Batavia Downs at a glance
Batavia is a racino in the plain sense: a racetrack with a gaming floor attached, run under the New York Lottery. The track is a half-mile oval, so a one-mile race takes two laps and passes the grandstand twice. Our what is a racino guide explains how these combined venues came about in New York and other states.
What makes Batavia Downs different is the owner. Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation is a public benefit corporation, not a casino company, and its earnings go to 17 member counties and cities across western New York. The corporation reported record payouts in 2025, with more than $2.9 million distributed in a single quarter.
A track that closed and came back
Pari-mutuel racing began here on September 20, 1940. Wartime travel limits cancelled the 1942 and 1943 seasons, but the track recovered, and Bret Hanover set a track record in 1966, followed by Niatross in 1980. In 1988 Batavia hosted its only Breeders’ Crown race, a rare national championship night for a small half-mile.
The decline was steep. In 1994 the state revoked the track’s license after a contract dispute, the first such revocation in New York, and live racing stopped in 1997. Western Regional OTB bought the property in 1998, spent more than $10 million on renovations and reopened it on July 29, 2002. The gaming floor opened on May 18, 2005.
The 2026 racing schedule at Batavia Downs
The 2026 Batavia Downs meet runs from July 22 to December 19, starting after the Buffalo Raceway season has closed. Cards are a mix of matinee, twilight and night programs. The approximate posted times put the first race at 12:15 p.m. on afternoon cards and 5 p.m. on evening cards, with up to fifteen races per day.
| Program | First post | Last race (15-race card) |
|---|---|---|
| Matinee | 12:15 p.m. | about 4:55 p.m. |
| Evening | 5:00 p.m. | about 9:40 p.m. |
Feature races are modest but competitive. The $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial Pace on August 22 brought together the eight top-earning eligible pacers of the season, and Open Handicap races for $13,500 headline most weekends. Racing fans comparing calendars can use our horse racing schedule to see which New York tracks run on a given day.
The gaming floor
The floor holds more than 946 video gaming machines, the lottery-run version of slots described in our video lottery terminals explainer. There are no live table games, poker room or sportsbook. Hours run from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday through Sunday, and the minimum age is 18.
Dining sits close to the machines. Fortunes is the main restaurant, 34 Rush is a sports bar with wings, burgers and a late-night menu, Burnin’ Barrel BBQ operates from the Homestretch Grill, and the Clubhouse serves racing fans during the meet. Sunday brunches return in the spring, and a simulcast center takes wagers on tracks across North America all year.
Batavia Downs concerts and the hotel
Rockin’ the Downs is the series of summer concerts held outdoors on the racetrack itself. Doors open at 5 p.m. and headliners go on around 8 p.m. Tickets are sold by section, from front row and premium seating to a general admission lawn. A shuttle runs between the gaming building and the concert area for guests who need help.
The Batavia Downs hotel is attached to the gaming building, so guests can walk from their room to the floor, the restaurants and the races without stepping outside. Hotel deals pair stays with golf at nearby courses and seasonal promotions. The city sits along the New York State Thruway, which makes it an easy overnight stop between Buffalo and Rochester.
Other racinos within reach
Western New York has three racinos within an hour or so of each other. Hamburg Gaming south of Buffalo runs harness racing at Buffalo Raceway in the first half of the year, and Finger Lakes near Rochester offers thoroughbreds from late April to November. The New York racinos guide lists every track in the state.