US Edition
How to bet on horse racing: a step-by-step guide
How to bet on horse racing online with our simple guide, including all the best betting sites to place your bets on the popular sport
After football, horse racing is the second most popular sport in the UK for bettors, around 55 per cent of whom in total enjoy a bet on the sport.
But gone are the days when it was dominated by those who bet in person at the track or in the betting shop. Now there are horse racing markets available on lots of betting platforms, including apps on iOS and Android.
How to bet on horse racing: Choosing a betting site
The first thing to do is to sign up and register to one of the many terrific UK betting sites. We have a list of the very best and most trusted betting sites in the industry. Check them all out below when signing up to a new horse racing site.
Betfred
Bet £10 get £50 in bonuses - Use WELCOME50
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. New customers only. Register (excl. 13/04/24) with WELCOME50. First bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get Free Bets: £20 In-Play, £20 Acca & 50 x £0.20 (£10) Free Spins on Fishin’ Frenzy within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required.
BoyleSports
Bet £10 Get £10 in Free Bets + £10 Casino Bonus
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. New UK customers (Excluding NI) mobile only. £20 in FREE Bets (FB) as £10 in sports bets & a £10 casino bonus (CB). Min stake £10. Min odds Evs. FB applied on 1st settlement of any qualifying bet. FB 7 day expiry. 1 FB offer per customer, household & IP address only. Payment restrictions. 14 days to accept £10 CB, then active for 3 days. CB 5x wagering & max redeemable £100. Game restrictions apply. Cashed out/Free Bets won’t apply. 30 days to qualify. 18+. T&Cs apply
Tote
Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets + 50 Free Spins
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. New customers online only. £10 min stake (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £30 Tote Credit + 50 Free Spins on selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Tote credit subject to 7-day expiry. Free spins subject to 7-day expiry. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool bet added to the bet-slip. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleaware.org.
BetVictor
Bet £20 Get £40 free horse racing bets
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+ New Customers only. Opt in, bet £20 on Horse Racing, 1/1+ odds in 7 days, no cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on set markets valid 7 days. Debit Card / Apple Pay payments only. T&Cs apply. See below. begambleaware.org | Please Gamble Responsibly.
T&Cs apply. New Customer offer YSKARZ. Place a min £5 bet on the sportsbook at odds of min EVS (2.0) and get £20 in free bets. Free bet rewards valid for 30 days. Only deposits via Debit Cards will qualify for this offer. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply.
talkSPORT BET
Get £20 in free bets - bet a tenner to get yours!
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile device, bet £10+ on Horse Racing at odds of 2.00+, in 7 days. Get 4x £5 in free bets on selected markets. Bonuses expire in 7 days. Card payments & Apple Pay only. T&Cs Apply. BeGambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly
T&Cs apply. New cust only. 3 days to claim & 7 days to place a qualifying bet to receive 4x Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder, 1 x £10 Acca and 1 x £10 Football. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. Join and place a £10 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Once the bet is settled, get a £10 free fixed odds bet plus a £5 free Total Goals football spread bet and a £5 racing Winning Favourites spread bet. The second £10 free fixed odds bet, £5 free Total Goals football spread bet, and £5 racing Winning Favourites spread bet will be credited 24 hours later. Free bets expire in 28 days if unused. Promotions available to 18+ aged individuals. New customers only. T&Cs apply. http://Begambleaware.org.
T&Cs apply. New bettors; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply; T&C apply; 18+.
T&Cs apply. 18+. New Customers Only. Opt in and bet £10 on football (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. No cash-out. Get 3x£10 Free Bets for set markets and a £10 Slot Bonus for Big Bass Splash, 30x wagering, to withdraw max £250. Rewards expire in 10 days. Offer valid from 14:00 UK time on 11/01/2024. Card payments only. T&Cs apply, see below. begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly.
T&Cs apply. 18+ New UK & ROI Customers only. Min deposit £5. Min first £5 bet at minimum odds 1/2 to qualify for 1x £20 free bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types excl. Free bet valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. 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 to get 4x £/€5 free bets. Free bets available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.
Unibet
Up To £40 Money Back as Bonus If Your First racing Bet Loses + £10 Casino Bonus
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first racing bet loses. Wagering: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 50x. Sports bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. Full T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. Min Odds 3/1 (4.00), Min 3 Selections. Free Bet Valid For 7 Days.
T&Cs apply. 18+ http://BeGambleAware.org . New customers, Deposit & place a bet within 7 days, and settle a £10 minimum bet at odds of 4/5 (1.8) or greater, to be credited with 3x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 Horse Racing, 1 x £10 Free Bet Builder and 1 x £10 Football. Stake not returned. T&C’s Apply. Opt-in required.
Betfair
Get £20 In Free Bets When You Place A £5 Bet
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. New Customer offer. Place a min £5 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £20 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards or Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly
T&Cs apply. New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for Rules & Exclusions. Bet Responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
T&Cs apply. 18+. Play Safe. New players only, using promo code T60. Valid from 13/04/2022. Online play. Get £60 Bonus split between Vegas & Sports in the following manner – (i) Deposit £10 to unlock £20 Vegas Free Bet on Selected Games (72hr expiry, wagering reqs apply); then (ii) bet £10+ (odds 1/2+) with cash (excl. £10 deposit) or Vegas winnings (after wager reqs met). Once settled, receive £40 Sports Free Bets excluding Virtual Markets (4x £10, 7 days expiry). Payment methods & country restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. #ad.
T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs apply. New UK customers only. The qualifying bet should be a single bet, start at £10, and have 1.9 or greater odds. 5 Free bets include: 1 x £10 Free bet on horse racing, 1 x £10 Free bet on football, 2 x 10 Free bet in-play, 1 x £10 Free bet Acca. 7 day expiry. Max payout – £500. 18+. BeGambleAware.org.
AK Bets
Up to £100 Winnings Boost on your first Racing bet
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. Applies to new UK/IE customers who sign up via approved partner sites with promo code AKLUCKY100. Place your first Racing bet as a Lucky 15 (four selections) and AK Bets will boost the return by 25% in the form of a Free Bet up to a value of £100. 18+ BeGambleAware.org.
DAZN Bet
Get a £20 free bet when you place any bet
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. New customers only. Available from 01/03/2024. Min. 10p bet at min. odds of 2.0 on any sports market. Must link DAZN & DAZN Bet accounts. One free bet per customer. Credited within 48 hours & valid for 6 months, stake not returned. UK only & excl. Northern Ireland. 18+ T&Cs apply.
Betway
£30 Matched Free Bet if your first Acca loses + 100 Free Spins on Gold Blitz
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. New UK customers only. Min Stake: £5. Maximum Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football or Horse Racing multiple with 3+ selections. Overall odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. Free Bets available upon settlement of the qualifying bet. 100 Free Spins on Gold Blitz (£0.10 per spin) credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. No wagering requirements on free spin winnings. Debit Card deposit only (exclusions apply). This offer is valid 7 days from the new account being registered. 18+ BeGambleAware.org . Bet the Responsible Way. Full terms apply.
Mr Play
Bet £10 Get £15 in free bets, use bonus code TELEPLAY
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit: £10, max £15 bonus, valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at a min. odds of 1/1 (2.00) or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets no eligible.
T&Cs apply. New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of the E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from acceptance (ex E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for full T&Cs. Bet Responsibly. http://BeGambleAware.org . 18+ T&Cs apply
Planet Sport Bet
50% Up To £25 Money Back As A Free Bet If Your First Bet Loses
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. Applies to new UK/IE customers who sign up via approved partner sites with promo code PSB50. Place your first bet at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater and if it loses, get a free bet equivalent to 50% of your first bet stake, to a maximum value of £25. 18+ http://BeGambleAware.org . Full T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. New UK customers only. Min £10 first deposit using Debit Card or Bank Transfer. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5 and get £10 upon settlement. Further £10 Multiple token will be credited after 24 hours and a further £5 Horse Racing Multiple token and a £5 Football Bet Builder token will be credited after 48 hours. Full T&Cs apply.18+. BeGambleAware.org
T&Cs apply. New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Qualifying real money bet of £10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer awarded immediately but could be issued the next working day in exceptional circumstances such as technical fault. Additional T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
T&Cs apply. 18+. New Customers Only. Max one £10 Free Bet. Qualifying bets at Odds of 1/1(2.00) or greater. Paid as Bonus Token with Min 4/5(180) Odds Req. Skrill, Neteller & Paypal not eligible.BeGambleAware.org. T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. New Players Only. Min £ 25 qualifying bets stake not returned. Free bet - one-time stake of £ 25, min odds 1.5, stake not returned. 1X wager the winnings. Wager from real balance first. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Max conversion: £200. Valid for 7 Days from issue. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. 18+ only | T&C Apply | Please play responsibly | www.begambleaware.org.
QuinnBet
50% Back as a Free Bet up to £35 Plus 10 Free Spins!
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. We’ve enhanced our UK Sportsbook Welcome Offer. Get 50% Back as a Free Bet up to £35 (normally £25) plus 10 Free Spins! A minimum of 3 bets at odds of evens (2.00) or greater is required to qualify for the max free bet, which is based on 50% back of first day losses. Even if your account is up, a single £10 Bet at the minimum odds, secures a £5 Free Bet & 10 Free Spins. UK 18+T&C’s
T&Cs apply. New customers. Max £10 (Exc PayPal) . 100% Odds Boost token. T&C's apply Begambleaware.org
Hollywood Bets
Up to £30 Money back as Free Bets + 20 Free Spins
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. Within 3 days of registration, place a minimum £10 qualifying bet at minimum odds of 1.5 (1/2) as their first bet that is subsequently resulted as a loss. Within 3 days of registration, place a second and third minimum £10 qualifying bets on Racing Markets at minimum odds of 1.5 (1/2) that subsequently resulted as a loss. All qualifying bets must be placed on different events. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
T&Cs apply. 18+ | New UK players only | Min deposit req. £10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake £10 | Max stake £20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | T&Cs apply.
ThePools
Get £10 to use on Accas when you place 2x £10 Accas Monday to Sunday
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+, UK only. Place a minimum 2x £10 pre-match 4 leg acca cash bet where odds accumulate to 3.0 (2/1) or more and get a £10 bonus funds to use on multiples (3 or more selection, min odds per selection 1.5 (1/2)). Cashed Out, Asian Handicaps, Draw no Bet wagers or bets with void legs do not qualify for this promotion. Free Bet credited every Monday by 12pm. Maximum 1 free bet per customer per week available from this promotion. Full T&C's apply. http://BeGambleAware.org.
Matchbook
Money back as a free bet up to £20 if your first bet loses
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. The user must enter the Code ‘MB20’ during registration Minimum Odds of 1.8 for first bet to qualify. Losses will be refunded on first bet only, as a free bet - up to £20. Users cannot back and lay the same selection on the first bet. Qualifying bets open to Exchange, Matchbook Zero & Multiples Only open to users who deposit via debit card. New Customers Only. 18+. Be Gamble Aware.
T&Cs apply. 18+. UK&IE New customers only. Min. deposit £10. One Free bet token will be awarded once you have made your first deposit and have bet £10 with min odds of 1/1 (2.00) or higher. This bet must be settled within 14 days of bet placement to qualify for the welcome free bet offer. The Free bet can only be used on a coupon with total odds of (4/5)or higher. System bets such as a Trixie, Yankee, “Lucky” Bet etc will not be eligible. T&Cs apply.
T&Cs apply. New customers only. Max one £20 free bet. Minimum deposit £10. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater on a single or combo bet. Paid as bonus token valid for a bet placed using the bet builder feature, with min 4/5 odds req - valid for 14 days. Skrill, neteller & paypal not eligible. T&c apply, 18+. BeGambleAware.org
Fafabet
Up to £70 Free Bet + £20 Casino Bonus
New customer offer available via The Telegraph
Claim offerT&Cs apply. 18+. New customers only. A "Qualifying Bet" is a first settled real money single or multiple bet of £10.00 or more placed at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater. If you place a £10 bet you'll receive a £5 free bet + £5 Casino Bonus up to 24 hours after your qualifying bet has been settled. If you place a £100 or More bet you'll receive your £20 free bet +£10 Casino Bonus up to 24 hours after your qualifying bet has been settled. If your Sportsbook account losses at the end of the first day (the day ends at 23:59), you'll get back 50% of the losses as a Free Bet up to £70 + £20 Casino Bonus. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org.
How to bet on horse racing
There will be contrasting sign-up processes for each of the different betting sites but the generic steps are as outlined below.
It will usually take no more than 10 minutes to do, but it may be worth giving yourself longer so that you can take things at your own pace.
- Click the “Claim Offer” button next to the offer you wish to claim.
- Click the button to register a new account. This might also say “sign up” or “create account”.
- Fill in any personal details requested by the betting site, including verifying you are over 18 years old.
- Enter your details for your deposit method, making sure you deposit and/or bet the correct amount to trigger the sign-up offer.
- Select a race and then a horse and place your bet. Find out more about placing a bet online below.
How to place a bet on horse racing online
Once you have signed up and have some free bets ready to place on the horse racing markets thanks to a new customer offer, you are then ready to bet.
If you still need more help choosing your selections then continue reading our guide below.
Finding the horse racing home page
The first thing to do is to navigate your way to the horse racing homepage on the betting site you have chosen. This is not the same on every betting site but there are some general steps you can follow.
- When first clicking on the betting site there will generally be a link to “horse racing” either on the side bar or the bar at the top of the page. Click on this to go to the screen where you can make your selections.
- If this is not there, there will be a horizontal or vertical menu where you can either click “Sport” and then horse racing – but horse racing itself often has its own place on the menu to click on.
- Once you’ve navigated to the horse racing section of the site, you are likely to see a list of courses that have meetings that day. Once here, you can then choose any of the horses from the races taking place either on that day or in the future.
Getting excited about Royal Ascot? Take a look at the best Royal Ascot betting offers ahead of this year’s edition of the famous meeting.
Placing a bet on horse racing online: Adding a selection to your bet slip
Once you have located the page that has all the horse racing markets and have picked the race and horse you want to bet on, you will then want to add them to your bet slip before placing the bet. This is done as follows:
- Click on the odds next to the horse you want to bet on. It will then be added to your bet slip, which should pop up on your screen.
- Enter the amount you would like to stake on your horse in the appropriate box. If you would like to bet each-way then tick the box on the bet slip marked each-way or EW.
- If you already have deposited the money required to place your bet, simply click the button marked “place bet” or something similar to place your bet with the money you have deposited. The bet slip will update to tell you when this is done.
- If you want to use any of the free bets you may have earned by signing up on your horse racing bet, there should be a button or box to use them on your selection.
Different types of horse racing bets you can place online
The most common types of bets people place on horse racing are the following:
Win-only
The win-only bet is definitely the easiest to understand as you simply back a horse to win the race. For you to win any money back, the horse you have backed must finish first in their selected race.
Each-way
Horse racing meetings such as Royal Ascot will often feature races that have a big number of runners, so picking a winner can prove to be a tough task, especially if you are not a regular racing punter.
That’s why each-way bets (EW) are very popular in horse racing.
This is effectively placing two bets: one on the horse to win and one on the horse to finish within a designated number of places advertised in the each-way terms at the top of the list of runners.
Example: each-way: 1/5 odds, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th places
The place part of your each-way bet pays out at a fraction of the “to win” odds that are listed. In this case the place part of your each-way bet pays out at 1/5 of the win odds if your horse finishes in the first five places. If your horse wins the race you will also be paid out for the win part of the bet at the full win price listed.
For example, let’s say you place a £5 each-way bet (totalling £10) on a horse at odds of 15/1 with the each-way terms described above. That means you have a £5 bet on odds of 15/1 for the horse to win and a 3/1 bet (one-fifth of the odds) on it to finish in the first five.
If your 15/1 shot ends up being the winner of their race then you will be paid out for both parts of your bet and you will net £100. This consists of your win bet (£5 x15 = £75), your place bet (£5 x3 = £15) and your stake (£10).
If your horse finishes second, third, fourth or fifth then the win part of your each-way bet is unsuccessful and your £5 stake is lost. However, the place part of your bet has won so your returns are £20 (£5 x3 = £15) plus the £5 stake of your each-way bet).
Withdrawing your winnings
If you’re able to get some luck with your horse racing bets and win some money then it’s vital that you know the significant steps needed to withdraw your winnings. These can vary slightly from one betting site to another, but will generally be roughly as follows.
- Locate the link to access details related to your account. This is most often in the top left or top right of the screen with a title such as “My Account” or the username you chose when creating the account.
- Once you have clicked on this button you should see a menu, which will include an option such as “Withdraw” or “Banking” or similar.
- Choose your withdrawal method and how much you want to withdraw and hit the button to withdraw your winnings. The betting site will then tell you how long the money typically takes to arrive back in your chosen account. This will depend on your withdrawal method.