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What is the ‘Tote’ betting in horse racing?

Mike BrunkerMB
Horse Betting Expert · former Las Vegas Review-Journal racing writer
Updated November 2026 · 2 min read   𝕏inRJ
Horse racing journalist and handicapper who covered the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeders’ Cup for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
HORSE BETTING GUIDE · BET TYPES
Reviewed by the Horse.bet Team
Tote’ bettingHORSE RACING EXPLAINEDIN SHORTIn parimutuel horse gambling, the Tote is thecomputer system that calculates and displays theodds on each horse and then determines the payoutsafter the race is declared official.GOOD TO KNOWThe name Tote is derived from the Horserace Totalisator Board, aningenious contraption that first debuted in the U.K.horse.bet — betting guides
What is the ‘Tote’ betting in horse racing? — explained: In parimutuel horse gambling, the Tote is the computer system that calculates and displays the odds on each horse and then determines the payouts after the race is

In parimutuel horse gambling, the Tote is the computer system that calculates and displays the odds on each horse and then determines the payouts after the race is declared official.

The name Tote is derived from the Horserace Totalisator Board, an ingenious contraption that first debuted in the U.K. at the Newmarket and Carlisle racetracks in 1929. It could – and still can -- calculate the payoffs in multiple wagering pools within a minute or two, then authorize payment for winning tickets.

Originally, the system just had to spit out win, place and show payouts, but as bettors’ tastes shifted more toward so-called “exotic” wagering , the computations got more complicated. Today the equipment may have to figure payouts for 20 separate pools after accounting for scratches and other variables.

There are other types of betting on horse racing that don’t use the Tote formula, such as “ fixed odds ” (similar to sports betting) and “exchange” (like a stock market), that are popular in the U.K. and the EU, but not so much in the USA. That may be starting to change. You can register a Tote.co.uk account and try tote betting with a new customer offer .

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