The Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK (December 2021)

#1 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – bet365

A comprehensive horse racing offering is one of the top reasons to sign up for a bet365 account. Races from the UK and Ireland are naturally covered by this bookie, which also gives users the chance to place wagers on races from around the world, in countries such as Japan, France, and South Africa to name just three. Races in Australia and New Zealand are offered at Bet365 as well, which means there are races around the clock to bet on with this bookmaker.

In the event there are no real-life horse races to look at for a wager, Bet365 has a decent virtual horse racing offering too. With virtual sports growing in popularity, this is another good reason to sign up for an account with Bet365 rather than one of their rival operators in the industry. Virtual races start every three minutes or so at Bet365, so the action is pretty much constant here.

Ante-post betting is offered at Bet365 as well, with some races available to bet on nearly a year in advance. Those who like to plan their horse racing bets well in advance to take advantage of big odds will therefore find Bet365 to be an outstanding option for wagers on the Sport of Kings. Placepots are available too, so the range of betting options is very good indeed at Bet365.

Among the good features of Bet365’s horse racing offering is the opportunity to favourite certain horses. This makes it easy to track them and see when they are going to be in action next. Bet365 also has a couple of special promotions aimed at horse racing fans. The bookie provides the best odds guaranteed on all races that are broadcast live on ITV in the UK, which covers major meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival. Additionally, Bet365 customers who love to bet on horse racing can get a risk-free bet of up to £50 on the next ITV race if they successfully back a winner at odds of 4/1 or above.

In terms of the odds for horse racing at Bet365, they tend to be somewhere in the middle of the road compared to most other UK bookies. However, with the best odds guaranteed offer for certain races, this means Bet365 customers should not worry too much about value.

Those who like to keep a close eye on the latest headlines from the sport will also enjoy the fact Bet365 hosts a horse betting news section on its site. There are plenty of stories to read that will deepen customers’ understanding of the sport, as well as providing insight that can help them to pick more winners when browsing Bet365 horse racing betting markets in the future.

Bet365 pros

• Comprehensive offering with races from all over the world available to bet on
• Live streaming ensures Bet365 users can follow all the horse racing action live
• Special horse racing promotions such as best price guaranteed are provided

Bet365 cons

• The design of the Bet365 site is a little outdated when compared to some other bookies

#2 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – Unibet

Horse racing has its own tab on the Unibet, which is a sign of how seriously this bookmaker takes its offering for the Sport of Kings. At Unibet, there is a comprehensive lobby where races from all over the world are available to bet on. UK and Ireland races lead the billing but it is possible to find cards for meetings in countries such as France and South Africa as well.

Ante-post betting can be found under the futures button, which offers users the chance to place advance wagers on races such as the Dubai World Cup, the Gold Cup and the Grand National. Special horse racing bets are included in the markets up for grabs at Unibet, so the depth of the offering at this bookmaker certainly places it towards the top of the pile compared to rivals. In the rare event that there are no real races to bet on at Unibet, the site has a section for virtual horse racing to try out as well. Both flat and jump virtual horse racing is available, as well as virtual dogs racing, with a virtual race starting every three minutes on the Unibet site.

A results page on the Unibet site is a handy way to keep up with everything that has happened in the sport on any particular day, while this bookie also combines the top tips of the day from a wide range of UK publications, such as the Racing Post. This is handy and something that most other bookies do not offer, so Unibet gets a pat on the back for providing this for customers. Alongside the tips section at Unibet is a series of racing guides, which are handy for newcomers in particular, though even experienced fans of betting on the sport may learn something.

Of course, for many horse racing fans, it is offers and bonuses that persuade them to use a particular sports betting site over a rival operator. Unibet has some special horse racing promotions including the best odds guaranteed deal for all UK and Ireland horse racing bets, daily from 8 am. For some selected races, Unibet also has a money-back offer if a backed horse finishes second. The refund is up to £20 and is paid by Unibet in the form of a free bet.

The best horse racing promotion at Unibet, though, might be Uniboost. This bonus allows customers to boost the odds of a horse racing bet on the site up to three times a day. There is a maximum stake of £20 per customer per Uniboost and they are only available as single bets. Live streaming of UK and Ireland horse racing is offered through the bookmaker’s Unibet TV offering, which also has NBA action and football matches from around the world available.

Unibet pros

• Tips from various places are collated and published on the Unibet racing site
• Elite range of horse racing promotions, including best odds guaranteed on UK/Ire races
• Live streaming of UK and Ireland horse racing is available to watch on Unibet TV

Unibet cons

• No loyalty rewards program is included in the range of sports betting promotions

#3 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – William Hill

As one of the oldest betting brands in the UK, most sports fans will already be familiar with William Hill. The company has successfully moved with the times over the years and now has a thriving website, on which horse racing betting is front and centre as one of the top sports.

Horse racing betting at William Hill covers racing from around the world and the site handily splits the various countries – UK/Ireland, USA, Australia/NZ and Rest of the World – into sections so it is easy for users to browse the schedules on offer on any one particular day. Also included is a section for virtual racing, which is more comprehensive than on a lot of other UK bookie sites in the UK, with even legends virtual racing available to bet on at William Hill.

A section on the right-hand side of the page details the top horse racing betting of the day, which is a handy feature for those who want to be able to quickly see the major market movers. Also, a key part of the William Hill offer is Betting TV, which unlike a lot of betting sites offers users the chance to watch live horse racing streams without even having to pay a single penny.

Horse racing promotions are among the departments where William Hill really shines ahead of the competition. The bookie offers extra each-way places on selected races and sometimes this is not just a place or two more, it can be double the normal places. Additionally, William Hill customers can use a promotion called Pick Your Places, which is available on all UK horse racing from 10am on the day of the race. PYP lets users add more places for each way bets, or alternatively lengthen their odds – this flexibility and choice is very handy indeed.

On top of all that, like Unibet, there is another horse racing offer at William Hill that lets users boost the odds of up to three wagers per day, with a maximum stake of £20 in play for this particular offer. If all of that was not enough, William Hill is one of a raft of bookmakers that also provides best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish horse racing and greyhound racing. It is fair to say that William Hill customers have access to some of the top horse racing odds around.

Another thing to note about horse racing betting with William Hill is the fact this bookmaker’s betting app has some exclusive mobile-only price boosts that are available to use as well. Anyone who is considering signing up for an account with William Hill should therefore download the app too.

William Hill pros

• Quality array of special promotions for horse racing available at William Hill
• Betting TV service at William Hill has live racing streams to watch for free
• Exclusive mobile-only price boosts are available through the William Hill app

William Hill cons

• WH website is a little outdated, cluttered and can sometimes also be slow to load

#4 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – Paddy Power

Paddy Power has long been thought of as one of the top bookmakers in Europe, with a strong horse racing offering among the reasons why this is the case. There is no doubt a Paddy Power account is a real asset for horse racing fans who do not just want to bet on meetings in the UK and Ireland, with France, New Zealand, South Africa and Australian races all covered.

Paddy Power promotions for horse racing start with the daily price boosts that are known as power prices, while the bookmaker runs daily extra place races as well. Best odds guaranteed is also offered by PP on all UK and Irish Horse Racing from 8am on the day of the race. Overall, the racing promotions at Paddy Power are not quite as extensive or creative as elsewhere.

Odds at Paddy Power go some way to making up for this, though. Testing shows Paddy Power horse racing odds are generally among the best available, for races around the world as well as those in the UK and Ireland. People with a Paddy Power account do not generally have to shop around for prices elsewhere, while the BOG deal is standard for a lot of bookies these days. Best odds guaranteed at PP applies to singles and multiples on the win and each-way markets only.

Like some of the other top horse racing betting sites in the UK, Paddy Power has a news section on its website that provides daily tips on the most important meetings. Naturally, it can feel a little odd for bookmakers themselves to offer tips, but people may find it useful to read the advice before deciding which selections they are going to pick out from the daily schedule.

Virtuals is an area that is becoming more popular among a lot of sports fans these days. Virtual horse racing at Paddy Power sees races go off every two minutes, which is a bit more regular on a lot of other horse racing betting sites where the gap between races is often three minutes.

The Live Video service at Paddy Power gives customers of the sports betting site the chance to follow all the top races live, to see whether or not their chosen horse will be a winner. As an example, Live Video at Paddy Power had streams available for every single race of the last Cheltenham Festival – a meeting at which PP sponsors many of the most important races. Those who do not have time to tune in to live streams can find all the results at PP as well while ante-post betting is covered in great detail at Paddy Power. Customers of PP can even take advantage of a non-runner, no bet deal for major races such as the Grand National at Aintree.

Paddy Power pros

• Paddy Power’s prices are generally among the best around for horse racing
• The Paddy’s Rewards Club loyalty scheme rewards regular customers of this site

Paddy Power cons

• Not as many promotions exclusive to horse racing as some other bookmakers

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#5 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – Betfair

Betfair might primarily be known as one of the best betting exchanges, but the site is also home to a sports betting offering that is up there with the best in the business as well. Horse racing has long been a cornerstone of the Betfair sportsbook and while there is a strong focus on UK and Ireland races, it is possible to bet on meetings around the world, such as in countries like France and South Africa, while users have the chance to use Betfair’s highly customisable horse finder feature in order to keep a close eye on their favourites from the Sport of Kings.

Promotions at Betfair are often available across various sports – such as a £5 free bet for placing £20 bets on multiples – but there are some special deals offered for horse racing too. As with a few other bookies these days, Betfair allows customers to boost the odds of three horses per day. MyOddsBoost daily tokens at Betfair can be used with a maximum stake of £25 and they can be used on greyhounds as well as horse racing. Rewards4Racing points are also awarded for bets that are placed on the Betfair sportsbook.

Another special horse racing promotion at Betfair is Each Way Edge, which gives players the option of taking slightly lower odds in exchange for more places in their chosen selection. Ante-post betting, which is another area of strength for this bookmaker, includes deals like non-runner, no bet for major annual races such as Aintree classic the Grand National.

The Betfair horse racing blog is a key selling point of this bookmaker. Daily tips are provided as well as analysis that fans of the Sport of Kings are sure to find very useful when deciding which horses they are going to back on the daily schedule. This part of the Betfair site is also very helpful for those who are quite new to betting on horse racing. Various guides are published here and they are worth reading for anyone who lacks confidence or experience betting on racing.

Live streaming is yet another department where Betfair ranks at the top of the list when it comes to the best horse racing betting sites in the country. Betfair Live Video is currently free of charge for all content, though there is an exception here for certain horse racing and greyhounds events. Sometimes, users will need to place a bet before being able to access the live stream.

Betfair is also one of the bookmakers that allow betting on the Tote markets such as Tote placepot. This makes a Betfair account a must for anyone who would like to be able to use this horse betting option.

Betfair pros

• Betfair also has an exchange, which can allow customers to get even better odds
• Loyalty scheme at Betfair is one of the very best around, rewarding regular users

Betfair cons

• Some users might find navigating around the Betfair website to be a little tricky

#6 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – BoyleSports

Founded in 2007, Boylesports has been one of the best horse racing betting sites around for some time. The range of promotions is decent and while the website looks a little outdated on the face of it, there are no problems with it in terms of usability barring some slowness.

UK and Irish racing is the main focus at Boylesports, but various meetings such as those in Australia and America are also available at this bookmaker. Boylesports is currently the headline sponsor of the Irish Grand National, which is one of the top races on the sport’s annual calendar. Boylesports also offers Tote betting, which is good news for those browsing the internet who would like to use this option sometimes.

Promotions at Boylesports include best odds guaranteed on all racing from the UK and Ireland, but this is only the case for multiples, with single bets not able to take advantage of the deal. Other promotions for horse racing on this sports betting site include regular extra place races, as well as Boylesports awarding a free bet for some races if the backed horse comes in second to the starting price favourite. Acca insurance is also available for racing bets at Boylesports.

Boylesports live streams Irish and UK horse races, as well as greyhound races, for users. Unlike some of the other top horse racing betting sites in the country that have free streams, Boylesports does require its customers to place a bet on the race that they want to watch.

When there is no live racing available to bet, customers at Boylesports can also play virtual horse racing on the site instead. Flat, sprint and National Hunt virtual horse racing are all offered in this section, along with other sports such as football and motorsport, so the range is good.

With best odds guaranteed not available for single bets at Boylesports, the value of their prices becomes a bit more important when compared to other bookies. Horse racing odds at Boylesports tend to be around the middle of the pack, so for those who rank top prices as the most important factor in a horse racing betting site, Boylesports may not be the best choice.

Specials are offered on a daily basis, with price boosts always worth looking out for. Additionally, those who want to browse ante-post horse racing bets will find plenty of options on the Boylesports site, including races from meetings like the Cheltenham Festival a year in advance.

Boylesports pros

• Good availability of streaming, though Boylesports users do have to place a bet to watch
• The engaging Boylesports blog is updated regularly and is a great read for sports fans

Boylesports cons

• Best odds guaranteed promotion at Boylesports only applies to multiples for horse racing

#7 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – Betway

Betway might not have the same high public profile as many of the other top horse racing betting sites in the UK, but it has a strong offering that means players should certainly consider signing up for an account here. Special horse racing promotions are offered – along with standard offerings such as best odds guaranteed on the UK and Irish races – and the prices that are available on the Betway site are typically found to be some of the best in the business as well.

Free bets are available every week to racing fans through the Betway Free Bet Club, while a free-to-play racing predictor game (4 To Win) at Betway has a prize of £10,000 up for grabs as well. Money-back as a free bet – up to £10 – is available if a horse finishes second in races with six or more runners that are broadcast live on ITV in the UK. Horse racing fans who have an account on Betway should also keep a close eye on the site’s Betway Boosts and special Super Boosts.

Betway Live Video is where users should go to find this bookmaker’s live streaming offering. Betway streaming is available on a race by race basis and users have to place a bet of at least £2 in order to qualify. Compared to other sites where streaming is live, this means it could get expensive for those who want to watch live horse racing through their Betway account.

Betway hosts a blog but the horse racing section does not seem to be updated very often outside of meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival. The site does, however, feature columns by the former jockey Katie Walsh, which are well worth checking out when they are published. There are horse racing betting tips available to check out on the Betway blog as well.

Many experts believe virtual sports is going to be a key part of the industry’s future, with Betway among the online sports betting sites to offer virtual horse racing to its customers. Betway’s virtual racing includes more markets than a lot of rival operators have on offer, with races starting every three minutes. Other virtual sports at Betway include football, cycling, greyhounds and speedway, while it is even possible to find virtual trotting in this part of the Betway site too.

Ante-post horse racing betting is another area of strength at Betway, with a massive range of meetings and races available for those who like to browse for bets well in advance. It is possible to bet on big races such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup a year in advance on the Betway site.

Betway pros

• Betway prices are often shown to be among the best around for horse racing
• Decent suite of special horse racing promotions can be found at Betway

Betway cons

• Not much relevant or recent content for horse racing fans on the Betway blog

#8 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – Betfred

Betfred has consistently been ranked among the best horse racing betting sites around, with the bookmaker in a constant state of reinvention to stay among the elite. While the Betfred website looks like it has not changed for many years, the bookie is happy to stick with a winning formula.

Horse racing fans browsing the Betfred sportsbook will find a comprehensive offering of both UK and Ireland meetings and international races from various nations such as France and America. However, the way the meetings are laid out is not the best and makes the Betfred site a little hard to navigate. The number of potential bets on horse racing markets is also not as extensive as with other operators, though all of the basics are covered as well as users would expect.

One of the things Betfred does well is innovation. Apple Watch users can even place bets through the device on their wrists while it is possible to use the Betfred Messenger service to put bets on the big race too. And with Betfred’s live streaming service widely regarded as one of the best around for horse racing fans, it is easy to keep up with all of the latest action as well.

When it comes to horse racing promotions, Betfred has a few good options that are worth noting. Extra place races are offered by this bookmaker regularly, giving horse racing fans more opportunities to win cash from their selections. For selected races, players will get a refund as a free bet if their horse comes second. As is the case with a lot of the other top horse racing betting sites, Betfred offers best odds guaranteed for all races in the UK and Ireland. What this means is Betfred customers who bet primarily on UK and Irish races do not have to worry about shopping around with other operators for the top price as they will get the best odds at Betfred.

One Winner and All Correct are two of the other special horse racing bonuses at Betfred, which is also known for launching new deals and promotions on a regular basis. It is always worth checking back to see if this generous bookmaker has something new on offer for racing fans. However, one thing missing on the list of promotions on the Betfred site is the chance to boost prices for a handful of horse racing bets each day, which many other rival sites have nowadays.

Those who love the Sport of Kings are also likely to appreciate the fact pool betting on racing is on the list of what Betfred has to offer. Picking six winners creates the chance to win a life-changing amount of money, so this is something for Betfred customers to consider trying.

Betfred pros

• Apple Watch and Betfred Messenger can both be used for wagers on racing
• Betfred’s live streaming service is one of the best around for horse racing fans

Betfred cons

• The number of markets available at Betfred is lower than at a lot of rival operators

#9 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – BetVictor

BetVictor has a clear and modern betting website with its horse racing page on the sportsbook site even featuring a range of casino games based on the Sport of Kings. Fans of racing who are only interested in betting on the outcome of real races will find there is still more than enough choice at BetVictor, which covers all UK and Ireland meetings as well as those from a variety of countries around the world, such as France and the USA. Each race available on the BetVictor site also comes with the Timeform verdict to give players an insight into the potential outcome.

Racing fans who join BetVictor can get £40 in free bets when they deposit £10 and this is just the start when it comes to promotions from this bookie. As is the case with a lot of rivals in the sector, best odds guaranteed is on the table and BetVictor even goes a step further. The site’s Run For Your Money offer for British and Irish racing means that users will be repaid their stake in cash if their horse does not start the race – for whatever reason. Lengthen the Odds is another special horse racing promotion at BetVictor, which also offers Faller Insurance to customers.

While the best odds guaranteed offer on the site ensures BetVictor customers can be assured they are not missing a better price elsewhere, the sportsbook’s odds for horse racing tend to be among the best around anyway. BetVictor users never have to worry about getting bad value.

When there is no real-life racing to bet on, virtual is an option that might become more appealing to BetVictor users. For many within the industry, virtuals is expected to be a hot trend that continues to grow in popularity in the coming years. BetVictor already has a strong offering for virtuals, with both flat and jump races available. Virtual races start every few minutes at BetVictor, with alternative sports to try out also including football, basketball and dogs racing.

International races, as well as those from the UK and Ireland, are available to stream live on the BetVictor site. As well as comprehensive racing coverage, various other events and sports are available to watch with a BetVictor account, such as live tennis and even live esports.

This bookmaker has been around for decades, but unlike some other rival operators who have allowed their offering to get stale, BetVictor is still without a doubt one of the best horse racing betting sites around. Only a fool would bet against that continuing to be the case for a long time into the future as well – a BetVictor account is certainly a must for all fans of the Sport of Kings.

BetVictor pros

• Horse racing odds at BetVictor are usually some of the best in the betting business
• Excellent range of horse racing promotions, plus a very generous sign-up bonus too

BetVictor cons

• Free bets that are given out at BetVictor usually have an expiry date of 30 days

#10 Best Horse Racing Betting Site – 888Sport

The last of the horse racing betting sites we have ranked in the top 10 is 888Sport. A reputable gambling brand with a massive range of products such as poker, casino, bingo and more, horse racing fans will still find that the sportsbook has more than enough to keep them occupied.

888Sport has markets for meetings around the world, though naturally, the primary focus is on races taking place within the UK and Ireland. The Betfinder on the 888Sport is one of the most intriguing features on any horse racing betting site. Users can set various filters – such as course winner and distance winner – to identify horses that might be of interest for betting. This is fantastic for those who do not have time to study the form or the conditions but still want to make a smart selection that gives them a good chance of celebrating a winner in a big race.

As with some of the other top horse racing betting sites in the country, Timeform tips have been incorporated into the 888Sport sportsbook. This provides a quick overview of the horses that are involved in the action that have the best chances of coming out on top at the end of a race. That said, for most racing fans, it is promotions and offers that attract them to sign up for an account with a particular bookmaker rather than one of their rivals. At 888Sport, new users can get £30 in free bets plus a £10 casino bonus when they join. On all sports including racing, those who pick a winner at odds of 4/1 or more will also be given an extra £5 free bet to play with.

When it comes to promotions designed for racing, 888Sport has daily price enhancements and the site offers double results on all UK and Irish racing too. What this means is that 888Sport pays out first past the post, as well as paying you out if a horse gets promoted to a place or awarded the race after the fact. Best odds guaranteed for UK and Irish racing is offered at 888Sport too, which is in line with many of the other top 10 horse racing betting sites around. Extra place races are common too, while users can opt for each way plus at 888Sport as well.

Live streaming is demanded by most horse racing fans nowadays, with 888Sport delivering in this department thanks to the Watch and Bet feature on the sportsbook. Every racecourse and greyhound track in the UK and Ireland have the action live-streamed on 888Sport, while the US, French and Australian horse racing is also available to stream through this sportsbook as well. Weaknesses with the 888Sport horse racing offer are hard to find. However, there could be improvements made to the ante-post section. Whereas it is possible to bet on races at big meetings like the Cheltenham Festival a year in advance, this is not the case at 888Sport.

888Sport pros

• 888 live streams action from every racecourse and dogs track in the UK and Ireland
• Users with 888 accounts have access to a massive range of other betting products

888Sport cons

• Ante-post racing coverage is not as in-depth at 888Sport as at many rival sites