There was a straightforward reason Jerry’s Spirit was claimed for $25,000 on May 3 at Santa Anita, the day the 4-year-old gelding won a six-furlong race by three lengths.
“He likes to win races,” trainer Tim Yakteen said. “We were looking for some action.”
Jerry’s Spirit won his third consecutive start at Santa Anita that day, a winning streak that may continue at Los Alamitos on Friday.
Win With Faith would in all likelihood be a stakes winner at this juncture of his career if not having the misfortune of running afoul of his nemesis Tank on a couple of occasions earlier this spring. But Tank will not be among the competition Friday when Win With Faith goes postward the likely favorite against five other 3-year-olds under optional-claiming and allowance conditions at Gulfstream Park.
The headliner will be decided at one mile on the turf.
New Mexico sports betting operates under a unique legal framework. Currently, six locations offer sports wagering in the state, and each sportsbook is located inside a tribal casino.
As a result, all legal sports bets in New Mexico must be placed in person at one of these authorized tribal properties. There are no state-approved online sportsbooks operating in New Mexico at this time.
The guide below explains how sports betting works in New Mexico and outlines where you can legally place a wager within the state.
Disclaimer: For those outside of New Mexico, you may face restrictions on the offers you see on this page.
Yes, sports betting is legal in New Mexico - but only at tribal casinos. Under the terms of their gaming compacts with the state, federally recognized tribes are permitted to offer sports wagering on tribal lands. New Mexico law does not authorize sports betting outside of those tribal properties.
There are currently no legal commercial sportsbook promos or statewide online betting platforms operating in New Mexico.
Sports betting in New Mexico exists because of the language contained within tribal gaming compacts negotiated between the tribes and the state. Unlike many other states that legalized sports wagering through standalone legislation, voter initiatives, or regulatory hearings, New Mexico’s framework is rooted in tribal agreements.
The compacts allow tribes to conduct, on Indian lands and subject to the terms of the agreement, various forms of casino-style gaming. The language broadly authorizes gaming activities including slot machines, table games such as blackjack and poker, roulette, craps, keno, lottery-style games, and other casino offerings.
Because of this broad definition of permissible gaming activities, several tribes chose to interpret sports betting as an allowed form of gaming under their compact authority. As a result, sports wagering launched at select tribal casinos without the need for additional statewide legislation.
The most recent significant legislative discussion surrounding sports betting in New Mexico occurred in 2021. Lawmakers considered House Bill 101, which would have allowed racetracks (racinos) to offer sports betting. However, after being referred to committees, the proposal did not advance.
Since then, legislative efforts related to sports betting have primarily focused on commissioning studies to examine gambling expansion in the state. These proposals have not gained traction, and no new laws have been enacted to expand sports wagering beyond tribal casinos.
At this time, there are no active measures moving forward that would significantly alter New Mexico’s sports betting landscape.
While New Mexico has roughly two dozen gambling facilities - including tribal casinos and racinos - only six tribal casinos currently offer on-site sports betting. There are no legal online sportsbooks or mobile betting apps operating statewide.
The first tribal casino to launch sports wagering was Santa Ana Star Casino, owned and operated by the Pueblo of Santa Ana. It accepted its first legal sports bet in October 2018, becoming the first sportsbook in New Mexico history.
Since then, five additional tribal casinos have introduced retail sportsbooks. Although these six venues remain the only locations offering legal sports betting, expansion is possible. The Navajo Nation operates gaming properties in both New Mexico and Arizona and has already launched a Hard Rock Sportsbook at its Twin Arrows Casino in Flagstaff, Arizona. That raises the possibility that additional sportsbooks could open at Navajo Nation properties within New Mexico in the future.
Below are the current locations where you can legally place a sports bet in New Mexico 2026:
Thunder Racebook & Sportsbook
Owned and operated by the Pueblo of Pojoaque, this Santa Fe sportsbook features a full-service bar and large viewing screens.
Address: 20 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87506
Phone: 505-455-5555
Hours:
Sunday–Thursday: 8 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Friday–Saturday: 8 a.m. – 4 a.m.
The Sportsbook at the Inn
Located in Mescalero and operated by the Mescalero Apache Tribe, this sportsbook is powered by Caesars. It offers table-side food service and 12 large-screen televisions.
Address: 287 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero, NM 88340
Phone: 575-464-7059
Hours:
Monday–Friday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Another Mescalero Apache Tribe property, Casino Apache’s sportsbook is powered by Caesars odds. Conveniently located off Highway 70, the property includes a gas station and convenience store.
Address: 25845 US Highway 70, Mescalero, NM 88340
Phone: 575-464-7059
Hours:
Thursday–Friday: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Owned by the Pueblo of Isleta, this is one of the largest sportsbooks in New Mexico and one of two located in the Albuquerque area. The venue features a full-service bar, teller windows, betting kiosks, and more than 40 HD televisions.
Address: 11000 Broadway Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87105
Phone: 505-724-3800
Hours:
Sunday–Thursday: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 7 a.m. – Midnight
Kiosks: Daily 7 a.m. – Midnight
Owned and operated by the Pueblo of Laguna, Route 66 Casino hosts one of the Albuquerque-area sportsbooks. The property offers dining, betting kiosks, and a comfortable viewing environment.
Address: 14500 Central Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121
Phone: 505-352-7866
Hours:
Sunday–Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Legends Sportsbook
Santa Ana Star Casino was the first venue to accept a legal sports bet in New Mexico. The sportsbook offers live ticket writers and self-service kiosks, which typically operate longer hours than the main counter.
Address: 54 Jemez Canyon Dam Road, Bernalillo, NM 87004
Phone: 505-771-5339
Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Kiosks: Daily 8 a.m. – Midnight
The six retail sportsbooks operating in New Mexico offer wagering on all major U.S. sports. NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football, and college basketball are consistently featured at the top of the odds board.
New Mexico does not have a major professional sports franchise in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL. The state’s population has historically not supported expansion or relocation of a major league team.
The closest professional affiliation is the Albuquerque Isotopes, a Triple-A affiliate of MLB’s Colorado Rockies. Prior to their current partnership, the Isotopes also served as affiliates for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the (then) Florida Marlins. Because of these ties — and regional proximity — teams like the Rockies, Dodgers, and Diamondbacks often attract fan interest within the state.
In practice, many New Mexico bettors follow nearby or regionally popular franchises.
College athletics play a significant role in the local sports landscape. New Mexico is home to two NCAA Division I programs:
University of New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico State Aggies
Both programs draw strong in-state support, particularly in football and basketball. However, betting availability on in-state college teams varies by sportsbook location.
Because each tribal casino sportsbook operates independently, there is no uniform rule across the state. Some locations, such as Santa Ana Star Casino, may restrict wagering on in-state college teams. Others, including Isleta Resort & Casino, may allow it. Bettors interested in wagering on UNM or NMSU should confirm availability directly with their chosen sportsbook.
Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos
Dallas Cowboys
Phoenix Suns
Denver Nuggets
Dallas Mavericks
Houston Rockets
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Miami Marlins
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Coyotes
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
University of New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico State Aggies
Current Sportsbooks
6Licenses Allowed
6Inn of the Mountain Gods: 287 Carrizo Canyon Road, Mescalero, NM 88340
Isleta Resort & Casino: 11000 Broadway Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87105
May, 2018
The U.S. Supreme Court nullifies the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, thus opening the door for all 50 states to offer sports wagering. In New Mexico, such wagering will be restricted to tribal properties.
October, 2018
Taking the opinion that there is no law that stands in the way of it taking advantage of the terms laid out in its compact with the state, the sportsbook at the Santa Ana Star Casino, owned and operated by the Pueblo of Santa Ana Tribe, accepts the state's first sports wager.
May, 2019
After the Pueblos of Santa Ana suffer no issues offering sports betting for its first several months of operation, the Pueblos of Pojoaque follow them into the wagering waters by opening their sportsbook at Buffalo Thunder Casino in Mescalero.
January, 2021
A bill to authorize sports betting at the state's five racetrack/casinos is dead on arrival in the New Mexico Legislature. This would mark the last time the legislature made a serious attempt at threatening the tribes' monopoly on this form of wagering.
Sports betting is legal in New Mexico, but only on the premises of sportsbooks operated by Indian tribes.
Anyone over the age of 21 can bet on sports in New Mexico, provided they patronize a tribal sportsbook.
Each tribe regulates sports gaming through a tribal gaming agency and under the oversight of the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Betting options are determined by the tribe that operates each sportsbook, but common wagering options include baseball, basketball, football, hockey, soccer, and a plethora of second-tier and more exotic sports. In-game wagering is permitted at most sportsbooks.
Some tribal sportsbooks don't allow wagering on sporting events involving in-state colleges, but others do.
Daily fantasy sports contests are readily accessible in New Mexico.
New Mexico has five racinos – racetracks with some casino gaming – sprinkled throughout the state: Albuquerque Downs (or The Downs), Ruidoso Downs, Sunland Park, Sunray Park, and Zia Park. Live and simulcast wagering are available at all of these venues. But while online gambling through account wagering occurs in New Mexico, betting on the aforementioned five tracks is not available on platforms like TwinSpires, 1/ST, and FanDuel Racing. To wager on those tracks, a bettor must visit them physically.
Have other Questions? Email cservice2@drf.com
21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
A nine-race Friday card at Churchill Downs is highlighted by a pair of allowances on the turf. A particularly competitive lineup is set for the sixth race, a $127,000 allowance for 3-year-olds and up.
Seven Wonders, the elder statesman in the field at age 6, is the 4-5 favorite on the morning line in the 1 1/16-mile race. He technically meets the conditions, as he has never officially won two races. He did cross the line first in a Del Mar allowance but was disqualified for interference.
The fight against prediction exchanges continues to rage.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, along with AGs from more than 30 states, filed an amicus brief Tuesday imploring the US Court of Appeals to side with New Jersey in its lawsuit levied by Kalshi, a prediction exchange that enjoys federal protection.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After being forced to miss more than two weeks’ worth of runners on this circuit due to his barn being quarantined, trainer Jeremiah Englehart is back in action at Aqueduct for the final eight cards of the Belmont at the Big A meet.
Englehart had two runners entered on Thursday and on Friday has Cut the Cord in a second-level/optional $45,000 claiming event scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the dirt.
Bracket Buster has returned to Kentucky following his career-best performance winning the Pegasus Stakes last Saturday at Monmouth Park – but another trip to the Jersey Shore could very well be possible.
Bracket Buster rolled by seven lengths in the Pegasus, geared down late while earning a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 91. The race was the local prep toward the Grade 1 Haskell Stakes on July 19, and both Bracket Buster and the runner-up, longshot Wildncrazynight, receive free entry to the race as a result.
Remington Park will introduce a new race, the $250,000 Great West Turf Sprint, on Sept. 28, and officials hope the five-furlong tilt for 3-year-olds and up might attract prospects for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
The Great West will share a card with the Grade 3, $400,000 Oklahoma Derby at 1 1/8 miles and the $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. The races are part of a 32-race stakes schedule worth a cumulative $3.4 million, according to an announcement made by Remington on Monday.
Too Much Kiki, who is the reigning Texas-bred of the year, may have opened a new career chapter for herself last month with her runner-up finish in the $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint at Lone Star Park.
She finished two lengths behind winner Mystic Lake, a multiple Grade 2 winner and earner of more than $1 million who could make her next start at Saratoga in the Honorable Miss.
Mister Omaha is on pace for a start in the $250,000 Iowa Derby next month at Prairie Meadows after the multiple stakes winner turned in a strong recent work at his base of Lone Star Park. The 1 1/16-mile stakes is July 5.
“That’s our plan if everything goes good between now and then,” said Joe Offolter, who trains Mister Omaha for his breeder, Bryan Hawk.
Mister Omaha breezed a half-mile in 50 seconds last Sunday and from there galloped out a mile in 1:40 and change, Offolter said. Jockey Luis Quinonez, who has the mount in the Iowa Derby, was aboard Mister Omaha.
