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As any horse racing enthusiast knows, spring and summer are the peak seasons for horse racing in the United Kingdom. Sadly, this year's Grand National was horrifically marred by the death of Hill Sixteen. There will always be debate over whether it was the protestors who were responsible for his death or if it's just the hard truth of horse racing.
Either way, as an equestrian enthusiast knows, horse racing always has some measure of risk involved for the horses and jockeys. The same is true for bettors. No matter how certain it looks that a horse will win, there's always a risk.
Betting and horse racing have always been tightly intertwined. Betting on the races is a great way to increase the excitement and to feel more invested in the horses and the events. Whether you're an old hand at sports betting or looking to place your first bet on an upcoming race, finding the right sportsbook is really important.
That's where we come in. This article will break down some of the basics of betting on horse races and detail some of the top horse racing betting sites that are operating today. As an extra bonus, we'll close out with some of our top tips for horse race betting.
Our top picks for horse racing betting sites
Betting on sports has long been a popular pastime in the UK. The rise of online sportsbooks has opened sports betting up to a wider audience. It has also made it possible for smaller independent sportsbooks to start operating competitively against the major players.This has led to even more choice for would-be bettors. With so many options, how do you know where to start when you're looking for the best horse racing betting sites?
It's important to choose a sportsbook that offers good odds on all the races that you plan to bet on. They should also accept a wide number of payment methods and have security that features 128-bit encryption to protect your data. Lastly, look for somewhere that has great welcome offers so that your first bets can go even farther.
Here are some of our top picks that meet all these criteria:
Tote
Tote is one of the top horse race betting sportsbooks. If the name sounds vaguely familiar, it's because they used to be known as ToteSport. While they do offer odds on other popular sports, their focus is almost entirely on horse racing. This means that you can typically find odds on even the smallest races.Tote accepts both single-leg and multi-leg bets. One thing to keep in mind is that Tote does not offer live betting.
BetUK
BetUK is a fairly young brand, but they have quickly risen through the ranks to become one of the top horse racing sportsbooks. BetUK isn't solely dedicated to horse racing betting, but they do offer competitive odds on all the major horse races and most of the smaller ones as well.BetUK's welcome offer gives new customers who deposit £10, three free £10 bets. Please note that one of these free bets must be used on football.
William Hill
William Hill has been in operation for nearly a century and their continued success has a lot to do with how trustworthy and reliable the brand has always been. Horse racing is one of their traditional betting markets and they offer plenty of options.While William Hill is one of the leading sportsbooks, it may not be the best choice for newcomers. The sheer number of betting options and odds that they offer can be very overwhelming if you're not ready for it.
BetVictor Sports
BetVictor has one of the cleanest user interfaces in the industry, which makes it incredibly easy to find the odds that you're interested in and place bets. BetVictor is another sportsbook that has made the transition from operating physical betting shops to online betting.BetVictor is one of the top destinations for betting on horse racing around the world, not just races taking place in the UK.
Betway
Betway has some great odds and offers for horse racing bettors. They are also a popular choice for those bettors who like to play casino games as well. Betway has several live betting options too.If you prefer more traditional ways of reaching out to customer support, be aware that Betway does not have a dedicated phone number or email for customer support. They do have a live chat service.
How to place a horse racing bet
The first step when placing a horse racing bet is to create an account with your chosen sportsbook. From there, search for the race that you want to bet on and then select the type of bet that you want to place. After that, just watch the race and cheer your horse on.It's that easy!
What is the most popular horse racing bet?
The most popular horse racing bet is the single bet. A single bet is a bet placed on one horse to win one race. There is also a variant called an each-way bet where you bet on one horse to either win, place or show in a single race.What bonuses and offers are available for horse racing bets?
Bonuses are one of the ways that sportsbooks attract new customer and reward loyal customers. The most common bonus offered is one or more free bets with a deposit. On occasion, you can even find no deposit bonuses. The other popular bonus is the no-risk bet. With this bonus, if your first bet doesn't pay out then you will be refunded the amount in the form of credit to place a new bet.Be aware that all bonuses will have some restrictions on them. These are often wagering requirements that must be met before you can collect any of your winnings, time limits or limits on what the free bets can be used on.
What are the different bets in horse racing?
The most common bets include the single bet, which we've already mentioned and the double. A double is a bet placed on two horses running in different races. Both horses must win or place for a double bet to pay out. Treble bets are bets placed on three different horses running in different races.There are also more complex bets such as the Trixie and the Patent. A Trixie bet is made up of four bets, including three doubles and one treble. At least two must win or place in order for the bet to payout. A Patent bet is a Trixie bet with three single bets added.
One of the more complicated bets is the Yankee bet. A Yankee bet is made up of 11 separate bets in the form of six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold accumulator. Complicated bets like these are best left to the experienced bettor.
Other complex bets include the Lucky 15, the Canadian, the Heinz and the Super Yankee. Each of these bets is made up of an increasing number of selections.
Can you bet on all of the horses in a race?
Yes, you can bet on every horse in a race. However, there isn't much reason to. It's very difficult to structure these bets in a way that makes them profitable.How can I bet on horse races online?
In order to bet on horse races online, you will need to create an account with an online sportsbook. In some cases, you also have the option of downloading an app for the sportsbook to use to place your bets.Our top tips for betting on horse racing
As we all know, the weather in the UK places limits on how long many sports seasons can be. The majority of the big horse races in the UK and Ireland don't start until mid-spring and are over by early summer. Our tip is to follow horse racing internationally. If you enjoy betting on horse racing, you can consult an international major race calendar and extend your season by several months.Another one of our top tips is to consider where any information about the race is coming from. Getting insider tips is a classic aspect of betting on horse racing. Overhearing a bit of insider knowledge at the track or the bookies is as much a part of the experience as standing at the rail and feeling the rush of the horse flying past.
With so many internet tipsters operating nowadays, it can be hard to tell where information is actually coming from. Before you place a bet based on a tip, consider the source, and look for verification or contradicting information if possible.
With regards to the bets themselves, our major tip is to place a variety of bets. This allows you to get a feel for how the different types of bets work and the style of bet that you have the most luck with.
