As with so many things in the world of the internet, the choice when it comes to horse racing betting online is almost endless. With so many options available, the question facing prospective punters is how to decide between them? One thing’s for sure though; with such plentiful competition amongst horse racing bookies, fans of the sport have never had it so good.
The options available can appear almost endless at first glance but fear not, we have done much of the hard work for you. Having tried and tested the best offers and experience provided by the majority of operators in the online betting sphere, here we bring you our pick of the very best horse racing sportsbooks.
MIN. deposit : 10
Outstanding track record
Fixed odds & spread betting
MIN. deposit : 10
Wide range of offers
Price boosts each day
MIN. deposit : 5
Extra places and BOG
Correct4 football game
MIN. deposit : 5
Free daily odds boost
Highly prestigious brand
MIN. deposit : 10
Excellent track record
New Bet Boost each day
MIN. deposit : 10
Very wide range of offers
Outstanding mobile app
MIN. deposit : 10
Regular Rewards Boosts
Live global racing streams
MIN. deposit : 5
Enormous range of markets
Highly successful brand
MIN. deposit : 10
New specials bets each day
Multiple acca promotions
MIN. deposit : 10
Mobile-only betting brand
Innovative social features
MIN. deposit : 10
Very well-regarded bookie
Fantastic range of offers
MIN. deposit : 10
New OddsBoosts each day
Bookie & betting exchange
So, what makes a site stand out from the crowd when it comes to betting on horse racing? There are no doubt many answers to this question, but there are a few boxes which simply must be ticked if we are to consider signing up.
✔️Security: The importance of this can’t be overstated. If you are to deposit your hard-earned cash online, the very least you can expect is that your funds will be safe and secure. It’s not just your money which needs to be protected though, your personal data is also vulnerable should you select an unscrupulous operator. Fortunately, it is also in the interests of the sportsbook to provide as secure a betting environment as possible. You should nevertheless do your homework and check that the operator is licenced and regulated by a recognised body and has been awarded the required online safety certificates. Most of this information will be displayed at the bottom of a sites home page.
✔️Friendly interface, easy to sign up and place bets. Security is all well and good, but not really of much use if the site itself is difficult to use through non-intuitive interfaces or elongated sign up processes. Being able to find what we want quickly and easily is one of the perks of the internet in general, betting should be no different.
✔️Great welcome bonus. Often the number one thing that punters look for when selecting an online operator. And so it should be! With so much competition around and new horse racing betting sites popping up all the time, it’s only right that the top horse betting sites should go out of their way to attract your custom. From deposit bonuses, to free bets there’s plenty of variety when it comes to betting sign up bonuses, so be sure to shop around to find the offer that suits you best.
✔️Good odds for interesting events. So the site is secure and offers an attractive welcome bonus. Great! However, we still need to ensure that the bookie in question offers competitive odds on the things that we actually want to bet on. If you are a big horseracing fan for example, it makes little sense to sign up to a site which specialises mainly in football. The competitiveness of the odds is also important. Using a site which consistently offers lower odds than their rivals will only cost you money in the long run.
✔️Attractive ongoing promotions. Whilst many sites offer excellent incentives to sign up in the first place, the ones to really pay attention to are those who continue to look after their existing customers. Again, these types of regular player offers come in all shapes and sizes, so be sure to check out the promotions pages of the various sites before making your decision.
✔️Mobile betting options. A much-improved area across betting sites in general, there are still operators who do it much better than others. Being able to bet on the go is another of the main attractions of having an online betting account. We aren’t all always sat at a pc or laptop after all. If a site hasn’t put the time and effort into creating a smooth and functional mobile betting experience, then they probably aren’t worth your custom.
✔️Extras – live betting, streaming options etc. Part of the fun in having a horse racing bet – and for many the main source of excitement – is of course watching your selection in action. If this is important to you, then look for a site which offers a live racing stream. Or perhaps you like the opportunity to judge how your horse is performing before placing a bet, if so a live betting option is essential.
✔️Wide range of betting options. Whilst simply betting on a horse to win a race may remain by far and away the most popular option, it is by no means the only choice available. Variety is the spice of life as they say, and as such it can’t hurt to have a few extra tools at your disposal. There’s often additional value to be found in markets such as winning distances, betting without the favourite or place only bets to name just three. If these sorts of bets are appealing to you, be sure to check they are on offer before signing up.
✔️Unique horse racing betting features. One popular such recent innovation is the “cash out” feature offered by a few of the more innovative online firms. This provides the excellent facility to cash in your bet prior to its conclusion. Perhaps things are going well and you’d like to take your profit now, or alternatively cut your losses. “Cash in” allows your to do just that.
✔️Customer support. In an ideal world everything would run smoothly all of the time. And indeed, at the top betting sites it generally does. It is nevertheless nice to know that should you ever have a query you will be able to have it answered swiftly. This is where the customer support of a site is of utmost importance. Be sure to check that at the very least a site has an email or telephone query service, or ideally a live chat facility.
One of the giants of the online betting scene, 888sport is the sports betting arm of Gibraltar based 888 holdings. Famed as a world class casino and poker operator, their sports betting offering has quickly followed suit in providing a sleek, reliable and excellent value service. Along with just about everyone else, horse racing fans are well catered for at 888sport. Bet & Watch, Best Odds Guaranteed and the Acca Saver (money back as a free bet if one selection lets your down), being just a few examples of some of the features on offer.
Fully accredited and secure, holding licences in eight European countries, Betway has really begun to make a splash amongst horse racing betting sites in the UK through its excellent value to customers and sponsorship of several high-profile sporting events. Betway currently offers an excellent matched free bet up to a value of £30. A great way to get the ball rolling. Other features include a free to enter daily horse racing predictor competition offering prizes up to a cool £1000, and of course best odds guaranteed on all British and Irish horse racing.
Ladbrokes aren’t one of the most famous names in the horse racing betting game without good reason. Founded way back in 1886 and now part of the giant LadbrokesCoral group, betting companies simply don’t come any more trusted or reliable than this. There’s plenty of value to be had upon signup, with Ladbrokes offering a free matched bet up to an excellent £50. With best odds guaranteed, odds boosts, extra place races and more on offer, Ladbrokes certainly go out of their way to keep the online horse racing punter happy.
One of the newer companies on our list, 10Bet was only founded in 2003 but has quickly built up a reputation as being one of the best in the business. Now the official sponsors of Blackburn Rovers, 10bet tick all the boxes when it comes to security and legislation and are a company firmly on the rise. We also particularly like their horse racing offers which include having your stake – up to a maximum of £10 – refunded if your selection is either beaten by a head or less; or beaten by the SP favourite.
The other half of the gambling behemoth that is LadbrokesCoral, Coral bookmakers have been in operation since way back in 1926 and are one of the traditional giants of the UK betting scene. You don’t get to Coral’s position in the market without being a smooth operator, and whilst this is true across all sports, they particularly excel when it comes to horse racing. Live streaming, attractive sign up offers, money back if second, enhanced each way terms, best price guaranteed….all this and more is on offer to Coral’s horse racing punters.
This offer usually applies to antepost horse racing betting markets. When betting on a horse to win an upcoming race in the antepost list there’s the chance it won’t make the final field and you’ll lose your cash. That’s frustrating as you won’t even get a run for your money. If betting antepost you should look for non-runner money back. As the title suggests, if your pick doesn’t make the final field, your cash will be reimbursed. You can expect to find this promo at Coral and Ladbrokes. 🎁JUMP TO NON-RUNNER NO BET OFFERS >>
The likes of Unibet and 888Sport offer enhanced odds on certain horses in the biggest events of the year. For example, they may increase the price of the favourite in an attempt to lure you into placing your horse racing bets with them. It won’t be a massive boost, but you may see a jolly lifted from 2/1 to 3/1 for a certain period of time. Get it right and that will result in more cash in your winnings. 🎁CHECK OUT THE ENHANCED ODDS OFFERS >>
These come in a number of forms, but the idea is usually the same. I you back a horse to win a race and it doesn’t, you’ll get your cash back. Returned money could come in the form of a free bet, so read the terms and conditions before confirming your bet. Usually, the small print stipulates this promotion will be triggered if your pick loses to the SP favourite, falls or is beaten a head or less. Paddy Power and Betfair are two bookies who usually run money back specials. CHECK OUT THE MONEY BACK OFFERS >>
This is one of the most popular types of horse racing betting offers and it’s worth its weight in gold to those serious about making a profit from their punts. Take advantage of best odds guaranteed and, as the name suggests, you’ll always get top odds. If the SP is bigger than the price at the time the bet was struck, you’ll be paid out at the higher amount. If the original price outweighs the SP, again, you get the more generous quote. Betfred and William Hill offer best odds guaranteed and are up there with the best online horse racing betting sites. 🎁 CHECK THE BEST ODDS GUARANTEED OFFERS >>
MIN. deposit : 10
Many outright soccer bets
Intuitive modern platform
MIN. deposit : 10
Mobile-only betting brand
Innovative social features
MIN. deposit : 0
Excellent range of offers
Quickly-growing brand
MIN. deposit : 10
Tons of live soccer markets
1/4 place odds on each ways
When deciding which bookie to sign up with, it’s naturally tempting to go with a more established brand. We’d recommend considering younger sportsbooks too though, with these being the main pros and cons of doing so.
When deciding between new sportsbooks, the first thing you should look at are informed and unbiased reviews. Make a shortlist of highly-rated brands, then test each platform for yourself, and finally consider the value that each welcome offer provides.
You can place a bet at the agreed odds on your bookmaker of choice on your horse racing betting apps or take advantage of the Tote betting. Every major online bookmaker must offer customers the option to bet on Tote. This can usually be found on a separate Tote betting tab. What is Tote betting?
Betting on the Tote often gives customers an opportunity to get more in their winnings. The Tote works differently to fixed odds betting. As opposed to the set price you are offered by your bookmaker you are entered into a pool similar to a lottery when playing Tote. The number of winners depends on how many times the pot is divided. If a favourite wins the pot may be divided many times. If an outsider wins, you’ll notice fewer claimants.
There are also several different types of bets that come with the Tote. This include Jackpot and Placepot, the two most popular. A Jackpot winner could carry a life-changing cash prize whereas a placepot challenges punters to choose a horse that will place in each of the agreed races at a particular meeting. Be sure to read the Placepot rules before placing your bet. You can bet on Tote at bet365 and Paddy Power, for example. Bet on win, place, each-way or one of the exotics. These usually include swinger, exacta or trifecta. The latter allows you to predict the major finishers in the correct order, mainly first, second and third. Make a bet on the Paddy Power placepot or bet365 placepot now.
Such is the nature of horse racing as a sport that it presents one of the more difficult challenges for the online betting sites when it comes to in-play or live betting. Compared to say a football match which lasts for 90 minutes, some races are all over and done with in under a minute. Clearly this short duration doesn’t provide quite the same opportunity when it comes to betting in play as the relatively slowly unfolding action of a football or rugby game.
The betting exchanges are ideally built to cope with these quick-fire events and if in-play horse racing betting is your thing, then they remain at the top of the pecking order. It should be noted however that the traditional bookmakers – including those on our list – do now offer an excellent in-play service on many other sports and it would be no surprise should they make inroads into the world of live horse betting in the near future.
When it comes to the exchanges, Betfair remains at the top of the tree, but in-play punters could do worse than give the Ladbrokes Betting Exchange a try. In an effort to provide an exchange facility for their players, Ladbrokes purchased exchange site Betdaq in 2012, and continue to provide a solid experience to the bettor. The site also regularly offers attractive sign up incentives to new exchange players, including a free £10 lay bet and 0% commission. The best of the newcomers to this scene are Smarkets whose 2% commission compares favourably with that offered by exchange giant Betfair and who are growing all the time thanks to their aggressive marketing and value offers.
If you’re betting on horse racing, it’s much more exciting if you can watch it too. These are the main ways to do just that.
As touched on already, one of the main qualities that a good betting site should possess is a wide range of betting options. A few of the most popular horse racing bet types are:
There are of course many more options available ranging from place betting to a Super Goliath. One of the most popular is the Lucky 15 bet which perms four selections into four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold. One winner guarantees a return, whilst all four winning could mean the jackpot.
Mobile technology has revolutionized the way we gamble and horse racing apps for betting are now commonplace as a result. With so many to choose from, how do you what the best looks like? Of the horse racing apps UK bettors can use, there are some important criteria to consider which helps sort the wheat from the chaff:
User friendliness
– It almost goes without saying that top horse racing apps should be user friendly.
– What the best horse racing apps UK bettors use do best is provide a streamlined gambling experience by making it easy to place a wager while you’re out and about.
Horse racing promotions
– Accessing horse racing betting offers and bonuses for both new and existing customers through the app is essential.
– Promotions such as extra place races and the best odds guaranteed should be clearly visible.
Security
-A safe gambling environment is especially important on horse racing apps as you may be betting via WiFi on unsecured networks.
– The best horse racing app will use SSL-encryption technology for firewalls and servers so you can be through them with confidence that your information is protected.
Coverage
– You should expect to find the same horse racing markets and specials on the app as if you were access the sportsbook on your laptop or PC.
– Live streams of races you have bet on should be available for mobile viewing from the best horse racing app.
Now that you know what to look for, what are the top horse racing apps UK bettors use and why? We have a shortlist of three right here:
The Coral new customer offer of bet £5 to get £20 in free bets is available through their mobile platforms. Designed in the brand’s blue colour with buttons in yellow, green and white, the betting app has horse racing displayed prominently in the top menu. This is a big indicator that Coral takes this particular sport seriously.
Once you tap into the Coral horse racing app, there are daily extra place races listed across the screen below the sub menu. You can seamlessly toggle between the featured races and meetings happening today, ante post betting markets housed under the future tab and specials. ⭐Vist Coral >>
Thanks to #YourCall, you can even request horse racing bets through the app which get priced up quickly by the traders. Coral’s beaten a length offer gives you a free bet matching your stake of up to £10 if your horse suffers a narrow defeat.
Another of their horse racing betting offers is the best odds guaranteed (BOG) on all UK and Irish meetings from the moment such races are priced up following final declarations.
You can download the Coral horse racing app for sports betting for free on both Android and Apple phones from the respective operators’ app store. With well over 500,000 installs through Google Play alone, this is one of the most popular horse racing betting apps on the market.
At Betfred horse racing is one of the backbones of their sports betting app. Their welcome bonus of bet £10 to get £30 in free bets is available through mobile platforms.
Horses has its own button for you to tap on the Betfred app. Extra place races, for which this bookmaker has a particularly good reputation, are easily identified by the green banner which labels them as such above the time of the race.
Betfred horse racing markets are available for today, tomorrow and ante post with specials housed under Other Markets. The app makes great use of boxes and white space with racecards including the Racing Post verdict as published in the trade paper and additional markets in another tab. ⭐Visit Betfred >>
Betfred run a free bet if second offer on selected races every day to go with their extra place events. They are best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing for any bet struck after 8am on the day of the race.
Additional bonuses are even paid on system bets, set at 10% for Lucky 15s and Yankees, 20% on Lucky 31s and Canadians, and 25% additional winnings on Lucky 63s and Heinz bet. There is even a One Winner bonus that protects you if just one horse in a big system bet wins.
You can download the Betfred app for free for Apple and Android devices from the app store. Google Play lists over 100,000 installs of it making this sports betting app pretty popular.
For bet365 horse racing is one of the markets they price up fastest, so their traders are really on the ball. That bodes well for any bettor using the bet365 mobile app who wants to get their wagers on early. As well as making clever use of the brand’s green, white and yellow colours, horse racing has pride of place in the main menu.
The bet365 new customer offer of up to £100 in bet credits whe you make a qualifying deposit is something you can access through mobile and gamble on the horses. The next 3 races from around the world features prominently once you tap through with the option to watch live races you have bet on. ⭐Visit Bet365 >>
Races with enhanced markets are easily identified by the gold arrow next to the time. These are ones where you can use each way extra to get more places. Ante post betting on future bet365 horse racing events can be found in the sub menu.
They are also the best odds guaranteed on any UK, Irish, US or French horse race once the race is priced up after final declarations meaning you don’t miss out on a bigger starting price.
Another of the notable bet365 horse racing betting offers is they award free bets to punters who back a winner at odds of 4/1 or bigger in selected daily races.
The bet365 mobile app is free to download for Apple and Android devices with more than 1,000,000 installs via Google Play making it one of the top dogs.
Virtual horse racing is a digital version of real-life racing. While real course names might be used, all the runners and riders are fictional. The horses are still given virtual ‘weights’, though, to create favourites, underdogs, and generally more interesting virtual betting.
Virtual racing had been a niche market for a while. The impact of Covid-19, however – which caused racecourses across the country to temporarily close – saw it achieve unprecedented levels of popularity. If you’d like to get on board, and try some virtual horse racing betting too, we’d recommend checking out the likes of Bet365, 888sport, and Coral.
How to bet on horse racing? There are many ways to bet on a horse race at the likes of Betfred and Ladbrokes. You can back a runner to win the race, place or each-way. It’s important to remember the latter requires you to double your stake, so be aware of this to avoid any surprises when it comes to placing your bet. Half of your stake goes in the pick to win the race with the other half on it to place.
If your horse wins the race you’ll be paid out twice, both on the win part and on the place part. If it only places you’ll lose the win part of the bet and collect the place part only. The each way place terms differ depending on the number of runners and the type of race. Usually it ranges from ½ the odds a place 1-2 to ¼ the odds a place 1-2-3-4. Check the each way terms before making your bets to ensure you have a proper understanding of what to expect.
Betfred and Ladbrokes are amongst the best horse racing bookies and give offers to each way bettors. These usually include enhanced place terms. For example, if most firms are offering the standard 1/4 the odds 1-2-3, the traders may boost this, adding an extra place. This helps them stand out from the crowd.
For all that horse racing in the UK is close to being a 365 day a year sport these days, there are nevertheless certain events which really stand out from the crowd. A few of our favourites are:
Happily, for those who like a bet on horse racing, not only does the quality of the racing go up during these flagship events, but so too does the value offered by the online sportsbooks. Expect a raft of money back specials, price boosts, free bets and more, as the online competition try their utmost to outdo each other.
While you won’t find quite the variety in bet types with horse racing as you might with football, for example, there are still a fair few to choose from.
It’s pretty hard to crown one as ‘the best’ over all others, simply because different people prefer different strategies. As with all betting, it comes down to your preference for risk versus reward. Taking a straight-up Race Winner bet will deliver the highest returns, particularly if you back a long shot. But, thanks to there normally being at least eight runners in a race, these are also tricky to win. By contrast, a Place bet is easier to win, but will deliver a smaller profit.
With all that said,Race Winner remains the most popular bet type in horse racing.
The British horse racing calendar is dominated by three events, which take place in the spring and summer. These are the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National, and Royal Ascot, which are usually held in March, April, and June each year. Each lasts multiple days, boasts impressive prizes, and receives huge domestic and international attention.
All three are incredibly popular, but the biggest of the bunch is the Grand National. Between 500-600 million people around the globe are believed to watch it each year, and its prize fund of £1 million makes it the most lucrative jump race in Europe. If you’re new to horse racing, the Grand National is the perfect place to start betting.
Technically, the answer is yes: you can bet on all horses in a race. Sportsbooks, however, deliberately make it so that doing so is rarely, if ever, profitable.
If you convert the odds of each outcome in a given betting market into percentages, and add them together, they’ll never equal 100%. That’s because bookies insert a ‘vig’, or ‘overround’, into the odds, to ensure themselves a long-term profit.
The same is true in horse racing. Add the odds of all the runners together, and rarely would you get close to 100% in value. Thus, even if you did bet all the horses, you wouldn’t make a profit from the winner. The only exception would be a massive long-shot, with extremely high odds… but they don’t win many races!
We’re obliged to point out here, of course, that there’s no such thing as a ‘safe’ bet. Long term, the odds are always in the bookie’s favour. That said, some bet types are definitely safer than others.
The ‘safe’ bet type which most people prefer is the Each Way An Each Way actually consists of two separate bets: Win and Place. The Win part works like a regular Race Winner bet. The Place part gives you a return if your horse finishes within a certain range: usually the top three-to-five spots. The odds for Placing won’t be great – 1/5 is the most common price – but, by getting those extra places, your chances of making a return are much higher.
Yes. Betting on horse racing is legal under the Gambling Act of 2005. Meanwhile, any bookmaker accepting bets must be licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
A host of betting sites deliver a good number of horse racing markets and features today. However, there are three which undoubtedly stand out from the crowd in our opinion. 888Sport, William Hill and Betfair are the top 3 horse racing betting sites based on our experiences and expert opinion. Each delivers a huge number of markets from UK and international meetings, along with live streaming and horse racing specific promotions. Be sure to check them out for yourself and decide which best suits your needs.
New horse racing bookmakers emerge on a frequent basis, aiming to compete with more established operators in the industry. Of the new platforms available in the UK, it is Gatobet which we believe performs the best when it comes to horse racing. There site is made all the more appealing by the £30 free bet welcome offer.
When starting out with horse racing betting, it is beneficial to keep things simple. Each-way bets are often seen as the most suitable for beginners. Here, punters will receive returns if their pick finishes in a placed position, giving you more margin for error.
A Nap is one of the most common terms used when it comes to horse racing betting. Simply put, it means the best bet of the day from a particular tipster.
Hopefully this article will serve to highlight the features you should be looking for when it comes to choosing the best bookies for horse racing. No need to dive straight in to the first site that you see, as with many things in life it can pay to shop around. One thing’s for sure though, there’s never been a better time to be betting online and we are confident you won’t be disappointed should you sign up to any of the sites mentioned above.
