This FAQ page covers the most commonly asked questions about the BetHarness.com service. If you have a question not covered on this page and wish to contact us for more information, our customer service department is available at (866) 891-5100.

What is BetHarness.com?

BetHarness.com is a horse-wagering service dedicated to delivering the thrill and excitement of the racetrack through the convenience of the Web. From the latest odds and payouts, to handicaps and track conditions, BetHarness.com provides its members with all of the information they need to make a smart bet online. Members can place secure bets on a variety of tracks and see the results of the wager minutes after the race has been declared "official." No waiting, telephone calls or hassles. In addition, BetHarness.com provides its members an easy way to check on their account and their winnings.

How much does the service cost?

Betharness.com charges for deposits made with credit cards. The processing fees are 3.98%. There are no fees associated to the EZmoney system and it is free to set up. Cash advance services are available by calling our customer service department, but are subject to a Global Cash Access fee of 4.5%.

Are there any age restrictions on the BetHarness.com system?

Yes. Only U.S. residents 18 years of age or older may become members.
The following states have higher age requirements.
Alabama - 19 Minimum Age
Arizona - 21 Minimum Age
New Hampshire - 21 Minimum Age
Washington - 21 Minimum Age.

When is customer service available?

Customer service is available (866) 891-5100 seven days a week, open at 9:00 a.m. to closing (ET). There are shortened times on some holidays and announcements are made.

The wagering line at (800) 494-7223 will remain open until the last race goes to post.

How BetHarness.com works?

What do I need to do to place wagers?

Members of BetHarness.com can place wagers after opening an account and having sufficient funds in their account to cover the wager.

How do I open an account with BetHarness.com?

Click "Open an Account" and provide the information required to create the account. Once the account has been created, you will need to add funds to the account. This can be done by using a credit card, by sending a check through the mail, or by making a deposit at a participating track.

How long does it take to set up an account?

Once your application is accepted and your credit card is verified, or you have deposited funds through one of the alternative methods, you are ready to wager.

Do you offer harness racing as well as thoroughbred racing?

Yes. Check our Schedule for available tracks.

Are current odds available, and how current are they?

Yes. Odds are broadcast directly from our member racetracks and updated every sixty (60) seconds.

What racing information is available?

Members can view basic track program information, weather and track conditions, late changes, real-time odds, and exotic probable payouts. BetHarness.com has created partnerships with value-added data providers and handicapping software experts to offer a wide variety of handicapping information products.

Are past performances available online?

Yes. Past Performances may be purchased online for all available tracks for a reasonable fee.

Accounts and wagering

When do wagers need to be placed?

Wagers can be placed up to post time. To avoid being shut out due to delays over the Internet, we recommend that wagers be placed as early as possible.

What types of wagers are accepted?

We support nearly all wager types offered by our member tracks. The wagering menu will virtually mirror the tracks' wagering menus with the exception of parlay wagers (such as twin-trifecta or tri-super) which require an exchange ticket.

Are transactions confidential?

All wagers and transactions are completely confidential.

Does BetHarness.com have a wager limit?

Yes, the limit is $1,000 per wager. However, you may make multiple wagers to exceed this amount. The total of multi-bets, such as boxes and wheels, may also exceed a total of $1,000. (For example if a user wagers $200 on a three-horse exacta box, then the total sum of the bet would be an allowable amount of $1,200.)

Which credit cards do you accept for deposits?

Currently, we are only able to accept MasterCard and Visa for online deposits, including those debit cards which carry one of these logos. If you wish to use a Discover Card to make a deposit, you may do so by calling our customer service department between 9:00am and 4:30pm Eastern Time at (866) 891-5100.

I know my card and credit limit are good, why am I being declined?

The most common reason for a credit card decline (other than over the credit limit) is address verification. On the "Add More Funds" page, the fields will be automatically filled with your account information. If the address your credit card billing statement is mailed to is different, you will need to change the information in the fields to reflect your credit card billing address. If you are declined for this reason, our credit card processing company will send you an e-mail indicating this is why you were declined. You must also provide a valid and complete (yourname@aol.com for example) email address for online deposits.

Are my credit card deposit treated as cash advances, or purchases?

Our online credit card processing company treats all deposits as purchases, not cash advances. Deposits made through our accounting department uses a different processor, which may treat your deposit as a cash advance.

Can I access probable payouts?

You can access various probable payouts based on the track and the race.

Which pool does my money go into?

Your wager will be commingled into the appropriate pool of the host track.

How is my wagering dollar distributed?

Because all wagers are incorporated into the host track's wagering pools, the horsemen, the state and the racetracks share in the revenue.

How long after the race does it take for winnings to post to my account?

Your wager log update takes only a few minutes from the time the official race results are posted at the track.

Is there a minimum amount required to open an account?

BetHarness.com does require a minimum deposit of $25 to open an account ($250 for Oregon residents); however, once an initial deposit has been made, individuals may deposit any amount. Your bank may subject you to minimum credit card purchase amounts, and BetHarness.com is not responsible for the policies of individual credit card companies.

When/How do I know if my wager is accepted?

An on-screen wager confirmation, accompanied by a ticket number, is provided within seconds of submitting a wager. There is a Print button located on the confirmation screen if you wish to print the ticket for your records.

Is it possible to cancel wagers?

Once you submit a wager and the wager is accepted, you may not cancel it. After selecting your wager you will be given a confirmation screen to review the wager one final time before submitting it. Please take the time to proof your wagers, as BetHarness.com is not responsible for errors.

What happens to my wager when a horse has been scratched that is part of my wager?

BetHarness.com will provide refunds or assign other horses in accordance with the member track's policies for handling scratches.

Will I be able to see my wagering record?

You will be able to see the history of the current day's wagers by selecting "Recall Today's Bets" from either the "Manage Your Account Page" or the wagering screen.

Will I be able to see my balance online?

Your account balance is available online from either the "Manage Your Account Page" or the wagering screen.

What information is recorded in the wager log?

Your "View Today's Bets" screen will show all of your wagers for the current day, along with ticket serial numbers, amount and type of bet, whether the bet was a winner or loser, and the amount of the win or loss.

If I am a present holder of an Ohio TAB account, how do I use this service?

Present holders of Ohio TAB accounts may wager through the BetHarness.com site using their existing account. To modify their account, existing Ohio TAB customers may contact a customer service representative, and provide the requested information to update their account to an online status.

If I have a BetHarness.com account can I still wager via telephone?

Yes, you may use the same account for both telephone and interactive wagering. To wager by telephone, call 1-800-494-RACE (7223).

How are funds withdrawn from my wagering account?

BetHarness.com will issue a check for all withdrawals, sent only to the account holder at the account address on file. You may request a check online by accessing the "Withdraw Funds" form from the "Manage Your Account" page.

Can I have my winnings transferred to my bank account?

No. For security reasons, the only way to collect from your account is to request funds to be sent to you by check.

How do I dispute a miscalculation?

Call the BetHarness.com Customer Service Department at 866-891-5100 (this is a toll free call), and speak to a Customer Service Representative.

What information is BetHarness.com required by law to give the IRS concerning account activity?

BetHarness.com is required to report to the IRS (W2-G)all wagering transactions which return a payoff in excess of 300-1. BetHarness.com will also withhold funds at the standard IRS rate of 28% from wagers where the aggregate total of identical bets exceeds $5,000.

Will there be any documentation for online wagering that the IRS will accept for losing tickets, to be balanced against winning tickets when there are signers?

Customers may request an "Account Activity Report" for the calendar year. This computer-generated report will be mailed to the account holder within 10 days of receipt of the request.

What happens if I forget my PIN?

Your PIN is required for you to access your account. Should you forget your PIN, you must contact customer service as soon as possible for a replacement. As an added security feature of BetHarness.com, your account will be disabled for a period of 24 hours upon five failed attempts to login.

Cost, Access, Security and Support

Is technical help available?

Please continue reading Frequently Asked Questions to see if your question is answered. If not, please call a Customer Service Representative at (866) 891-5100. Known compatibility issues will be discussed in this section.

Do you support cable modems, ISDN, ADSL and T-1?

Yes. Connection speed is dependent on your access provider, but high-speed internet connections are not required to access the BetHarness.com service.

Do you support WebTV?

Currently, Web TV users are unable to access the wagering and account management portions of BetHarness.com.

Do you support America Online?

Users of AOL version 4.0 and higher should experience no difficulty using BetHarness.com. Users of AOL version 3.0 or earlier will not be able to access the wagering and account maintenance portions of the web site. 

Are any specific browsers or software required?

No. Your internet browser must support Secure Socket Layer encryption and Java Script, to access the wagering and account maintenance portions of the BetHarness.com website. Most currently available browsers are acceptable, including Internet Explorer and Netscape.

I Receive An Error, "Video Access Restricted"

In order to maintain the highest video standards for active customers, new minimum wagering requirements were implemented on September 3, 2004 for watching live racing. The new policy is also liberal enough to give new customers an opportunity to explore the system. Customers who meet minimum requirements will continue to have unrestricted access to live racing video, the minimum requirements are:

• $50 wagered during the last 5 days of access to the video.
• or $50 wagered during the previous 5 calendar days.
• or $100 wagered during the previous 30 calendar days.
• or $600 wagered during the previous 90 calendar days.
• or $5,000 wagered during the previous 360 calendar days.

Players who meet the minimum requirements will not see any changes. For occasional visitors who do not meet the minimum requirements, a notice will appear with instructions to restore viewing privileges.

Known Internet Browser "Bugs"

If you are currently using Microsoft's Internet Explorer version 5.0, you may experience problems with the "Add More Funds" and View Today's Bets" pages. There is a bug in Internet Explorer 5.0 which causes these pages to not load completely. Microsoft has published a "patch" which will fix this problem, which you can download from their website.

What type of security does BetHarness.com use?

All data is encrypted. Connection is secure by SSL Version 3. Connection is a dedicated, closed loop. BetHarness.com does not store any credit card information on its servers. Our encryption keys are provided by VeriSign. You may view our VeriSign security information by clicking on the VeriSign logo on the home page.

Why don't I see the closed padlock in my browser indicating the site is secure?

Encryption keys are used to secure your transactions at BetHarness.com. This site uses frames to display both secure and non secure pages (such as this FAQ page) in a manner to maximize the online experience. When both secure and non-secure items are presented online in frames, the closed padlock will not appear in your browser. This is a normal occurrence.

Is my personal account information secure?

All personal account information is strictly confidential and stored in secure servers. No information will be submitted to any other entity without a legally binding subpoena or order. This includes wagering information.

What protection do I have from others using my account?

Your PIN (personal identification number) and user ID protect your account.

What does my PIN do?

Your PIN is your personal security system, guarding your BetHarness.com account information. You should be careful with it, and strictly limit access to it.

May I access my account from someplace other than my own computer? (I.e., work.)

Yes, you may access your BetHarness.com account anywhere you have an Internet connection, your ID and PIN.

May my friends use my account?

Your PIN and user ID protect your BetHarness.com account. You must not permit anyone else to access the service through your account. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your PIN and user ID. BetHarness.com assumes all wagers made through a user's ID and PIN are authorized by the account holder.

last updated 4/3/2006

© 2006 BetHarness.com/BetRunners.com, a Service of TwinSpires, all rights reserved