1. bet365
Our Choice For The Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in 2023
- Boyle Sports – High-quality customer service
- Bet365 – Live website and in-app streaming
- 888Sport – Wide range of horse racing markets
- Betway – Regular offers for existing customers
- SpreadEx – High odds across the board
Boyle Sports
Founded in the 1980s, Boyle Sports is Ireland’s leading bookmaker and has evolved with the times. Not only successful on the high street, Boyle Sports has a significant online presence thanks to its website and app.
Bottom line:
Boyle Sports cements its place among the best horse racing betting sites with an array of promotions and slick website.
Why we like Boyle Sports:
An intuitive website makes Boyle Sports an easy bookmaker to engage with. Promotions are relatively competitive, including Non-Runner No Bet and Best Odds Guaranteed, while their high-quality customer service team provides quick and helpful replies through email, telephone, social media and live chat.
| Pros | Cons |
| Reliable and positively received app on iOS and Android Convenient customer service options Abundance of horse racing odds available | Could have more horse racing-focused promotions BoyleXtra only accessible if you go to one of their stores |
What Boyle Sports offers you
- Straight-forward deposits and withdrawals: Boyle Sport provides a ton of deposit and withdrawal options, which are quick to process online and withdrawals will be in your account with minimal delay.
- Acca Loyalty: For every five accas placed, you will receive a £5 free acca if certain criteria are met.
- Extra place races: You will find selected races offering extra places each day on the Boyle Sports website.
- New customers free bet bundle: If you’re yet to create a Boyle Sports account, you could unlock a £25 free bet bundle.
Read the full Boyle Sports Review
Bet365
Bookmakers don’t come much bigger than Bet365. Punters know what they’re getting with Bet365, such is the size of the company and its stellar reputation around the world. It is a favourite horse racing online betting site for many regular bettors.
Bottom line:
There are few faults in Bet365’s horse racing offering. Decent odds are complemented by one of the best live streaming packages and plentiful rewards for new customers.
Why we like Bet365:
Bet365 provides outstanding levels of security and usability for customers. Antepost markets are one of their strengths, along with solid sign-up offers and price promises across various sports. The horse racing streams on the Bet365 app and website, meanwhile, are industry-leading.
| Pros | Cons |
| Live website and in-app streaming of horse racing across the UK and Ireland Plentiful antepost betting options throughout the year Bonus credits handed out around major events | Live website and in-app streaming of horse racing across the UK and Ireland Plentiful antepost betting options throughout the year Bonus credits handed out around major events |
What Bet365 offers you
- Year-round horse racing live streams: You don’t need to miss a race with Bet365’s reliable horse racing streams on their app and website.
- Price Promise: Races shown live on ITV Racing are subject to a price promise – you will not find a better price elsewhere.
- My Horses Stable: If you’ve got a few favourite horses, the Bet365 stable allows you to keep track of their performances and will alert you when they’re due to run.
- Good reputation for customer service: Bet365 has one of the better customer service teams in the sports betting industry with different options when contacting them.
888Sport
888Sport is a growing bookmaker with a widespread range of horse racing betting markets. The orange, black and white colour scheme makes 888Sport stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Bottom line:
888Sport has clearly prioritised its horse racing package, leading to a complete offering for new customers.
Why we like 888Sport:
New sign-ups are met with a strong welcome offer, and 888Sport back that up with an impressive setup for horse racing punters, including a long list of antepost markets and a catalogue of races covered every day. The process from registering to collecting winnings is straight-forward.
| Pros | Cons |
| Heaps of horse racing markets throughout the calendar Swift deposit and withdrawals Excellent reputation across gaming | Hit-and-miss customer service Website and app can be slow to load |
What 888Sport offers you
- Lots of payment options: However you want to deposit or withdraw from your 888Sport account, you are unlikely to encounter any issues.
- Favourable sign-up offer: Use the 888Sport sign-up code to receive £30 in free bets if you wager £10.
- BetFinder: You can pick out a wager using 888Sport’s ‘BetFinder’ tool, which should aid research before placing your bet.
- BetFeed: Check out which bets are trending on 888Sport before deciding what to back.
Betway
Betway arrived on the scene midway through the 2000s and has the foundations to stick as one of the best horse racing betting sites for years to come. Reviewers frequently praise Betway’s product.
Bottom line:
Boosted odds and superb promotions underline Betway’s outstanding horse racing platform.
Why we like Betway:
Betway has promotions for both regular and new customers, presented on a website which is clean, easy to navigate and smooth-running. Horse racing offers are available on a daily basis, plus bettors can also delve into Betway’s horse racing tips to help evaluate the betting markets.
| Pros | Cons |
| Betway Plus rewards customer loyalty with tier tokens Promotions updated regularly Best Odds Guaranteed on racing in UK and Ireland | Must register and login in to view promotions page Some might find site navigation overly complicated |
What Betway offers you
- Consistent punters rewarded through Betway Plus: Bet regularly with Betway and you will earn tier tokens, leading to a variety of perks to be used on the site’s sportsbook or casino.
- Free Bet Club: Opt in to Betway’s Free Bet Club and you can earn £15 in free bets each week if you meet the qualifying criteria.
- Different routes to free bets: You will have different ways to earn free bets with Betway beyond Betway Plus and the Free Bet Club.
- User-friendly customer service: Betway has a comprehensive FAQ section and helpful videos which can solve many issues before needing to contact their customer service team.
SpreadEx
Best known for its spread betting service, SpreadEx also offers fixed odds for the core sports, helping it to become a favoured site among horse racing punters.
Bottom line:
SpreadEx gives great welcome bonuses and provides excellent odds throughout the horse racing schedule.
Why we like SpreadEx:
SpreadEx covers everything you would want from a bookie. Punters are after value first and foremost, which SpreadEx has thanks to their high odds. Promotions are easy to find and use, plus the website is hard to fault. The option to switch between spread betting and fixed odds is a nice bonus for some bettors, too.
| Pros | Cons |
| £50 bet bonuses available for new customers Often has better odds than bigger name bookies Odds for every race across the UK | Relatively few payment options Short open hours for customer support |
What SpreadEx offers you
- Exceptional fixed horse racing odds: When pitted against the more well-known names in the industry, SpreadEx’s odds often compare favourably.
- Informative website: You will find a lot of detail on a SpreadEx betting page, including form and weight.
- ‘2nd to a rag’ insurance: If your horse finishes second to a 33/1 or longer outsider, you will receive money back as a free bet.
- Bet Bonuses for new customers: New customers at SpreadEx receive free bets to experiment on the sportsbook.
How our experts choose the best sites to bet on Horse Racing
Punters have various factors to ponder when evaluating the best horse racing betting sites. The website itself is important, of course, as are the odds available, promotions, and the quality and accessibility of customer service. To be ranked among the top horse racing online betting sites, bookmakers must score highly across the board.
Sam Cox: I am looking for horse racing betting sites in the UK to have a variety of promotions available throughout the year. Websites should be responsive and easy to digest, while processing withdrawals must be smooth and swift.
Compare the best Horse Racing betting sites of 2023
Horse racing is a focus for the vast majority of sportsbooks in the UK. With racing taking place through all seasons and all over the globe, bookies have a lot of action to cover. Bettors are spoilt for choice amid an ocean of horse racing promotions and offers.
Selecting the best horse racing betting site in 2023 is about the whole service. The answer might vary from punter to punter, depending on their betting. We’ve compared the top sites to be on horse racing:
| Site Name | Betting.com Rating | Best For | Sign-up Bonus | Full Review |
| Boyle Sports | 4/5 | Quality customer service | £25 Free Bets | Review |
| Bet365 | 4.6/5 | Live streaming | Bet £10, Get £50 Free Bets | Review |
| 888Sport | 4/5 | Deposits and withdrawals | 100% Bonus Up To £150 | Review |
| Betway | 4.8/5 | Loyalty rewards | £30 Matched Free Bet | Review |
| SpreadEx | 4.2/5 | High odds | Bet £25, Get £50 Bonuses | Review |
How to choose the best site for you
Identifying the best horse racing betting sites isn’t an easy task with so many options out there. You can only get a real idea of what works for you by trying sites out and extensively researching their promotions.
When looking at horse racing online betting sites, these seven points are important to keep in mind:
- Safety comes first: To keep your cash and data safe, you should always play on licensed and secure betting sites.
- Compare welcome offers: Not all welcome offers are the same. Each punter has different betting habits and will value different things when signing up to a new bookie, so make sure you find a site with a welcome offer which suits you.
- Analyse their horse racing prices: Before diving in, have a look through the horse racing markets to get a feel for the value on offer. All bettors want the best odds. It is worth comparing between books to see which have the most competitive prices.
- Consider payment and banking options: Making sure you can deposit and withdraw money safely and quickly is very important. It is worth seeing which bookies offer certain payment methods and comparing the fees involved and timescale for receiving your winnings.
- Renowned bookmakers are worth it: Some bookmakers have a better reputation than others. The best horse racing betting sites will retain customers through the quality of their service, and this is often a good sign when choosing where to place your wagers.
- Betting on the move: Mobile apps are a huge part of the bookmakers’ offering. Being able to scroll through odds, live stream and contact customer service through your phone or tablet is useful.
- Try signing up: Registering and placing your first bet with a new bookmaker should be a quick, smooth process. The best way to get to grips with a site’s sign-up process is to try it out for yourself.
Betting on Horse Racing explained
Betting on horse racing has been popular for centuries, and there is no sign of that changing any time soon. Punters have races to wager on all over the world throughout the year.
Odds
The best horse racing betting sites in the UK will have extensive odds available each day of the week. Keep an eye out for odds movement in the build up to races and major events.
Picks
Just like selecting your preferred bookie, there is a lot to consider when making horse racing picks. Schedule, weather and form are all relevant. Different bettors will prioritise specific pieces of information when making their horse racing picks.
Types of Horse Racing bets
Horse racing bettors have a catalogue of options available. Alongside special markets offered by bookmakers and antepost odds to lock in a price in advance of a race, punters can select anything from a straight-forward win wager to more complicated bets like a Goliath Flag.
Winner
Just as you’d expect, betting on the winner is about backing a horse to finish the race first. Some betting sites will provide insurance in certain circumstances, like when a massive outsider wins the race.
Each-Way
Backing an each-way wager means your winnings are calculated using a fraction of your pick’s price as you receive a payout whether they win the race or finish in the top few places.
Trixie
Comprising three doubles and a treble, a Trixie is three selections and four bets. At least two of the selections must land to guarantee a payout.
Yankee
A Yankee is made up of just four selections but comes to 11 bets – six doubles, four trebles and a fourfold. Like the Trixie, at least two of your picks must come in for a payout.
Horse Racing betting strategies
It can take time to land on a favoured horse racing betting strategy. Figure out which sort of wagers you prefer to place and do some research before each race to inform your punts.
Popular Horse Racing events to bet on
The biggest horse racing events see vast sums wagered across the UK. These two races standout above the rest:
- Cheltenham Gold Cup: First run in 1819, the Gold Cup is competed for at the end of Cheltenham Festival each March. The Gold Cup is a steeplechase over 5.3 kilometres, and a chance for jockeys and trainers to write their names into the history books. Prepare for the race by checking out our list of the best Cheltenham Festival betting sites along with our Cheltenham Festival 2023 preview .
- Grand National: The Grand National takes place at the iconic Aintree Racecourse in April each year. Considered the ultimate test for horse and jockey, the Grand National attracts bettors who rarely take much notice in horse racing. Hundreds of millions of people watch the race, which has been broadcast on free-to-air TV in the UK since 1960. Make sure you are familiar with the best Grand National betting sites before the big day.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Betting on the winner is the most popular horse racing bet. Each-way punts are also common, enabling bettors a payout even if their selection does not finish first.
There is no guaranteed way to win big in horse racing, but you can increase your chances by making sure you have a reliable betting strategy. Keep a record of your bets, and research extensively.
Consider the going, the horse’s form, days since its last race, and the trainer’s record when weighing up whether you think a horse will win. Be aware of the history of the race and a horse’s recent trends to inform your pick.
Betway and Bet365 are two of the best horse racing betting sites in the UK. SpreadEx, 888Sport, and Boyle Sports also rank favourably. Consider promotions, security, customer service and payment options when choosing which horse racing bookie is best for you.