs. It reported $1,742 in 2021 unpaid winnings.

Massachusetts horse betting is legal in-person at Plainridge, simulcast facilities, and off-track locations. It’s also legal online via apps like TVG Horse Racing.