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To many, the betting world is a mystery and far too complicated to understand. The truth is that betting on horse racing is quite simple, even for those who have never had a bet before.
In this guide, we explain the basics of placing a bet on daily horse racing and the biggest races and meetings of the year.
We believe the best way to bet on horse racing is with online betting sites, who generally offer better racing odds than you'll find in bookmaker shops.
Incidentally, all of our recommended horse racing betting apps mentioned on this page are easy to use and have passed rigorous testing by our team of betting experts.
Opening an Online Account with Horse Racing Betting Sites
If you want to bet on horse racing, the first thing to do is sign up with one of our recommended horse racing betting sites.
Newcomers to online betting can have an account up and running in minutes and can proceed to bet on all of the racing action by following these steps:
- Choose an online horse racing betting site
- Click the ‘sign-up’ or ‘join’ tab
- Fill in your details on the registration page
- Make a deposit
- Navigate to the horse racing section
- Click on your selection to add it to your betting slip and then choose how much you want to bet
Ways to Place a Bet on Horse Racing
If you now have a new betting site account, here are the most basic horse racing bets available on gambling sites.
- Win: This is the most straightforward bet of them all. As its name implies, a win bet is a single bet on one horse. If the selection wins, the bet has been successful and the winnings will be credited to your account.
- Each-Way: An each-way bet is very popular and consists of two bets rolled into one; one is for the horse to win, and the other is for the horse to finish in a place. For a full explanation, visit our guide to each-way betting.
- Forecast: A forecast consists of picking two horses who must finish first and second in the correct order for the bet to be successful
- Reversed Forecast: The same as a forecast, but this time the horses can finish first and second in either order
As with football betting sites, placing a multiple bet has become a hugely popular way of betting on horse racing.
Here are the most basic types of multiple bets:
- Double: A double consists of two selections in two different races
- Treble: A treble consists of three selections in three separate races
- Accumulator: An accumulator consists of four or more selections in different races. Some Accumulator betting sites also offer acca insurance where if one leg of the bet loses, you will still receive a pay out.
For the more adventurous, some slightly more complicated yet popular types of bets are available with online horse racing betting sites.
Read these guides to explore how they work:
- What is a Lucky 15?
- What is a Trixie bet?
- What is a Placepot bet?
- What is Handicap betting?
- What is a Bet Builder?
Horse Racing Free Bets
When searching for the best way to bet on racing, it is advisable to find an online betting site that offers new customers horse racing free bets when they sign up for an online betting account.
Online betting sites will give new customers a sign-up bonus which can include free bets, and these offers can be valuable assets for newcomers planning to bet on horse racing or other sports.
These enticements will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, so spending a little time researching what individual betting apps offer can prove rewarding.
Below are some of the offers available from the best UK betting sites:
- Bet365 bonus code
- BetVictor bonus code
- Unibet promo code
- BoyleSports sign up offer
- BetMGM sign up offer
- NetBet bonus code
- Spreadex sign up offer
- Bzeebet welcome offer
- Betfred bonus code
How Betting Odds Work
For newcomers to betting, the odds can often seem confusing. UK bookmakers usually express the odds as fractions or decimals (in decimal format, the stake is included).
The fastest way to understand fractional odds is to divide the number on the left-hand side of the slash by the number on the right.
It's worth noting that successful bets include your stake back, unless you used a free bet to place it.
The examples below will provide essential knowledge for understanding the odds:
- 10/1 (11.0 in decimal) means if you bet £10 and the horse wins, you will win 10 times your stake = £100 + £10 stake = £110 returned
- 5/2 (3.5) – divide 5 by 2 = 2.5 – a £10 bet winning bet will return £35 including stake
- 11/2 (6.5) – divide 11 by 2 = 5.5 – a £10 bet winning bet will return £65 including stake
- 4/6 (1.67) – divide 4 by 6 = 0.67 – a £10 bet winning bet will return £16.67 including stake
Responsible Gambling
For newcomers who have just started to bet on horse racing, staying in control of your gambling is essential. Never bet more than you can comfortably afford to lose, and never chase your losses.
Betting is meant to be a from of entertainment, so if it becomes an issue, seek help and advice.
The safe betting sites we recommend all have responsible gambling tools, allowing customers to track their betting habits and set limits and time restrictions.
Should you want to seek help for gambling-related harm, there are several independent charities or institutions that are there to offer support, advice, and information.
Updated by
Editorially reviewed by
Last Updated: 2nd July 2024, 01:52 PM
