Bangor Raceway achieves record handle in 2025

Bangor, Maine …. Bangor Raceway continued to buck nationwide pari-mutuel trends in 2025, reporting record handle numbers at the end of its recently concluded harness racing meet, while far surpassing record business numbers obtained during the 2024 season.

Over the course of its 38 day meet in 2025, Bangor Raceway accrued an average daily handle of $101,215, the highest in Bangor’s history, besting the 2024 average ($88,985) by 14% and continuing an upward trajectory which has shown solid year-to-year gains since 2021.

Daily handles in excess of $100,000 have now become a regular expectation at Bangor Raceway with 20 such occurrences realized in 2025, compared to twelve $100,000 handle days in 2024, and only two in 2023.

Bangor’s average daily handle has incrementally grown by 31% since 2021, while races per day have increased by 14% and average daily purses ($41,497 in 2025) have increased by 34% during the same period.

“Bangor’s 2025 harness racing season was one for the record books” said Thomas Smith, Bangor Raceway’s Racing Operations Manager, “These results reflect the dedication of our team, fans, and the horsemen and horsewomen who continue to make Bangor a leader in Maine harness racing.

“Continued improvements to our simulcast signal, strategic post times, a commitment to providing a world class racing surface, and determination to offer competitive, full field cards have all combined to make Bangor Raceway an increasingly attractive wagering option on a nationwide basis. As we prepare to launch our 2026 season in the spring, we invite the wagering public to check us out. We’re confident you’ll like what you see”.

Pending approval by the Maine Harness Racing Commission, live harness racing will resume at Bangor Raceway in April of 2026.

For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining, and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website at www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com (http://www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com/).

by Mike Sweeney for Bangor Raceway