Best Horse Racing Betting Sites

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.

Top Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK – April 2020

Best Rugby Betting Sites - April 2020

18+. UK+IRE only. T&Cs apply.

New UK & NI customers only. 18+. Sign up using promo code ‘SPORTS60’. Deposit & place first sports bet at a minimum of £10 in one bet transaction at evens (2.0)+.

New UK and Ireland Customers Only. Min Deposit: £/€10. First Deposit matched up to £/€30. 1 x wagering at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bet. Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only. Additional Terms Apply

18+. UK+IRE only. T&Cs apply.

18+. UK+IRE only. T&Cs apply.

New customers only. Deposit £10 min and claim in ‘my offers’ 1×100% mobile in-play profit boost. Max stake £10. Max extra winnings £100. Valid for 30 days. Skrill/Neteller deposits do not qualify. 18+ Full T&Cs apply. www.begambleaware.org

18+. New UK+IRE Customers only. Promo code ‘G30’ required. Min first bet £10. Must be placed within 14 days of account reg. £30 credited as 3 x £10 free bets. Not valid with CashOut. Free bet valid for 4 days.T&Cs Apply.

New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. T&Cs apply.

New customer offer. Place 5 x £10 or more bets to receive £20 in free bets. Repeat up to 5 times to receive maximum £100 bonus. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded. T&Cs apply.

New customers only; Use code: PLAY10; Min. deposit £15 (no Skrill/Neteller); Bonus amount is 50% of deposit up to £50; Offer can be claimed once per household; Wager the qualifying deposit and bonus amount 5x within 30 days to convert bonus winnings into real money; Wagers must be on min. odds of 1.80 on singles or combo bets with min odds. of 1.40 per selection to qualify; Max. stake contribution to wagering requirement is the value of your bonus; Terms apply; 18

New UK players only/First bet in first 14 days/ Any sport with 3 selections/ Deposit and min. 1.8 odds per selection/Minimum stake £5 maximum £30/ Certain payment methods excluded/ T&C apply/18+/begambleaware.org

18+ T&Cs apply. Cash stakes only. Min £10 stake required for initial £5 free bet. Min odds ½. Max £25 in free bets. Subsequent free bets equal 50% average of each 3 qualifying bets. 13 bets required to receive full £25 free bet. Qualifying bet must be placed within 30 days of opening account. Free bet expires after 7 days. Payment method restrictions apply

18+ ,UK + IRE only, 18+, Full T&Cs apply

18+ ,Available for customers who register from 04/12/2019. The risk free bet token should be selected on your bet of choice. The maximum refund is £20. Casino is excluded. Full terms apply.

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in UK

Bearing all the above criteria in mind, and from our own betting experience, we have come up with the following shortlist of the best online horse racing betting sites around. In no particular order they are:

How We Rank Horse Racing Betting Sites

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.

Horse Racing Offers and Betting Features

Non-Runner Money Back

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.

Money Back Specials

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.

Best Odds Guaranteed

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.

Enhanced Odds

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.

Tote Betting

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.

Each Way Betting

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.

Betting on Top Horse Racing Events

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:

• Cheltenham festival: Whilst the jumps season begins in earnest in the autumn, it is not until March that it really reaches its crescendo with the world-renowned Cheltenham Festival. For four days in March each year the eyes of the sporting world are focussed upon Prestbury Park and what is effectively the National Hunt Championships. With top level hurdling and chasing events – culminating in the Cheltenham Gold Cup itself – this is the meeting where dreams are made, and runners etch their names indelibly into the history books. 12^th -15^th March 2019 is the date for your diary.
• The Grand National: This race really needs very little introduction. A marathon chase contest held at Aintree Racecourse, this is the one contest guaranteed to make the news on the front pages as well as the back. Featuring fences more formidable than anywhere else on the racing calendar, this big field spectacular is the most famous horse race in the world for good reason. The runners next take to the track in this contest on the 6^th April 2019.
• Royal Ascot: The biggest flat meeting of the year bar none. Featuring a Royal procession prior to racing each day, a raft of international contenders and the very best athletes the horse racing world has to offer; Royal Ascot offers an experience unlike any other. The Queen never misses this meeting, and nor should you. 18^th – 22^nd June 2019 is when the action next kicks off in Berkshire.

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.

Live Horse Racing Betting

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.

Horse Racing Betting Options

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:

• To Win: The bread and butter of horse racing betting world. Simply a bet on your selection to win.
• Each Way: Next to a straight win bet, this is the most common of the betting options. An each way bet is effectively two bets. One bet on a horse to win – this will be settled at full odds. And one bet on the horse to finish placed – this bet will be settled at either 1/4 or 1/5 of the odds depending on the type of race. The number of places on offer also varies so be sure to check this prior to placing your bet.
• Accumulator: The accumulator is a bet containing two or more selections. Should your first horse win, all of the winnings will then roll on to your next pick. For those looking for that big win, accumulators may be the way to go.

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 Horse Betting

There are few things you can’t do with a mobile phone these days, and yet another area in which our handheld devices excel is in providing the facility to place a bet wherever we happen to be. For many it is therefore of vital importance that their online betting site provides a high-quality mobile offering. The two most common approaches to this are:

• Mobile Website: Bookmakers are aware that whilst many customers want to bet on the go, not all would choose to download a betting app. As such the top operators – including those on our list – have created a mobile version of their site, specifically designed to provide the same smooth experience as offered by their desktop site.
• Apps: Of course, there are those amongst us who do love an app, and for fans of mobile betting this can be the way to go. Specifically designed to provide the best mobile betting experience – be it on Android or iOS – betting apps excel in terms of clarity and speed. We particularly like Ladbrokes app when it comes to horse racing. Featuring all the upcoming races on the same coupon, you are only ever a click or two away from getting your bet on.

Betbright’s horse racing specific Betfinder App is also worthy of special mention here. Jam packed with a raft of stats, data and horse betting tips it’s hard to fault for the horse racing fan.

Conclusion

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.