The Best Horse Racing Betting
Sites of 2024

Short Reviews Our Evaluation Methods Betting on Horse Racing

8 Best Horse Racing Betting Sites - April 2024

Sportsbook

Rating

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Key Features

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1

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Huge betting limits
  • Great promotions
  • Horse racing live streams
Expert Review
Expert Review

Min deposit £10 • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 • Min odds 1/2 (1.50) • Free Bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days • Free Bet stakes not included in returns • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Bonus can be used on selected games only & winnings are capped at £500, excluding jackpot wins • Bonus winnings can only be withdrawn after wagering requirements have been met • Full T&Cs apply.

2

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Generous promotions
  • Great mobile app
  • Sterling reputation
Expert Review
Expert Review

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Paypal & certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply.

3

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Great horse racing odds
  • Good coverage of events worldwide
  • Betting exchange + fixed odds available
Expert Review
Expert Review

18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&Cs apply.

4

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Horse racing replays available
  • Great selection of markets
  • Wide number of payment options accepted
Expert Review
Expert Review

New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply.

5

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Instant balance transfer options
  • Many local currencies available
  • Slow expiration for free bets
Expert Review
Expert Review

New customers using Promo code H30 only, Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed, payment method/player/country restrictions apply. T&Cs apply.

6

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Great user experience
  • Very few deposit/withdrawal limits
  • Great odds
Expert Review
Expert Review

18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £5 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days of registering, no cashout. Get 2x £10 Free Bets, set events at odds 2.00+. Plus £10 Game Show Bonus, selected games, wager 40x to withdraw max £250. 7 day bonus expiry. Card payments only. T&Cs apply. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly

7

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • Great sportsbook platform
  • Racing is separate from other sports
  • A huge number of events
Expert Review
Expert Review

18+ begambleaware.org.
New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first sports bet loses. Wagering requirements: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. Visit Unibet.co.uk for full T&C’s. #Ad

8

Users Rating

Expert Review
  • High winning limits
  • Great horse racing offers
  • Totepool horse race betting
Expert Review
Expert Review

New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code Chelt40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative Evens+) within 7 days of registration. First bet must be on Sports. £30 in Free Bets and £10 in Free Spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free Bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.

How to Bet on Horse Racing

Due to the undeniable presence of horse racing punters in the UK, horse racing betting sites have sprung up all over the country’s internet. What’s more, almost every one of them offers some form of free bets if you need to learn how things work with online bookies. Learn about the most common types of horse racing bets in our separate post.

Our guide here will help you find the best racing betting site, but before diving into individual reviews, let’s cover what we paid the most attention to while picking the online betting sites to include in our article.

What We Evaluate

User experience

User Experience

If users can’t find their way around a betting site, they won’t be able to cash in on all their horse racing knowledge. That’s why we look at online bookmakers’ website layouts, how hard they are to navigate, what their sports betting apps look like, etc. A good online horse racing betting provider will include an overview of all current and future races, free bet opportunities, the horse racing odds boosts and extra places available on its online counterpart, and even some mobile-specific horse racing promotions and bonuses.

Bonuses & Promotions

Bonuses and Free Bets

When you decide to make a horse racing betting account with a bookie, making your first qualifying bet feels riskier than usual. That’s why many of them have sports betting welcome offers with free bets designed to help you start your journey without added stress, either by giving you bet credits after you fill out your first bet slip, or returning your stake as a free bet if your first bet loses to ensure a risk-free experience. Many online horse racing bookmakers will offer promotions existing customers can take advantage of, too: From best odds guaranteed and extra places on a specific horse race (relatively common), to some minor payouts even if your complex bet slip loses.

Sports & League Variety

Sports and League Variety

A newcomer might think there is very little to be said in this category regarding horse races—after all, it’s horse racing. However, most experienced punters will want to differentiate between flats and jumps, and some horse racing aficionados may even be looking for harness racing, which is relatively rare with horse racing bookmakers in the UK. There is also virtual horse racing, which is becoming more common across many sites.

Betting Types

Betting Types

Learning horse racing betting terminology is almost impossible. To figure out what Trixie and Yankee are, the best thing you can do is use free bets to place them—once you’ve found a platform that offers them. However, some online bookmakers also offer a choice between sportsbook (fixed odds) betting, exchange betting, and tote horse racing betting. Experienced punters always keep an eye on the latest horse racing odds, whichever betting approach they might have.

Customer Support

Customer Support

Even with the best online betting sites in the UK, you’re bound to run into problems sooner or later. Most platforms offer excellent help, either through FAQ sections (which often contain horse racing tips for building your online betting strategy) or direct support, so there’s no need to worry.

Payment methods & fund security

Banking and Payment Policies

Making sure that the horse racing betting site you chose accepts your preferred deposit method is vital, as well as checking their deposit and withdrawal limits—so we did that for you.

Everything You Need to Know About Horse Racing

One of the most critical facets of horse race betting is telling races apart:

Flat Racing

This type of horse racing is the most popular type for punters and makes for the best horse racing events. The race is run on a flat surface between one and three miles long. It usually falls into two different subcategories:

  • Conditions racing: The runners carry weights laid down by the horse race’s conditions, allocated by sex, age, and quality.
  • Handicap racing: The horses carry weights laid down by the handicapper to level the playing field between better and slower horses. This is not based on sex or age.

Jump Racing or National Hunt Racing

These terms refer to horse races with obstacles on the track; famous examples include the Grand National and the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

It’s harder to bet on this type of race due to more factors coming into play, so in jump horse racing, early betting odds can differ significantly from the starting price. This form of horse racing is also separated into several subcategories:

  • Hurdles: This refers to horse races in which the runners jump over hurdles.
  • Steeplechases: The horse racing track here includes more obstacles, like fences, water, open ditches, etc.
  • Endurance racing: This type of horse racing tests the runner’s endurance instead of speed and agility, but it is also less popular due to its length. The Mongol Derby, which is the longest horse race currently going on, spans over 1,000 kilometres.
  • Quarter horse racing: This is another less popular type of horse race. This one focuses on extreme speed, and its name refers to the length of the track (typically a quarter mile or less). The best betting sites for horse racing will offer these selections as well, but not very often due to a lack of interest.
  • Harness racing: Here, the winning horse will be the one who manages to pull a so-called sulky the fastest, while maintaining a specific pace and not breaking stride. If it starts galloping, it is penalised by being forced to slow down and fall back behind the other runners in the horse race. Read our guide on reading a horse racing form and evaluating horse’s odds of winning.

For the best odds, you can take advantage of price differences among horse racing bookmakers by comparing their offers before placing a cash bet. When you’re using software for finding enhanced odds, horse racing betting becomes significantly easier very quickly.

Aside from these tools—available for free online at several places—you may also be interested in how prices change on each platform. The vast majority of UK horse racing betting sites guarantee the best odds; this means that, if you went for an early price for a qualifying bet and it changed by the time the horse race starts, you’ll get the better price.

Nonetheless, it is still a part of many horse racing punters’ strategies to know how these changes happen and follow the latest competitive odds on various platforms. Whether this fits with your horse racing betting strategy is, of course, subjective, but it can be a valuable tool to consider.

Finally, knowing what to look for when searching for the perfect horse racing bookmaker is important. New horse racing betting sites in the UK might offer extremely attractive welcome bonuses, but without the stability or infrastructure of well-established online bookmakers.

Some punters will gladly forgo a casino bonus for sports betting if that means they get the best odds in relevant horse racing betting markets. In contrast, others prefer having insurance on a qualifying real money bet, even if the payout takes a little longer than on other betting sites in the UK.

Finally, most of those choices come down to personal preference. The easiest way to figure it out is seeing what is most commonly on offer across online sports betting sites, noting what is important to you and what you can live without, and checking which bookmakers fit most of your criteria.

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK

  1. 888Sport
  2. bet365
  3. William Hill
  4. BetVictor
  5. Ladbrokes
  6. Coral
  7. Unibet
  8. Betfred

888sport Review

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Key Benefits
  • Live horse racing betting
  • Great range of payment methods
  • Odds calculator for predicting complex qualifying bet settlement outcomes
  • News and blog for building a horse racing betting strategy
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888sport Review

888sport’s parent company, 888 Holdings, has a long-standing reputation as an excellent gambling platform. The sports betting site is a relatively recent addition to its existing casino, poker, and online bingo brand, but it holds up well even against online bookmakers that have been in the business for far longer.

888’s horse racing betting offers are no exception. In fact, 888sport became the main sponsor of the UK’s famed Fontwell Park Racecourse in 2010.

User Experience

Horse races are easy to access on 888sport, as you’ll find all horse racing betting markets within seconds. They’re right next to other popular sports like football, greyhounds, tennis, and basketball. You can make a qualifying bet via Next Off, Meetings, and Ante-post betting.

On the aesthetic front, 888sport’s black background with orange accents makes this horse racing betting site friendly for nighttime use and generally easy on the eyes.

Bonuses and Free Bets

To qualify for 888sport’s welcome bonus, which gives you £30 in free bets after you’ve placed your first £10+ qualifying bet, you’ll need to use a promo code when signing up. Additionally, 888sport rewards risk takers: If your bet wins at 5.0 (4/1 in fractional odds) or bigger, you get a £5 free bet, up to one per day.

The platform also offers an Each Way+ with enhanced odds boosts 10 minutes before each race starts. Unfortunately, its horse race-oriented promotions section is glaringly empty. That makes them one of the very few popular horse racing betting sites in the UK not to include any bonuses.

Sports and League Variety

You can make a cash bet on any local horse racing event, including the Grand National. You’ll need to know the names of the races, which can be a bit confusing for newcomers, but in 888sport’s defence, not many horse racing betting sites actually separate events by category.

Additionally, the 888sport horse racing live streaming section follows races from around the world, but primarily those from the UK and Ireland. If you make a qualifying bet on a race, you will be able to watch its live stream right there on the betting site.

Betting Types

888sport offers a wide range of bets, from standard to exotic. Each complex bet is accompanied by a horse racing betting guide, explaining everything from the basics (what is a Trixie Bet, for example) to when you should use them.

Especially useful is the complex bet calculator, where you choose the qualifying bet type, enter your data (minimum odds, result, Rule 4, Dead Heat), and calculate your potential winnings. This horse racing betting site also has a regularly updated blog with tips, so you can make an informed horse racing bet.

Customer Support

The FAQ section at this betting site is handy for most issues you may run into, but you can also contact a support agent through an online contact form or if you created a horse racing betting account, call the Member Support phone number, available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. GMT.

Users from Germany, Canada, and the UK will have a phone number specific to their area for contacting the betting site, while others can call a separate number. As far as international horse racing betting sites go, unfortunately, the lack of around-the-clock availability can be a deterrent for customers from other time zones—but customers from the UK and Ireland should have no issues getting the help they need, whether it concerns making a qualifying bet, spending bet credits, or ensuring they bet responsibly.

Banking and Payment Policies

The 888sport deposit method list includes cards, PayPal, bank transfers, and a wide variety of e-wallets and prepaid vouchers, including Apple Pay. However, not all of them can be used for withdrawing funds (like prepaid vouchers and some e-wallets), so be sure to check its extensive Payment Methods page.

Additionally, this betting site offers some local payment options (like Nordea in Finland and Sweden) for sports betting customers residing outside the UK and those on holiday abroad who want to top up their accounts.

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Key Benefits
  • Live horse racing betting
  • Great range of payment methods
  • Odds calculator for predicting complex qualifying bet settlement outcomes
  • News and blog for building a horse racing betting strategy
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Bet365 Review

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Key Benefits
  • Live streaming available, virtual horse racing included
  • Decent range of horse racing bets and promotions
  • Maximum winnings have huge cutoffs
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Bet365 Review

Bet365 is a well-known horse racing betting site with a stellar reputation. It is newer than most sports betting platforms on our list, but it still has two decades of experience, having been founded in 2000 by Denise Chan.

Although it’s not exclusively a horse or dog racing betting site, it offers various useful features, like building your “stable” with all your favourites or replaying all UK and Irish races for free (e.g., the Grand National). At Bet365, fans are rarely disappointed, especially since it offers horse racing betting promotions for payouts on disqualified horses, including system bets placed Ante-Post.

User Experience

The Bet365 user interface is slightly more cluttered than on most other horse racing sites, but for many users, this gives a feeling of endless choices, so your own impression may vary.

The horse racing betting section shows the upcoming races, with offers and extra features on the right-hand side of the screen, so users can see whether they qualify for a free bet bonus and add any applicable ones to their slip.

Users can also choose to allow browser alerts, so the platform sends them notifications whenever a race they made a qualifying bet on is about to start.

The Bet365 horse racing live streaming service is pretty easy to find, but requires users to log in to the betting site first. This feature and most others are also available for mobile devices, so you’ll be able to take your account wherever you go.

Bonuses and Free Bets

A significant advantage of Bet365 is that its bonuses are separated by sports, meaning you can filter out horse racing markets from everything else. It offers best odds guaranteed, Racing Value (which includes a payout on disqualified horses), the best price promise on every horse for all races shown live on ITV Racing, and many more.

Although Bet365 already has competitive odds for horse racing betting, the company also offers odds boosts on a massive number of events (including the Grand National). The “My Horses” feature lets you build a stable of your favourite horses and sends you notifications and updates when they run, so you can make a qualifying bet.

Sports and League Variety

Bet365 covers horse racing betting on events worldwide, but live streams are restricted to UK and Ireland races only. You’ll still be able to use your bet credits on international races without issue, of course.

All the horse racing markets are grouped by location and event time, so you’re not likely to miss any racing bets you’re interested in. Additionally, the Bet365 virtual horse racing section is something not many other horse racing sites offer, giving horse racing fans a whole new playground.

Betting Types

Bet365 offers the usual range of system bets: Singles and exotic bets are all covered. Whichever you choose, the betting site promises the best price for qualifying bet settlement on every horse in all races.

Tote racing bets are available on select races with five or more runners, and in the case of Tote, there is no maximum payout in place. Tote accepts Win, Each Way, Place Only, Exacta, Trifecta, Placepot, Quadpot, Jackpot, Scoop6, and Swinger bets.

Customer Support

An extremely detailed Help section also answers a great range of questions about bet settlement, system bets, making your first bet, free bets, etc. We learned that the Bet365 maximum payouts for horse racing betting range from £20,000 to £1,000,000, depending on the market and bet type, and it’s one of the few horse betting sites with this information readily available for customers.

Bet365’s live chat feature is available 24/7, 365 days a year, but you can also give the company a call or shoot an email with any concerns you might have to ensure you bet responsibly.

Banking and Payment Policies

The platform accepts various payment methods like cards, PayPal, and even wire transfers, as well as e-wallets and prepaid cards. Every deposit method is free, and only wire transfers and cheques are not instantly settled (the former takes between 2-10 banking days, while the latter may require 5-28 banking days).

Some free horse racing bets may be unavailable to users who opt for e-wallets and vouchers, so be sure to check the fine print before committing to a single deposit method. The company also reserves the right to void any qualifying bet winnings suspected to be the product of foul play.

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Key Benefits
  • Live streaming available, virtual horse racing included
  • Decent range of horse racing bets and promotions
  • Maximum winnings have huge cutoffs
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William Hill Review

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Key Benefits
  • William Hill horse racing betting is one of the best in the market
  • Horse racing odds boosts and extra places regularly available
  • Virtual horse racing
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William Hill Review

As one of the oldest bookmakers in the UK, founded in 1934, William Hill has become a symbol for high-end betting sites in recent years. William Hill horse race betting is an exceptionally well-maintained section of the platform, with year-long offers and best odds guaranteed.

It debuted its first virtual horse racing app, Get In The Race, in 2015, as one of the first bookmakers to introduce this type of horse racing betting to the market.

User Experience

William Hill has a clean, simple interface with an excellent overview of its horse racing bet offer in a separate tab. The section is easy to navigate, which is not too surprising, considering horse racing betting is what started the company’s business almost a century ago.

Fans of this bookmaker will be equally unsurprised by the fact that it has one of the best horse racing betting apps for iOS and Android. The app is quite intuitive and easy to use, with all the features of good betting sites.

Bonuses and Free Bets

William Hill offers a relatively generous welcome bonus where users who bet at least £10 get £30 of bet credits in the form of two £15 free bets when using a bonus code to sign up for an account.

As is the case with most horse racing sites, users depositing with e-wallets or prepaid vouchers won’t be able to use this offer, and the minimum odds must be at least 1.5 (1/2 in fractions). In the case of an each-way bet, only the win part (for which the qualifying bet is at least £10) counts towards the wager.

William Hill horse racing betting odds are among the best in the market, and the platform guarantees the best odds, meaning you are paid out at the higher between your own price and the starting price for a maximum benefit of £25,000 per customer per day.

Major events will also often get enhanced odds, and there are weekly extra places on select horse racing events that can even double the number of places on offer—an excellent chance to maximise your each-way qualifying bet settlement.

Sports and League Variety

William Hill offers horse racing betting on events from all over the world, as well as virtual horse racing—meaning you’re likely to find everything you’re looking for and more. If you want the best horse racing odds, extra places are found in a separate section.

The races that can be watched live have a green play icon setting them apart, and there’s one meeting each day where you can get your money back as bet credits if your horse finishes second.

Betting Types

You’ll find all your standard and exotic bets at William Hill, along with a handy calculator with a bet breakdown, so you can not only figure out how much you can expect to win after bet settlement, but also have a great overview of what complex and system bets entail. The bookie also offers a #YourOdds feature where you can build your own qualifying bet.

Finally, Acca Freedom is a feature letting you boost your treble (and bigger) bets, or insure your five-fold wager against one bad result, so you get up to £20 of your money back as basically free bets to use later.

Customer Support

Although most potential issues on this horse racing betting site are addressed in its extensive FAQ section, William Hill also offers 24/7 support through live chat, email, and Twitter. At the time of this review, phone support was available during business hours.

As with many horse racing betting sites, you can find all sorts of helpful articles in the Help section, with topics ranging from simple signup troubleshooting to deposit and withdrawal specifics, gambling addiction help, and a Shop Locator for those who’d rather visit in person.

On the downside, there’s no blog or guide section with horse racing betting tips for inexperienced punters.

Banking and Payment Policies

William Hill accepts a wide deposit method range, many of which depend on location, including cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, other e-wallets, and prepaid vouchers.

There is also a minimum withdrawal limit, but if you’re under that limit, you’ll still be able to withdraw all your funds (no partial withdrawal available).

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Key Benefits
  • William Hill horse racing betting is one of the best in the market
  • Horse racing odds boosts and extra places regularly available
  • Virtual horse racing
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BetVictor Review

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Key Benefits
  • One of the most popular horse racing betting sites in the UK
  • Betfinder feature
  • Great customer support
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BetVictor Review

BetVictor is another sportsbook with a long tradition of excellent service, as it has been in business since 1931, and now offers an impressive range of sports. However, horse race betting has always been a crucial part of its offer. It sponsored the Victor Chandler Chase, nowadays called the Clarence House Chase, at Ascot racecourse from its inauguration in 1987 (although the first race only happened in 1989) until 2013.

Naturally, this can be taken to mean that at BetVictor, horse racing is one of the sports with preferential treatment. This includes great odds, a variety of betting markets—many unique compared to other horse betting sites—and six places on the Grand National.

User Experience

BetVictor’s racing betting site offers an incredibly streamlined user interface that’s intuitive and easy on the eyes. Finding the horse racing section is a piece of cake—after all, it holds the topmost position, higher even than football—as is choosing the betting markets you’re interested in.

The Betfinder lets you look for the perfect horse by selecting the meeting or race you prefer, the horse’s abilities, odds, and any edge that catches your fancy to figure out exactly where to place your punts.

According to many users, BetVictor also has the best betting app for making a horse racing bet, with all the same features as the web platform optimised for use on a mobile device.

Bonuses and Free Bets

The welcome bonus at BetVictor requires users to first bet at least £5 to get a total of £30 in the form of three £10 free bets: one that can be used for singles, one for accas, and one for the casino. All free bets expire after seven days if they remain unused. Although this welcome bonus is relatively generous, the horse racing betting site doesn’t really offer anything extraordinary for its existing customers.

Admittedly, BetVictor horse betting has its own boosts, and the best odds are guaranteed. However, you won’t be able to generate free bets, returns, or special insurances; if that is a dealbreaker for you, you might be better off looking for another racing betting site.

Sports and League Variety

BetVictor offers worldwide coverage of horse racing online, grouped by country and competition, meaning you won’t have problems finding the perfect horse races. It includes all major competitions for both flat and jump racing, as well as live betting for races in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, and the UAE.

Additionally, one of the best horse racing betting sites will, of course, feature a live streaming service both through its browser version and app. And finally, it often displays prices on UK and Irish horse racing online up to a full day before the events, meaning you’ll be able to make the best of its best-odds-guaranteed feature.

Betting Types

Aside from the usual betting types like winner, place, and others, additional betting markets include each-way betting, faller insurance, place only, and an innovative option called Lengthen the Odds—you choose the odds, and it tells you how many lengths you need to win by to win the bet.

One of the latest horse racing betting features is the previously mentioned Betfinder, which can significantly improve your odds of landing a winning qualifying bet settlement if you know how to use it.

Customer Support

You can contact BetVictor through live chat, email, and texting, as well as through messages on Facebook and Twitter.

The Help Centre also lets you search through a huge database of guides and tips which may solve your problem before you need to contact them directly. Here, you can also find all horse racing betting rules explained in detail, including the terms for enhanced prices and situations that warrant money being returned to punters.

Banking and Payment Policies

As with most UK horse racing betting sites, BetVictor accepts a wide variety of payment methods that depend on both your location and currency, including debit cards, PayPal, e-wallets, and vouchers.

However, the name on your deposit method has to be the same as the one on your account for you to be able to use it, while your withdrawals are, in most cases, processed through the same payment method you used for deposits in a closed-loop system.

Finally, keep in mind that users who deposit through NETELLER, Skrill, and paysafecard will not be eligible to participate in the horse racing betting site’s welcome offer.

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Key Benefits
  • One of the most popular horse racing betting sites in the UK
  • Betfinder feature
  • Great customer support
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Ladbrokes Review

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Key Benefits
  • Sportsbook, exchange, and tote betting
  • Great odds
  • #GetAPrice feature
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Ladbrokes Review

Ladbrokes has existed since 1886. Between 1913 and 1956, most of the establishment’s clientele comprised the British aristocracy and upper class. Luckily, nowadays, there are no such restrictions, and its sports and horse racing betting site has been available since 1999, meaning it’s had plenty of time to establish dominance in the world of horse betting sites.

UK horse racing betting has been around for centuries, and Ladbrokes has been a big part of it. In its online form, the bookmaker has only strengthened its reputation with free bets, daily boosts on many sports, extra place races, and its #GetAPrice feature, available on any event. The winning formula is clear.

User Experience

Ladbrokes offers both a sportsbook (fixed-odds betting) and a betting exchange (where you bet or lay directly against another person). There is no way to mix and match those two types of bets on a single slip due to their fundamental differences, but many punters prefer having access to both.

Ladbrokes horse racing betting is also available both on the sportsbook and the exchange. You’ll have to pick your preferred option on the site before seeing the betting markets. Still, both methods are remarkably intuitive and simple to use.

Finally, Ladbrokes apps offer the same features you can find on betting sites, meaning you can wager on the go.

Bonuses and Free Bets

Ladbrokes promotions and offers are separated by sport, which makes the best horse racing betting bonuses especially easy to find. The welcome offer requires users to first bet at least £5, which will net them £20 in four £5 free bet stakes they can use immediately; the free bets expire within seven days.

You can take your Ladbrokes horse racing betting to the next level with daily extra place races for events from all over the world, best odds guaranteed, odds boosts, and acca insurance.

Sports and League Variety

All horse racing events on the sportsbook are also available on the exchange, effectively offering double the variety other horse betting sites have. Horse Racing Distances and International Tote are sections separate from the main one, since they tend to be significantly smaller, but often sought after by more experienced punters.

In horse racing, the best odds can be found in a wide array of different competitions; most users will certainly appreciate being able to choose between those at Ladbrokes.

Betting Types

Aside from the aforementioned sportsbook and exchange, this horse racing betting site also offers tote betting for both UK & Irish and international races.

Aside from the usual markets, Ladbrokes also often offers a Specials section that may not be strictly tied to a single event; for example, there’s a bet going for Ben Jones to win a National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship by 1st January 2030—far off indeed.

Last but not least, Ladbrokes horse racing betting odds are among the best in the market.

Customer Support

Ladbrokes offers customer service access by email, live chat, and phone. It also has a Facebook page you can turn to with questions about your free bet stakes, minimum odds, favourite deposit method, etc.

The Responsible Gaming section of this horse racing betting site handles issues related to gambling addiction and how to prevent it, including setting deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion. Ladbrokes also links to the Cambridge Health Alliance’s BBGS e-screener for customers concerned about potential addiction.

Like most top horse racing betting sites, it offers a Help page where you can select the topic you’re having a problem with, the specific issue at hand, and receive assistance from premade guides. If that doesn’t quite do it, you can still request to contact a professional who can walk you through the solution step by step.

Banking and Payment Policies

Ladbrokes offers many payment methods, including cards, bank transfers, PayPal, Apple Pay, and various others when it comes to depositing. Withdrawals are either made using the same payment method or, if that’s not possible, with another one that will likely require additional identification.

Keep in mind that some of its horse racing bonuses, welcome offer included, may be unavailable if you’re not using debit cards as your deposit method.

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Key Benefits
  • Sportsbook, exchange, and tote betting
  • Great odds
  • #GetAPrice feature
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Coral Review

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Key Benefits
  • Coral has some of the best horse racing betting markets
  • Tote betting available
  • Radio app lets you listen to race commentary on your phone
  • You can place bets over the phone
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Coral Review

Coral, founded in 1926, joins our list as another well-known and beloved bookmaker for UK punters. Following a merger with Ladbrokes in 2016, it is also one of the biggest bookies in the region, with a considerable number of brick-and-mortar betting shops (upwards of 4,000, plus around 30,000 employees) aside from its horse racing betting site.

The multinational sports and gambling group Entain now owns Coral Ladbrokes Group as of 2018. At Coral UK, horse racing is one of the best-established sports with an incredible number of markets for all events, thanks to the sport’s popularity on the isles.

User Experience

Coral’s blue website is very easy on the eyes and simple to navigate, with all the sports on offer listed on the left-hand side of the screen and more popular sports and promotions at the top. It offers live streaming of all UK and Irish races, while the virtual horse racing tab isn’t too far away either, found at the bottom of every screen.

The best horse racing betting advantage this bookie has to offer, however, lies in Coral Radio horse racing—its radio app for both iOS and Android, which lets you listen to live commentary, keeping you in the loop with everything that’s currently going on, no matter where you are.

If you want to place a bet but can’t access the online platform or visit a physical shop, you can do so over the phone as well.

Bonuses and Free Bets

Newcomers to Coral get £20 in free bet stakes for their first bet of £5. Aside from that, the platform has several free-to-play quizzes, constantly updating promotions, best odds guaranteed, and extra places on select races. Coral horse racing betting is made even easier with money back as a free bet of up to £10 if your horse is beaten by a length or less.

It also offers a Racing Super Series free-to-play game with a guaranteed £25,000 prize pool (which grows with the number of participants) to be divided among winners. All you need to do is pick a horse in each of the selected races to enter. Following a knockout format, any entries that remain in the pool will split the prize.

As usual, neither this nor the welcome bonus can be accessed by users whose deposit method isn’t a debit card.

Sports and League Variety

Coral offers some of the best horse racing betting out there: The vast number of races, competitions, and countries means punters who can’t find what they’re looking for may well be searching for something that does not exist.

While UK and Irish races make up most of the offer, Coral still covers practically every race from Australia, New Zealand, France, and South Africa, among others. Coral Legends is the name of their virtual horse racing section with round-the-clock availability.

Betting Types

You can expect betting offers at competitive prices here. When you’re tempted to check whether someone else may have a better offer, check the Featured tab, where all of that day’s Coral horse racing odds with perks or boosts are shown.

You can also bet through tote for a more traditional feel: You place your stake for each horse in the first six races of a meeting into a Placepot, and the pot is later split between all the winners. This can give you better returns than you could otherwise get, aside from feeling like an old-fashioned day at the races.

Customer Support

If you need assistance, Coral’s Help section is highly detailed and covers many common issues users might encounter.

Like all the best bookies for horse racing, if that doesn’t do the trick, you can access the usual live chat and email support.

Banking and Payment Policies

Coral offers debit cards, bank transfers, and all the standard e-wallets as payment options, as well as the paysafecard voucher. However, adding a deposit method that’s not in your name can result in your account being frozen as part of the security system.

As we’ve already mentioned for bonuses, and as is often the case with horse racing betting sites, using anything other than debit cards can disqualify you from most offers available at this bookie. Coral doesn’t charge any fees, and withdrawals can take between hours and days to settle, depending on your chosen payment method.

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Key Benefits
  • Coral has some of the best horse racing betting markets
  • Tote betting available
  • Radio app lets you listen to race commentary on your phone
  • You can place bets over the phone
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Unibet Review

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Key Benefits
  • Harness racing available
  • Horse racing is separate from other sports
  • Boosts can be used wherever you want
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Unibet Review

Unibet first started as a gambling platform that took bets over the phone in 1997, and published an online version in 1999. Nowadays, it claims to have over 11 million players from more than a hundred countries.

Its parent company, Kindred Group (renamed from Unibet Group in 2016), manages an additional 10 gambling brands, with a revenue of around £751 million as of 2017. It’s had live betting since 2003 and a mobile site since 2004.

Unibet is especially notable among horse racing betting sites, as this niche is listed separately from other sports and prominently displayed on its website.

User Experience

Unibet’s green and white website is easy on the eyes, but the racing section can seem a little cluttered at first. However, although it may take some getting used to, it actually offers all the information you might need in one place, without the need to search around.

The vast majority of races are live streamed, with a green play button indicating as much next to their name. You can also check the results of all completed races in the Results tab, also available in the horse betting app, while the Virtuals tab hosts what its name implies: Virtual horse racing.

Bonuses and Free Bets

At Unibet, new customers get up to £40 back if their first bet loses, plus a £10 casino bonus. A significant setback, however, is the fact that this offer excludes racing of all sorts, horse racing markets included, so if that is the reason you’re signing up, you won’t get any free bet stakes.

It makes up for this somewhat with its other offers, like three daily boosts that you can use on any race you want, best odds guaranteed on UK & Irish races, and horse racing extra boosts on select races and markets.

The bookie stands out from other betting sites thanks to its referral program, which can net you up to £250 for up to five friends who sign up using your link, ranging from £30 for the first to £70 for the fifth friend.

Sports and League Variety

Aside from the usual horse racing (in the British Isles and international), Unibet also offers harness racing. This sport is much more popular in Australia, so many UK-based racing betting sites don’t even offer it to their customers.

Additionally, virtual horse racing at Unibet can be found in the same section as the rest of the racing on offer. It’s separated into flats and jumps, and all logged-in users can follow live streams without having to place a bet first.

Betting Types

Not only does Unibet offer all betting types, from the simplest to the most complex ones, but it also has a Rules section with regulations and limits explained in detail, Racing Guides for newcomers that cover everything from the ground up extensively, and Naps & Tips, updated daily, for those who can’t decide.

Customer Support

As one of the best horse racing bookies, Unibet offers excellent customer service as well, with a separate Help section for this sport. There’s also a community forum, where employees answer any specific issues that can also help other players, and 24/7 live chat and email support.

The biggest advantage of the community forum, which sets Unibet apart from other betting sites, is that you can access any previously addressed topics, which cuts down significantly on the time and energy needed to solve your problem.

Banking and Payment Policies

The Unibet deposit method list includes debit cards, PayPal and other e-wallets, prepaid vouchers, and bank transfers. Unlike most other online horse racing bookies, Unibet has significantly fewer restrictions when it comes to participating in its offers and promotions: only users who deposit with either Hipaymistercash or Entercash to make their first bet can’t participate, while most other providers outright ban anyone who does not use a debit card to deposit for the first time.

You can set deposit limits to control your betting, and there are no processing fees. Withdrawals may be subject to extra security checks, especially if you don’t use the same method as for deposits.

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Key Benefits
  • Harness racing available
  • Horse racing is separate from other sports
  • Boosts can be used wherever you want
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Betfred Review

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Key Benefits
  • One of the best racing betting sites
  • Great odds and markets selection
  • Some promos act as safety nets for exotic bets
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Betfred Review

Betfred is an extremely well-known and respected bookmaker in the UK, founded in 1967 as a single shop and operating more than 1,650 shops all over the country as of 2017. Betfred horse racing is an area where this bookie excels, as it’s one of the biggest horse racing sponsors in the country. One example of this is that it sponsored the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the most prestigious jumps race, between 2012 and 2015.

It should come as no surprise that it has a vast array of free bet bonuses and offers pertaining to horse racing, as well as radio commentary and live streaming for a number of events.

User Experience

The Betfred website follows a no-nonsense approach: All the sports are listed on the left-hand side of the screen; the Betfred best odds for horse racing are shown next to each race, and the payment methods are listed at the bottom of each page (whereas you have to specifically look for them on many other betting sites).

Extra Place races have a distinct design, so you can’t miss them, and live streaming is available to everyone, so you don’t even need to be logged in. The apps are equally user-friendly, regardless of whether they run on Android or iOS.

Bonuses and Free Bets

When you first sign up with Betfred, you get a welcome bonus where you get £30 in free bets for making your first bet of £10 at evens or higher. The free bets expire after seven days. Betfred horse racing betting also offers you a free bet if your horse finishes second.

The bookie has special promotions for fans of complex bets: If only one of your selections wins, you still get paid out. That way, if you only have one win on your Lucky 15, you’ll get three times the odds of your bet as cash; in the case of Lucky 31, it’s four times as much, while for Lucky 63, the prize is fivefold the odds.

Last but not least, Betfred offers all the usual best odds guaranteed, extra places on select races, and odds boosts.

Sports and League Variety

As one of the biggest horse racing sponsors in the UK, Betfred’s horse racing offer includes a thorough selection of races from Ireland and the UK, but also worldwide. The two markets—UK/Ireland and international races—are separate from each other for easier navigation.

Every race with special options, like a promotional offer or extra places, is labelled as such, while all British Isles races have radio commentaries if you’d like to listen in while you’re working.

The bookie also offers virtual horse racing with live streaming, without the physical restrictions of real-life races. Dash Horse Racing is another separate section that provides a race every two minutes.

Betting Types

Taking advantage of Betfred’s horse racing early prices is easy with its best-odds-guaranteed feature; the wide variety of betting types makes it even more satisfying.

Many exotics also feature bonuses that mean you get something even if you lose. Plus, choosing the perfect markets has never been easier with Betfred’s blog, which features plenty of statistics, tips, and analyses from all over the world.

Customer Support

Betfred offers a toll-free number for customers from the UK, as well as another for non-locals. 24/7 live chat and an email address are also available as support methods.

Many questions, especially those concerning online horse betting basics, are already covered under the extensive Help section of the website. These include detailed bet rules for each sport, security concerns, and customer complaint procedures.

Banking and Payment Policies

To start betting, you’ll need to deposit funds from a debit card, PayPal or other e-wallets, bank transfers, or a simple fill-up at a Betfred brick-and-mortar shop. There are no processing fees, but each payment option has its own deposit and withdrawal minimum, so be sure to check the fine print.

Additionally, Betfred does not allow players who use e-wallets and prepaid cards to participate in most of its offers. If those are important to you, debit cards are the best choice when first depositing.

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Key Benefits
  • One of the best racing betting sites
  • Great odds and markets selection
  • Some promos act as safety nets for exotic bets
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Frequently Asked Questions

What types of bets can you make on horses?

When it comes to horse racing, there are more betting types than you might expect, and memorising them all might seem daunting. There are, however, some basics that you should be able to tell apart. First, there are straight bets: win (where you bet on a horse to win), place (where you bet on a horse to either win or come second), or show (where you bet on your horse to finish in the first three).Then, there are exotic bets: horizontal wagers (where you bet on several different races), vertical wagers (where you bet on the finishing order of a single race), and boxing wagers (where you bet on the order, but any of the horses you chose can come in any of the winning places).

Can you bet on a horse to lose?

Absolutely! This market may not have odds as great as the alternative, but in a way, betting on one horse to win is betting on the rest of them not to win. But, more specifically, when using exchange betting, it’s possible to lay that kind of a bet—i.e., if someone is betting on a victory, you’re betting directly against them. You can also bet on a horse to take a specific place (except the first one, since that’s just betting on them to win).

What is the most profitable bet in horse racing?

The best bets in horse racing are those that win. Although there is no 100% correct answer to this question—betting would lose its flavour if there were—the truth is, the best way to generate profits is by betting on singles. The logic is clear: You minimise the risk of loss by reducing the number of potential points of failure to one. In many exotic bets, no matter how many of your selections won, if one loses—you’re out as if all of them lost.

What are good odds for horse racing?

In the most basic way, the best odds are the highest ones—but they’re high because the likelihood of triggering them is low. In horse racing, the best odds are those that turn you a profit. If the odds are very low on a horse, that horse is very likely to win, but you won’t make much money. Treading the fine line between profitable and realistic odds is extremely difficult, even for professional punters. However, many bookmakers offer different odds, so be sure to shop around before committing to any single one.

What is ‘best odds guaranteed’?

Many bookmakers offer early prices as an opportunity to gauge people’s thoughts and expectations and adjust the odds accordingly. In other words, you may find that you bet at one price, but the starting price of the race is something else entirely, depending on the ever-changing information about the race. In best-odds-guaranteed horse racing, the bookie gives you the better price—if it’s your price, you get to keep it; if the starting price is more favourable, you’re treated as if you’d paid the starting price in the first place. It’s the best option for punters and an excellent draw for newcomers.

What Is a Lucky 31 Bet in Horse Racing?

A Lucky 31 is a type of complex selection bet named after its 31 parts. Bookmakers usually offer a variety of bonuses to punters who choose to bet this way. It lets you place a total of 31 bets across five selections as a single bet. Thirty-one bets consist of five single bets, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, five four-fold accumulators, and one five-fold accumulator. For people who are confident in their betting skills, this is a great way to maximise returns.

What is the best betting system for horse racing?

There are countless systems out there, as a betting system is simply a set of rules dedicated to simplifying the process of finding the best betting selection. Of course, the best system is the one that works for you, but generally speaking, some horse racing betting systems are better than others. For example, scalping is an often-used strategy that relies on small market fluctuations to generate a profit—you place bets on both sides of the market, getting in and out very quickly to secure a profit. There’s also arbing, which is almost the same as scalping, but you’re using different horse racing betting sites, in which the gain on one outstrips the loss on another.