Best UK Horse Racing Betting Sites

How Do We Pick the Best Racing Bookies?

We look at five key areas when deciding the best horse racing betting sites.

• Number of races available
• Countries available
• Racing syndicates
• Racing live streams
• Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) & other betting offers for existing customers

Races Available

Of course, the number of races will differ each day, but, we hope the numbers will provide a good indication of what to expect.

We also list all the countries each betting site has available, with some offering horse racing events from all around the world! And, which bookmakers offer syndicate betting such as tote pools.

Daily Races:

• RaceBets – 258 races & no virtual
• bet365 – 228 races & 4 virtual races every 3 minutes
• Unibet – 226 races & no virtual
• William Hill – 182 races & 224 virtual races
• Paddy Power – 182 races & virtual races
• BoyleSports – 157 races and virtual races
• Betfair – 152 races and virtual races
• Betfred – 143 races and virtual races
• BetVictor – 126 races and virtual races
• Betway – 110 races & no virtual races
• 888Sport – 94 races & no virtual races

Countries available:

• RaceBets – UK & Ireland, South Africa, France, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Turkey, Germany, United States, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Dubai.
• bet365 – UK & Ireland, Australia & New Zealand, France, South Africa, North America, Japan.
• Unibet – UK and Ireland, Australia, India, South Africa, France, United States, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Italy, Turkey, Czech Republic.
• William Hill – UK & Ireland, Australia & New Zealand, US, Brazil, Chile, India, South Africa, France, Spain.
• Paddy Power – UK & Ireland, South Africa, France, India, Australia, New Zealand, US and Canada, Argentina, Chile.
• BoyleSports – UK & Ireland, South Africa, France, USA, Australia, Chile, Spain.
• Betfair – UK & Ireland, Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, India, New Zealand, USA, South Africa,
• Betfred – UK & Ireland, France, USA, South Africa, Chile.
• Betway – UK & Ireland, Australia, France, USA, South Africa.
• 888Sport – UK & Ireland, America, Australia, South Africa.
• BetVictor – UK & Ireland, USA, France, South Africa.

Syndicates available:

• RaceBets – Daily jackpot races
• bet365 – Totepool: totequadpot, toteplacepot, and totejackpot.
• Unibet – NA
• William Hill – Totepool: totequadpot, toteplacepot, and totejackpot.
• Paddy Power – NA
• BoyleSports – Totepool: Win/Place/Each Way, Exacta, Trifecta, Placepot, Jackpot.
• Betfred – Totepool: jackpot, placepot, quadpot, exacta, trifecta, win/place, scoop6.
• Betfair – Totepool: totewin & toteplace.
• Betway – NA
• 888Sport – NA
• BetVictor – NA

Live Streaming

At BettingLounge we believe live streaming is essential for horse racing to experience the thrill and joys of the race to see how your horse is performing.

Betting sites with Horse Racing Live Streaming

Horse Racing is usually a bet to watch live streaming product in which you can watch or listen to a live feed. Punters usually have to place a small bet (£1 or more) on a race or have a funded account, but you can watch some horse racing streams for free on select betting sites.

Each betting site will have different terms and conditions, be sure to check out their live streaming page for more information.

• RaceBets
• bet365
• Betway
• Unibet
• Paddy Power
• William Hill
• 888sport
• Betfair
• Betfred
• BetVictor
• BoyleSports

Best Odds Guaranteed

The best betting sites will have a best odds guarantee for your horse racing bets. This means whatever odds you got the horse at will be adjusted if the starting odds (SP) are better.

Guaranteeing you always get the best odds and value for your bet!

Most betting sites BOG offers apply to bets placed on Win and Each Way Markets. Be sure to check your bookie for which markets are covered.

Which Betting Sites Offer Best Odds Guaranteed for Horse Racing?

Almost all betting sites that offer horse racing, also offer best odds guaranteed (BOG). But, they differ in which races they cover.

bet365 – Arguably the best BOG offer, that covers all races except Australasian Racing.

Best odds guaranteed for UK and Irish Racing

These horse racing betting sites offer BOG for UK and Irish races, and some also cover Irish and UK Greyhound races. Again, we recommend checking your bookmaker to be sure!

• Paddy Power
• 10Bet
• Betfair
• William Hill
• BetVictor
• BoyleSports
• 888Sport
• Unibet
• Betfred

Betting Offers for Existing Customers

Some of the best betting sites also have horse racing blogs, commentary, special horse racing offers and more to supplement your betting experience. All of the sites listed here will feature at least a few of these extras.

Check out these horse racing betting offers for existing customers below!

bet365 horse racing betting offers:

	bet365 Get Up To £100 In Bet Credits	Claim
Min deposit £5. Bet Credits 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.

bet365 Price Promise

Best Price on every horse for all races shown live on ITV Racing.

Applies to bets placed on Win and Each-Way Fixed Odds markets from 10 am on the day of the race. Prices matched against selected bookmakers. Bet restrictions and T&Cs apply

ITV Racing 4/1 Offer

Back a winner at 4/1 or more and get a risk free bet on the next live ITV race (up to £50)

Offer applies to the first single bet placed. Applies to Win and Each-Way Fixed Odds markets and Enhanced Place Terms markets only. Bet restrictions and T&Cs apply. New and eligible customers only

Racing Value

Early prices on every race and payout on disqualified horses

Applies to selected events and markets. T&Cs apply.

Watch Live Horse Racing

Watch every race in the UK and Ireland live. Now also available on iPhone, iPad, and Android.

To watch a race you must place a qualifying bet of at least £0.50 win or £0.25 Each-Way (or currency equivalent) on your selection(s). This applies to single and multiple bet types. T&Cs apply 18+

Racing Archive 

Watch replays of all UK and Irish races covered by Racing TV and At The Races for free!

1. Login to your bet365 account on your desktop.
2. Go to Racing Archive.
3. Select a date and meeting or type in a horse’s name.
4. Pick your race and enjoy the action, free of charge.

Unibet horse racing betting offers:

	Unibet £40 Money Back Bonus +£10 Casino Bonus	Claim
New customers only. 18+, BeGambleAware.org. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus. Wagering requirements: Sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), Casino 35x. Only one bonus can be used at a time, Sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the Casino, unless the bonus has been forfeited. Bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in.

Extra Place Racing Specials

Take advantage of extra place racing specials on selected races every day. 18+ begambleaware.org T&Cs apply

Unibet TV

Bet and watch live horse racing events from the UK, Ireland, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand. Look out for the green Unibet TV logo for betting events with live streaming.

To watch, you need to place a bet of at least the amount shown in the live streaming window.

Paddy Power horse racing betting offers:

	Paddy Power Risk Free £20	Claim
New customers only, limited to one per person. If you’ve previously had a Paddy Power account, you will not qualify for the offer. Place your FIRST bet on any Sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using Cards or Paypal will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply.

Extra Places

Extra places apply to specific races, see Paddy Power’s promotions page for full terms and conditions.

Power Prices, Specials, and #WhatOddsPaddy

Get daily odds boosts and specials on horse racing with Paddy Power. You can also tweet Paddy Power to price up customised bets.

BoyleSports horse racing betting offers:

	BoyleSports Bet £10 Get £10 in Free Bets	Claim
18+. Mobile exclusive. Min stake £10. Min odds EVS. First bet only. 30 days to qualify. Free bets expire in 7 days. Cashed out bets won’t apply. Payment method restrictions. UK customers only. One free bet offer per customer, household and IP address only. T&Cs apply.

Free bet if your horse finishes 2nd to the SP favourite promotion for each day of the week.

18+. Max refund £20. Outright Betting market only. Singles only. Online Customers must opt-in to receive this offer. T&Cs apply.

Extra Places on selected horse races

We’re paying 1/5 odds 4 Places. 12 or more must run. T&Cs apply.

Fair Play Free Bet

Free Bet if your horse fails to start*. Max refund £/€100. Outright Betting only. Singles only. T&Cs apply.

William Hill horse racing betting offers:

	William Hill Bet £10 with a minimum odds of 1/2 or greater and get a £30 free bet.	Claim
New customers using Promo Code P30 only, min £10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15 (30 days expiry), free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply.

Get Money Back as Cash (up to £10), if your horse finishes 2nd on selected races

Money back credited as cash up to £10 per race, First bet qualifies, race winner market only, min stake £1, min odds 3/1, 4+ runners, player/country restrictions apply. T&Cs apply 18+

Get 3 Bet Boosts to use every day on horse racing

3x bet boosts on horse racing singles per customer, per day. Available daily from 00:01 until 23:59, max stake £20 win or £20 EW. On EW bets, only win part boosted. Online only. Player restrictions and terms apply. 18+ T&C’s

Get Extra Places on selected race meetings every week

Minimum runners will apply for enhanced place terms. Enhanced each way terms at 1/5 odds unless otherwise stated. 18+ T&Cs apply

Racing Post Lucky 7: Pick 7 horses from our chosen races for a chance to win up to £50,000

Player, country restrictions and terms apply, 18+ T&Cs apply

BetVictor horse racing betting offers:

	BetVictor Bet £5 with a minimum odds of 2.0 and get two free bets of £10 each. And a £10 casino free bet	Claim
New Customers opt in and bet £5 at odds 2.00+ within 7 days of registration; excludes cashed out bets. Get 2x £10 Free Bets, set events only at odds 2.00+ plus a £10 Casino Bonus, not for Baccarat, wager 35x to withdraw, game weighting: Slots/Instant Win:100%; Roulette/Table Games/Video Poker:20%; Blackjack:10%. Bonuses expire in 7 days. PayPal and Card payments only. Geo Restrictions. T&Cs Apply. 18+ begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly

Run For Your Money

Get a real cash refund if your horse loses all chance at the start of the race (UK and Irish racing). Run for Your Money will activate on horses that refuse, or whip around at the start, fail to come out or lose all chance at the stalls. 18+ T&Cs apply

New Customer Bonuses

The best horse racing betting sites will have horse racing specific betting offers for new customers.

Most bookmakers will offer football welcome offers, or free bets for football and other sports, but they can sometimes exclude horse racing.

Check the terms and conditions to make sure you can use the free bets on horse racing before you sign up.

Take advantage of huge new customer bonuses when a big horse racing festival is coming up, as many betting sites will offer a larger bonus for special racing events.

Cheltenham Free Bets

We have compiled a list of exclusive Cheltenham free bets and offers for new and existing customers. We have only listed offers that are available to the UK and Irish customers!

If you want to watch all of the Cheltenham races, be sure to read our Cheltenham free live streaming guide to find which bookies offer live streams.

Grand National Free Bets

Each year, we collect exclusive UK sign up offers for the Grand National, and some free bet offers for existing customers.

On our Grand National page, you will find a guide, the latest odds, and the best betting sites for the famous horse racing festival.

Horse racing has a rich history and is a very popular sport in the UK. Over six million people attend each year making it the second-biggest spectator sport.

It is also home to the Grand National in which over 600 million people watch each year. With an estimated £250 million wagered in this event alone.

Horse racing is a complex sport with plenty of different betting types available. We will start with a list of useful terms to understand. Followed by the racing types and betting types you can use.

Horse Racing Betting Terms Explained

Starting Price (SP)- The odds when a race is about to begin.

Ante-Post (AP)- When you place a bet on a race ahead of the race day.

Banker- A term used to describe the favourite horse in a race.

Bumper- A flat course race that jump horses need to complete before they go hurdling or chasing.

Colours- The shirts worn by the trainers, owners, and jockeys. Each team has its colours.

Furlong- 220 yards or 660 feet or 201 metres.

Photo Finish- A photo taken at the end of the race to determine the winner if the horses finished close together.

Racecard- The programme of the day’s races. Different races, the times and the horses in that race.

Going- Describes the track condition for the racecourse which plays an important role in the performance of the horses.

Horse Racing Variations

In general, horse racing is split into two different racing types, flat and jump racing. The flat is fairly straightforward but jump racing contains different variations.

Flat Racing- Is run on a level racecourse over a predetermined distance ranging from 2 furlongs up to 3 miles. There are no obstacles for the horse to jump over and is more a test of the speed and stamina of the horse.

Jump Racing or National Hunt Racing- Is a racecourse that requires the horses to jump over fences and ditches. It has two distinct branches, hurdles, and steeplechases.

Hurdles- The horses jump over obstacles called hurdles and usually run over distances of 2-3 miles. The hurdles are a minimum of 3 and a half feet high.

Steeplechase- The horses jump over a variety of obstacles that can include plain fences, water jump or an open ditch. Over distances of 2 to 4 miles and the fences are a minimum of 4 and a half feet high.

Bumper race-  A race to give horses experience on a racecourse before beginning a career in jump racing. Usually over a distance of 13-20 furlongs.

Horse Racing Betting Markets

Betting to win- A simple bet involving a single selection on one horse to win.

Each-Way Betting- In a simple way you are placing two bets on the same horse. One bet for the horse to win and the other on the horse to place. If the horse wins you win both parts of the bet if it places you only win the placed part.

The number of places in a race depends on how many horses are running:

2-4 = One place

5-7  = Top two place

8-15 = Top three place

16 or more = Top four place

Unless the horse is at 4/1 or better, an each-way bet will pay out less than your original stake.

Forecasts and Tricasts- A forecast is a bet on horses you think will come first and second in a race in that order. A tricast is the top three in order too. Whatever is won on the first horse then rolls over to the second or third meaning the returns can multiply.

Accumulators- A single bet with multiple selections, all need to win but the odds are multiplied making the payouts potentially huge! An accumulator starts as simple as a double (two selections) and you get to bet on the horses to win or place in their races.

Trixie-  A Trixie bet is a 3 selection wager made up of 4 different bets. 3 doubles and 1 treble. All you need is two winning selections to generate a return. Also, betting shops commonly use Trixie’s for horses at short prices.

Patent- A Patent bet is a 3 selection wager made up of 7 different bets. 3 singles, 3 doubles, and 1 treble. Just one winning choice is enough to earn a positive return. However, each losing selection will significantly impact the returns of the bet.

Yankee- A Yankee bet is a 4 selection wager made up of 11 bets. 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and a fourfold accumulator. Two or more selections winning is enough to generate a return but the odds are very much in the betting sites favour.

Lucky 15- A Lucky 15 bet is a 4 selection wager made up of 15 bets. 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and a fourfold accumulator. One or more winning selections is enough to generate a return. The “Lucky” part is also due to some bookies offering various offers for the bet. Check with the bookie to see what bonuses they have.

What to Avoid When Betting on Horse Racing

Betting on favourites only- If you follow the market and blindly back favourites you may be in for a shock. Around 35% of horse races are won by the favourite. Meaning, if you back most of the favourites at that percentage you are bound to rack up heavy losses.

Chasing losses- At the best horse racing betting sites you can find over 100 different races a day to bet on. With gaps between races being fairly short you can place a lot of different bets. But, this is a sure way to lose a lot of money. Stick to races in which you have done your research. Or even better, only place bet’s on big events and remember it’s for fun, not to make money. When the fun stops, stop!

Using just one betting site- The best betting sites are always competing to draw you in as a customer. You will find plenty of promotions, offers, higher odds or even unique features that will constantly differ from bookie to bookie. To make the most of your money you should take advantage of these offers and have several different accounts to always find the best odds or offers. Especially when a big racing event like the Grand National is close.

Betting emotionally- Avoid falling into the trap of betting on horses/jockeys you like or dislike. Use the price as the main reason and then the research to supplement your choice.

Blindly following tipsters- As tempting as it might be, you should always use the tips as a guide or at least inspiration to do your research. You can then agree and choose to follow the tip, or decide not to. Some “tipsters” are out to profit from your losses and will post purposely bad tips to get a percentage of your losses.

Horse Racing Betting FAQs