The best horse racing betting sites in the UK April 2025

The best horse racing betting sites in the UK April 2025

At FIRST, we look at sports betting from a variety of different angles, including different types of sports betting sites. On this page, we’re looking at the best horse racing betting sites in the UK.
By Bradley Gibbs, Casino Expert

How to choose a horse racing betting site

As we journey deeper and deeper into the age of online betting, there’s more choice than ever before in terms of horse racing betting sites. Users really are spoilt for choice, which means that it can be a bit of a task selecting which online sportsbook to use.

  • Step 1

    The first thing to address here is that there’s no reason to limit yourself to one horse racing betting site. It’s good to have options, so don’t fixate on choosing just one, which is tough.

    Step 1
  • Step 2

    OK, so let’s say you choose a handful, how do you choose that handful? Well, firstly, you should think about what’s important to you as a bettor. Are you looking for the best odds? If so, you’ll need to do some research on which sportsbooks are known for consistently offering competitive odds and choose them.

    Step 2
  • Step 3

    If site design and usability is high on your list of priorities, then you’ll want to have a look around at several different sites before landing on the one that most aligns with your preference from a design and usability point of view.

    Step 3
  • Step 4

    It’s also a good idea to check out the user reviews of several horse racing betting sites when making your decision. If other bettors have lots of positive things to say about a site, then there’s likely a reason for that. The same can be said for sites that have several negative reviews.

    Step 4

Key things to consider when choosing a horse racing betting site

Essentially, there are lots of things to take into account. Here’s a breakdown of the key things to consider when choosing a horse racing betting site:

Welcome bonus

How does it compare to what’s on offer elsewhere?

Welcome bonus
Site design

Does the site look good? Is it easy to use?

Site design
Deposits and withdrawals

Is there a range of methods? Is your preferred method one of them?

Deposits and withdrawals
Competitive odds

How competitive are the horse racing odds?

Competitive odds
Markets available

Is there good market variety?

Markets available
Customer service

Does the site go above and beyond in terms of customer service options?

Customer service
Mobile app

Is there a mobile app? Is it easy to use? Has it been favourably reviewed?

Mobile app
Loyalty program

Are regular players rewarded for their loyalty?

Loyalty program
User reviews

Does the site have positive user reviews? What are people saying?

User reviews

The best horse racing betting sites, reviewed

Below we go over five of the best horse racing betting sites, considering all elements of the horse racing betting product offered by each of these sites, such as today’s horse racing betting odds.

The best horse racing sites, compared

Betting site Welcome offer Mobile/app compatibility Features Horse racing offer
Betway £30 free bet Mobile app available on Android & iOS (4.8 ratings on App Store) All-round horse racing product £100 free bets ‘Countdown to Cheltenham’ offer.
Zetbet Bet £10 get £10 Mobile browser only Simplistic horse racing product N/A
Bet442 Bet £20 get £20 Mobile app available on Android & iOS Great for forecast/tricast betting N/A
Luckster N/A Mobile browser only Ideal for beginners N/A
Mr Play Bet £10 get £10 Mobile app available on Android & iOS An online magazine featuring horse racing content N/A

What horse racing bonuses can you claim in the UK?

Several different types of horse racing bonuses can be claimed in the UK, such as:

No-deposit bonus No-deposit bonus
A no-deposit bonus is a betting bonus that is credited to a player’s account with the need for a deposit first.
Free bet bonus Free bet bonus
A free bet bonus is a bonus that is paid as a free bet. The free bet will be of a certain amount and may come with conditions for use, such as can only be used on a certain event.
Money-back bonus Money-back bonus
This type of bonus typically allows players to place a risk-free bet, providing a refund (often in the form of a free bet token) if the bet loses.
Deposit match bonus Deposit match bonus
A deposit match allows users to get their deposit matched, either in bonus funds or free-bet tokens.
Free-to-play predictor Free-to-play predictor
Free-to-play predictor games allow users to submit picks such as horse racing winners for the chance to win cash prizes.

What to watch out for when using horse racing betting bonuses

Of course, it’s important to be vigilant when using horse racing betting bonuses. The key is to not get drawn in by the claims of a bonus.

Sure, some bonuses are great and are absolutely worth taking advantage of, but we advise our readers to always check the small print. In other words, you need to ensure that you’ve read and understand the terms and conditions of a bonus offer before diving in head first.

There are a few basic things to check before claiming a horse racing betting bonus. These are:

Eligibility

Who is the bonus for? Are you eligible?

Eligibility
Deposit requirements

How much do you need to deposit?

Deposit requirements
Bet requirements

How much do you need to stake to claim the offer? How many bets do you need to place?

Bet requirements
How is the bonus paid?

Is the bonus paid as one amount or is it split into separate free bet tokens?

How is the bonus paid?
Bonus stipulations

Can you use the bonus/free bets to bet on anything or must they be used in a certain way?

Bonus stipulations
Withdrawal requirements

Can you withdraw any bonus-generated winnings straight away?

Withdrawal requirements

Keep across latest horse racing updates

FIRST will keep you in pole position with the latest legislation news, racing updates and changing odds in the world of horse racing.

Read more

Most popular horse racing events to bet on

Horse racing is the sport that very rarely sleeps, with action on almost every day of the year, barring the odd public holiday and a few days lost to poor weather conditions.
Therefore, there’s always something to bet on, but there are a few meetings that are in a league of their own in terms of both prestige and betting turnover.

Here are the biggest horse racing events to bet on:

Cheltenham Festival
Cheltenham Festival

Even those with only the slightest horse racing knowledge likely know about Cheltenham, such is the magnitude of this event in the British sports betting calendar. Taking place annually in March, the four-day Cheltenham Festival is the pinnacle of jumps racing in the UK, especially in terms of betting interest.

Grand National Festival
Grand National Festival

From a single-race perspective, the Grand National is arguably the biggest race of the year, at least in terms of widespread popularity and betting interest. The Grand National Festival takes place over three days at Aintree and like Cheltenham is very popular among horse racing bettors.

The Guineas Festival
The Guineas Festival

Moving away from the National Hunt game, some rather sizable flat meetings take place each year, starting with the Guineas Festival, which takes place at Newmarket in the Spring. Feature races at this meeting include the 1000 Guineas and the 2000 Guineas, which are two of the most prestigious flat-racing prizes, not just in Britain but worldwide.

The Epsom Derby
The Epsom Derby

The Epsom Derby has long been one of the biggest horse races in the world, so much so that it often attracts top runners from other countries, such as France and Japan.

Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot

Spread over five days, Royal Ascot is a high-class affair, especially in terms of racing, with lots of high-value races taking place at one of Britain’s most premier racing venues. From an overall meeting perspective, Royal Ascot is perhaps the biggest flat meeting in terms of betting interest.

Glorious Goodwood
Glorious Goodwood

During the summer time, we have Glorious Goodwood, which is a prestigious flat racing meeting that takes place at the Sussex venue of Goodwood Racecourse. Like Royal Ascot, the meeting takes place over five days and includes several top quality group races, plus some ultra-competitive handicaps, all of which generate tremendous betting interest.

Popular horse racing markets to bet on

Looking to start horse racing betting today? See the table below for the most popular markets.

To win

This market involves betting on a horse to win the race.

To win
Each-way

Each-way betting involves two bets rolled into one, one on the horse to win the race, the other on the horse to place, which typically means to finish second or third, but can also include fourth, fifth and even sixth depending on the number of runners.

Each-way
Place only

Betting on a ‘horse to place’ only means that you’re betting on it to fill one of the places as opposed to betting on to win or betting each way. This means that whether the horse wins or places, you only get paid out at the place odds.

Place only
Ante-post (futures)

Ante-post betting, also known as futures betting, involves betting on horse races that are due to happen in the future. An example would be betting on the winner of the Grand National months before the event is due to happen. You might do this to get a bigger price, but by betting so far in advance, you run the risk of the horse not being declared to run in the race nearer the time.

Ante-post (futures)
Forecast

In horse racing betting, placing a forecast means that you’re selecting the winner and the runner-up. A regular forecast means to bet on the two horses in a certain order, while a reverse forecast means that they can finish in any order as long as they’re first and second.

Forecast
Tricast

Tricasts are the same as forecasts in nature, but instead of the first two horses, you’re betting on the first three horses.

Tricast
Match bets

Match bets involve betting on the winner between two specific horses. For example, horse one to beat horse two. Horse one simply needs to finish the race in front of horse two for your bet to win.

Match bets
Winning distance

This involves betting for a horse to win by more than a certain number of lengths, such as ‘XXX to win by more than three lengths’.

Winning distance
Specials

Specials markets can be on anything horse racing related, but they typically tend to be on things such as the winning trainer at big meetings. Another example would be a bet between more winners going to Irish trainers or British trainers at the Cheltenham Festival.

Specials

Basic tips and strategies for horse racing betting

As the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat. There are also many ways to bet on horse racing. Over the years, numerous betting strategies and plans have been devised by horse racing punters, some good, some not so good.
Realistically, there’s no single method. In fact, there are very few methods that work in the long run. It’s important to understand that horse racing betting is very tough, or rather it’s very tough to make money betting on horses, though there are a few basics that can be followed to give bettors an improved chance of relative success. These are:

Focus less on predicting and more on trying to identify bets that offer value for money. Focus less on predicting and more on trying to identify bets that offer value for money.
Learn about value and understand why value is an important part of betting on horse racing. Learn about value and understand why value is an important part of betting on horse racing.
Don’t have an ego when it comes to betting, look to learn and keep trying to improve. Don’t have an ego when it comes to betting, look to learn and keep trying to improve.
As you keep learning, be adaptable, be willing to change your approach. As you keep learning, be adaptable, be willing to change your approach.
Keep a record of all your bets, doing so will help you to analyse what’s going well and what isn’t. Keep a record of all your bets, doing so will help you to analyse what’s going well and what isn’t.
Set aside a betting bank that is separate from your personal finances. Set aside a betting bank that is separate from your personal finances.
Have a staking plan that is relevant to your betting bank. Have a staking plan that is relevant to your betting bank.
Ignore the noise, don’t listen to those who preach get-rich-quick horse racing ideas. Ignore the noise, don’t listen to those who preach get-rich-quick horse racing ideas.
Don’t get caught up in the short term, try to focus on the long-term picture. Don’t get caught up in the short term, try to focus on the long-term picture.

Types of horse racing

Types of horse racing
In Britain, there are two types of horse racing.

These are flat racing and jumps racing, otherwise known as National Hunt racing. Historically, the flat season lasted from around April until October, while the jumps season typically ran from October to April.

However, nowadays, both codes go on year round, with a few minor jumps meetings taking place during the summer, while on a handful of all-weather tracks, such as Wolverhampton, Lingfield and Southwell, there is regular flat racing during the winter too.

There are many different types of races within each of the two main codes in the UK, such as handicap races, claiming races, hurdle races and steeplechases.

Worldwide, there are other types of horse racing, such as harness racing, which is more common in countries such as the US and France as opposed to Great Britain.

Step-by-step guide for signing up to a horse racing betting site

Signing up to a horse racing betting site can be fairly intimidating if you’ve never done it before, but it’s really quite simple. To easily sign up, follow our step-by-step guide:

01 01

Click on the link to any of the horse racing betting sites mentioned in this article and you’ll be redirected to the registration page of your chosen bookmaker.

02 02

From the sign-up page, simply follow the steps and input the information required, such as name, address, date of birth and email address.

03 03

Create a username and select a memorable password, plus choose a security question and answer that is unique to you.

04 04

Once you’ve registered, deposit your chosen amount (make sure it’s the minimum amount required to unlock any welcome bonus on offer).

05 05

Following your deposit, it’s time to start betting, though again, if you’re attempting to claim a welcome offer, be sure to check the betting requirements of that offer before placing any bets.

Popular payment and withdrawal methods

In an increasingly digital world, there are many different types of popular payment and withdrawal methods, such as:

Debit cards

The most common payment method. Visa, Mastercard and Maestro are usually available.

Debit cards
PayPal

Accepted by most bookmakers. Benefits include speed and security of transactions. Paypal ensures payments are encrypted and fraud monitored.

PayPal
Neteller

Neteller is another e-wallet option available. It’s safe as it’s regulated. You may have to shop around though as not too many bookmakers offer Neteller as a payment option.

Neteller
Apple Pay/Google Pay

A lot of people have their card linked up to Apple Pay/Google Pay so it’s one of the most convenient payment methods.

Apple Pay/Google Pay
Paysafecard

You may have to shop around with bookmakers as not every site will accept Paysafecard, which is an e-wallet. One of the main perks is that you don’t need to share your bank details.

Paysafecard
Cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT)

Cryptocurrencies have become more prominent in recent years and some bookmakers, although it’s usually casino sites, will accept them as payment methods. Transactions are quick and safe.

Cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT)
Skrill

Is one of the most well-known e-wallets. Like Paysafecard, you aren’t required to share your card details.

Skrill

How do we rate horse racing betting sites?

Naturally, there are lots of things to consider when reviewing and rating a betting site. We believe in being transparent about our rating methods, so here’s an example of what we look at:

  • Welcome bonus
    Welcome bonus
  • Deposits & withdrawal methods
    Deposits & withdrawal methods
  • Competitions and markets available for betting
    Competitions and markets available for betting
  • Competitiveness of odds
    Competitiveness of odds
  • Site design and usability
    Site design and usability
  • Security and fairness
    Security and fairness
  • Customer loyalty
    Customer loyalty
  • Customer support
    Customer support
  • Licensing
    Licensing
  • Responsible gambling
    Responsible gambling
Legal situation with gambling in the UK Legal situation with gambling in the UK

As things stand, it is legal for anyone aged 18 and above to engage in gambling and sports betting with a licensed operator, such as those featured in this article. For operators to be legally allowed to operate in the UK, they need to be licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.

Responsible gambling Responsible gambling

We take responsible gambling very seriously. Of course, we provide bookmaker reviews and betting tips, though we do not promote reckless or irresponsible gambling. You should only bet with money that you can afford to lose.

For more information, visit our responsible gambling page.

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FAQs

  • A horse racing accumulator is one bet made up of several selections. Instead of betting on the winner of one race, you’re betting on the winner of two or more races in order to increase the odds and potential payout.

  • Yes, many betting sites provide live streams of all UK & Irish racing, while several also provide live streaming for lots of international races. Oh, and most betting sites also live stream greyhound racing as well.

  • An each-way bet is two bets rolled into one. You can also think of it as one bet with two equal parts. Half of the total stake goes on the horse to win, and half of the total stake goes on the horse to place.

    Place terms vary, but typically placing means to finish either first, second or third. If the horse wins, you win both bets. If the horse finishes second or third (sometimes fourth, fifth or sixth in big races), you lose the win part, but win the place part of the bet.

  • When a horse racing betting site offers ‘best odds guaranteed’, this means that you’ll get paid out at a bigger price if your horse drifts. For example, if you bet on a horse at 3/1 but it ends up starting the race at 4/1, you’ll get paid out at 4/1 (instead of 3/1) if the horse wins.

  • The easiest way to find value bets in horse racing is to find a trusted source of betting tips. At FIRST, we pride ourselves on providing value bets from a variety of sports betting experts, so don’t forget to check out our tips section.