1/ST BET Review: The Stronach Racing App Weighed Against the Bigger National Apps

Racing apps tend to be sold on size: how many tracks, how many streams, how big the sign-up credit. 1/ST BET is sold on a narrower claim. It is the app of the Stronach Group, the company behind Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park, and it wants to be where you bet those meetings. The practical question is whether that tie is worth giving up a bigger national app.

We could only reach the product through its public home screen, its App Store listing and independent reviews, so the fees and tiers below are quoted from named outside sources, not from our own deposits.

What the home screen tells you

The top bar offers Today, Favorites, All Races, Promotions, Carryovers and Expert Picks, and the bottom bar has Home, Tracks, My Bets and More. Under Featured Tracks we captured Belmont, Churchill, Del Mar, Gulfstream and Charles Town, each with a race number and a status, and an Up Next list that mixed Australian, New Zealand and US meetings with a minutes-to-post count.

Below that sit the promotion tiles. The first read "New customers: earn up to a $200 sign up bonus", dated 24 July to 31 December 2026. Others offered 20x points on Woodbine and a $2,500 Hit & Split at Steel Valley. The page shows what is on offer, not whether it suits you, and the promotions are where the sources disagree most.

Three sign-up offers, none the same

CBS Sports describes a code that gives $50 in wagering credits on a $50 deposit, then $20 in credits per $100 wagered up to $500 more, a $550 maximum over 60 days, with credits expiring after 14 days. BettingUSA's review lists a $100 bonus for $500 of wagers in 30 days, and notes that wagering credits cannot be withdrawn though winnings from them can. The home screen we captured said $200.

These may be different dates or different campaigns. For the reader the rule is the same: credits are not cash, and you earn them by betting, so a larger headline asks for larger turnover. Read the terms on the live offer.

Rewards that reward volume

CBS Sports sets out a five-tier ladder. Bronze starts at 0 to 119 days or under $12,000 wagered, and Silver at 120 days or $12,000. Gold needs 180 days or $24,000 wagered and brings 50% monthly bonus points, two free FedEx withdrawals and 10% off card fees. Platinum (240 days or $48,000) raises that to 75%, three withdrawals and 20%, and Diamond ($96,000) to 100%, five withdrawals and a 100% card-fee discount. Points are 2 per dollar on any race, 3 on simulcast at Rewards Tracks and 4 on live racing at Rewards Tracks.

The structure is honest about what it is. It pays heavy bettors to stay, and it does nothing for a casual bettor who stakes a few hundred dollars a year. Wagering to climb a tier is a cost, not a saving.

Fees and getting paid

The costs are the clearest reason to read the small print. CBS reports deposits by bank transfer and cash as free, with card, PayPal and Venmo deposits at $5 each, all instant. Withdrawals by bank transfer are free in one to four business days, by check $5 in seven to ten, and by PayPal or Venmo $1 within 24 hours. BettingUSA also lists a $5 charge on card deposits and cash deposits at Xpressbet welcome centres at tracks.

A $5 fee on a $20 deposit is a quarter of the stake gone before the gates open. Fund by bank transfer and the cost disappears.

The tools

BettingUSA says you can rank horses on fifty factors drawn from over 200,000 past races, and that AI-powered picks are available. CBS adds past performances, "More Info" profiles, live video, a free handicapping tool on some races and a Quick Pick spin wheel for top-four finish bets, weighted by AI probabilities where available. Bet types run from win, place and show to the Daily Double through the Pick 6, at parimutuel odds that move until post time.

Parimutuel pools mean the app does not set your price. You are betting against other bettors, and the track takes its cut, so the app's job is access, data and rebates, not odds.

Against the bigger apps

BettingUSA counts over 300 tracks with live streaming, and CBS says the app covers 37 states, with 18 as the usual age and 21 in Alabama, Arizona, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, New Hampshire and Washington. In CBS's comparison table, TwinSpires offers up to $400 in bonus bets and FanDuel Racing a $50 racing bonus after a $10 bet, against 1/ST BET's up to $550.

The incentive structure differs more than the size does. If you bet Santa Anita, Gulfstream and the rest of the Stronach circuit often, the rewards tiers pay you for it. If you bet a spread of tracks, a national app with more rebates and more streams will serve you better.

Android is a loose end. BettingUSA says there is no Android app and the website serves Android users, while CBS cites a Google Play rating of 4.1 from 2,569 reviews. Check the store listing for your phone.

Verdict

A sensible second racing app for someone who bets Stronach tracks, and a less obvious first one. Racing is gambling with a built-in take on every pool. Set a weekly limit, avoid stacking bets to chase a tier, and use the wager-limit and self-exclusion tools if the pace gets away from you.

21+ in some states, 18+ in most. Gamble responsibly: call 1-800-GAMBLER if you need help.