1/ST BET Review: Stronach Tracks, Streams, Bonuses and Fees
1/ST BET review: the Stronach tracks' own racebook, with 300 tracks and no published rebate
1/ST BET is the Xpressbet successor run by the company behind Santa Anita and Gulfstream. It streams 300-plus tracks and runs tidy multi-race pools, but we found no rebate schedule and a $5 card fee.
Our score
6.8/10Rated 6.8 out of 10
Verdict
1/ST BET is a competent racebook with one real draw: it is the house account for Santa Anita, Gulfstream and Pimlico, with free streams and low-takeout multi-race pools aimed at its own tracks. We could not find a published rebate schedule or withdrawal times, a $5 card-deposit fee is reported, and the owner's safety record at Santa Anita is part of the picture. Heavy players should price a rebate shop first.
Best for
Bettors who mostly play Stronach tracks and want streams and promos in one app
House app for Santa Anita, Gulfstream and Pimlico pools, including multi-race bets
Free live streams for account holders across 300-plus tracks, per one review
Existing Xpressbet logins carry over, so there is no second account
Phone and live-chat support; one test reply came in under a minute
What held it back
No rebate or rewards schedule we could find, a gap for high-volume players
A $5 fee on credit-card deposits is reported by one review
Welcome bonus terms vary by promo code, and credits cannot be withdrawn
State availability is not clearly listed on the front page
The Stronach Group's name is tied to Santa Anita horse deaths since 2018
A racebook owned by a racetrack company has an obvious conflict, and an obvious advantage. The conflict: it earns on every dollar you handle at its own tracks. The advantage: it can offer pools and promotions that an independent app cannot. 1/ST BET, the successor to Xpressbet from The Stronach Group, sits right on that line, and the question for a dedicated racing account is whether the advantage survives the costs.
What you actually get at the home tracks
The group runs Santa Anita, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico and Laurel Park, and its tracks now carry the 1/ST branding on their own wagering pages. That matters because the track-run pools are the reason to open this app at all.
Santa Anita's wagering page, branded 1/ST, lists the handicappers who supply daily analysis.
The pool design is the pitch. A Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 linking Santa Anita and Gulfstream was run at a 15 percent takeout in January 2024, according to Past the Wire. Takeout is the cut the track keeps before paying winners; the standard trifecta takeout at many tracks is well above that, so lower-takeout multi-race bets are where a bettor can find a better price. We did not verify the current takeout on any pool, and offers change by meet, so check the track page the day you bet.
Gulfstream's page tells the same story: wagering is its own section, with a free Racing Form program for its card and promotional art for a Pick-8.
Gulfstream Park's wagering page offers a free daily Racing Form program and promotes a Pick-8.
The app, with a loading spinner in the way
When we first captured the web app it showed a spinner, and only after waiting about eight seconds did the card load. That is a fair warning for slow connections. Once up (it is the lead picture above), the home screen is plain: tabs for Today, Favorites, All Races, Promotions, Carryovers and Expert Picks, a row of featured tracks, and an "Up Next" list that on the day we looked was dominated by Australian meets.
That mix is a reminder of coverage. A third-party review puts the total at a little over 300 tracks, with free streaming for account holders, about 50 handicapping factors and AI-generated picks. We have not tested the picks; treat the numbers as the reviewer's.
On a phone the same layout stacks into a single column.
The phone layout of 1/ST BET: one column, with the $200 sign-up banner front and centre.
Costs, bonuses and what we could not find
The bonus is where we would slow down. The site's own banner advertises "up to a $200 sign up bonus" running from July 24 to December 31, 2026. A different review quotes $100 after $500 of wagers in 30 days, with a promo code. Bonus credits in that review cannot be withdrawn, though winnings from them can, and they expire. Read the terms of whichever offer you take, and do not size a wager around a bonus you have not seen in writing.
The costs we can point to are small but real. One review reports a $5 fee on credit-card deposits. We found no published rebate schedule, which matters for anyone betting several thousand dollars a month: rebate shops return part of the takeout, and without one, none of the takeout comes back to you. Withdrawal times were not stated anywhere we looked. We have not tested payouts ourselves, so ask support in writing before you rely on a particular method.
State availability is also murky. Xpressbet has described itself as licensed in 38 states, but sources disagree on the exclusions, and the front page does not list them. Confirm yours at sign-up, before you fund an account.
The reputation question
The Stronach Group owns Santa Anita and Gulfstream, and the review we read notes that the company has faced controversy since a run of horse deaths at Santa Anita beginning in 2018. That does not change your price on a race, but it is part of whether you want to support the operator.
Verdict
Open it if Santa Anita, Gulfstream or Pimlico is most of your handle and you want streams and promos in one place. Skip it as your only account if you bet volume, because rebate-paying rivals will likely beat it on cost. A dedicated account is justified for the track-run pools, not for the app itself.
Horse racing carries a real risk of loss, so only stake money you can afford to lose. This is not financial advice, and help is at 1-800-GAMBLER.
