The Best UK Horse Betting Sites in 2023

Horse racing, often revered as the ‘sport of kings’, has entrenched roots within the United Kingdom. With a looong racing history, betting on these majestic creatures and their jockeys has been an integral part of the British sporting landscape. Today, as technology bridges the gap between the racecourse and our living rooms, a multitude of online platforms vie for the attention of the punter.

As horse.bet experts, we’ve compiled a list of the best horse racing betting sites in the UK for 2023, featuring top bookmakers such as bet365, 10bet, Unibet, Betfred along with their attractive sign-up offers. This is designed to assist punters in making informed choices by highlighting key features, bonuses, and unique offerings of each listed bookmaker.

The Best-Rated UK Online Horse Betting Sites/Apps

• Bet365 UK – Top Horse Bet Site: Get £30 in Bet Credits. Rating: 10/10
• 10Bet Racing – best new horse racing betting website, get £50 bonus. Rating: 9/10
• Unibet: £40 Money Back (Sports). Rating: 8/10
• Betfred: Bet £10, Get £30 Free Bets. Features Betfinder, form guides, live commentary, and video streams. Rating: 8/10
• Fitzdares: Bet £10, Get £30 Free Bets. Covers all UK & Irish racing with live streams. Rating: 7/10
• Coral: Bet £5, Get £20 Free Bets. Rating: 7/10
• Grosvenor: Double Odds on first bet. Rating: 6/10
• BetVictor: Bet £10, Get £40 Free Bets.Rating: 8/10
• Mr Play: Bet £10, Get £15 Free Bets. Rating: 6/10
• BetWay: Bet £10, Get £10. Rating: 7/10

So, which are the best horse betting sites in the UK? In our rating these are bet365, SBK, Betfred, Voral, Grosvenor, Fitzdares and Will Hill. These platforms offer good, odds, generous promotions and live streaming. Each site offers unique features and bonuses, with 10Bet standing out as the top horse racing betting app in the UK according to our expertise at horse.bet.

UK Horse Betting Bonus Sites

Every UK betting site for horse racing offers widespread markets on races across the United Kingdom and Ireland. You can also get your money in and out fast via a range of safe deposit options. 

25 Best UK Horse Racing Betting Sites

• bet365 UK
• MrPlay Sports
• Smarkets
• SpreadEx
• Grosvenor
• Luckster Sports
• Betfred
• BetWay
• QuinnBet
• Fitzdares Racing
• BoyleSport
• 10Bet
• TalkSport Bet
• ZetBet
• Unibet
• Betfair
• William Hill
• Ladbrokes
• Coral Horse Racing
• 888Sport
• Paddy Power
• BetRegal
• Betvictor

Here we briefly review some of the best and most popular UK betting sites for wagering on horse races online: bet365, William Hill Betfred, Ladbrokes, SBK and Unibet.

bet365

bet365 is one of the UK’s oldest and best-established online betting firms. You can bet on all UK and Irish horse racing, plus a full schedule of races taking place around the world. The ‘My Horses’ feature lets you create your own stable of horses for future reference. You’ll also receive alerts every time they’re about to run. In addition to an array of easy horse racing betting options, bet365 also provides some great features. You can watch live horse racing from the UK and Ireland as long as you have a funded account or have made a bet within the last 24 hours. You can now watch live races through your mobile device too. Plus, bet365 offers a full archive of races for future viewing.

• Enhanced odds and regular racing promotions
• Live commentary from ITV Racing
• Excellent mobile betting app

Unibet

Unibet is a European online sportsbook that offers betting on a range of sports and horse racing. Bet on all races in the UK and Ireland, or find prices on courses in places such as France, the US, and even South Africa. You can also back virtual racing meets. You can watch live streams via Unibet TV. You’ll need to place a real-money bet to gain access to videos and watch live races.

• Thousands of weekly races to bet on from across the world
• Superb racing guide with naps & tips
• New live stream facility Unibet TV

BetWay

Licenced in the UK, Betway, new horse betting site, offers prices, odds and markets on races across the whole of the UK and Ireland. Rewards are Betway’s strong point and you can redeem points to claim offers such as Best Odds Guaranteed, free bets or a deposit bonus. You can also use your loyalty points to donate to UK charities.

• Weekly free bet and acca offers
• Free bets on horse racing for new sign-ups

BetFred

UK high street bookmaker BetFred also operates a successful online site with horse racing betting odds and features. You can back all UK and Irish races, as well as greyhound cards from across the United Kingdom. BetFred’s easy-to-use racebook lists all upcoming races via course and time. You can also tap on the blue radio icon to bring up live commentary. Plus, all UK and Irish races have live streams from ITV Racing so you can watch online or on your smartphone. Great features at BetFred include ‘My Racecard’ where you can add certain races with a tap of a finger. You can also use the Betfinder with data provided by Racing Post to find trainer and runner form.

• Established UK-licenced online sports betting site
• Daily race rewards like extra places and ‘Fred’s Pushes’
• Sign-up offer including free bets for new players

William Hill

UK horse racing betting giant site, William Hill, is one of the country’s oldest bookmakers. They offer an unrivalled range of betting markets on all UK and Irish races, plus daily meets in Europe and beyond. Scour the form for your top picks or read the William Hill Racing Radio Naps Table for daily tips from the experts. You can also watch free races on William Hill’s online streaming platform, Betting TV. View more sites with live streaming.

William Hill horse racing platform regularly runs lots of betting promotions across its site for horse racing. Pick Your Places is available on all UK races and lets you choose more places to spread your each-way bets. Alternatively, you can opt for bigger odds with the Lengthen Your Odds feature. And of course, William Hill offers Best Odds Guaranteed on all UK and Irish races. If the SP is bigger than the price you took, William Hill will honour the larger of the two prices.

• Established, award-winning UK betting site
• Added features like Lengthen Your Odds
• Daily Bet Boost for horses or greyhounds

Coral

Coral is one of the UK’s largest high-street bookmakers and runs one of the best and most successful online horse racing betting sites. You can find hundreds of races to bet on and take advantage of some great ongoing deals such as free bets, extra places, and Best Odds Guaranteed. Also take a shot at winning a share of £25,000 with the Racing Super Series. Pick one horse to win in seven selected races and win a share of the pool if they all come in. Deposits and withdrawals are a breeze at Coral, and you can load your account with debit cards, e-Wallets, or bank transfers. You can also use your Coral Connect card to withdraw cash in person at your nearest high street branch.

• Get bespoke odds with the #YourCall feature
• Big promotions like the £25,000 Racing Super Series
• Free bets offer for new sign-ups

Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes is a UK-licensed online horse race betting site with decades of experience in the homegrown market. The UK betting giant offers prices on one of the widest selections of races anywhere. Choose UK and Irish races or find your favourite horses at courses further afield. Plus, Ladbrokes goes to town during the big festivals such as Cheltenham, Ascot and the Derby. While Ladbrokes doesn’t offer a huge number of bonuses, you can still enjoy lots of in-house features. The sports betting site offers an atypical range of features on its site for horse racing punters, including Build a Racecard where you can simply edit your favourite races with a few taps. And if you live near a Ladbrokes betting shop, you can use your The Grid card to accumulate points in-store. Plus, you can transfer winnings to your betting account to use online at Ladbrokes.

• Regular bonuses like Extra Place Races

•  Lots of features like Build a Racecard
• Free racing bets for new Ladbrokes customers

Grosvenor Sports

Grosvenor UK is the online horse betting operator from one of the largest casino chains in the country. It sits alongside Grosvenor’s existing poker and casino portals, meaning you can switch funds easily from one pot to another. Grosvenor app might not offer the same breadth of racing bonuses and features as other UK sports betting websites but it does supply full cards from the UK and Ireland. You can also watch live streams of the day’s races and get daily specials.

• Daily racecards from UK, Ireland and overseas
• Free live streaming available on UK & Irish races
• Get double the odds on first horse racing bet

BoyleSports

Award-winning BoyleSports has undergone a full revamp of its betting site in recent years. While you can still enjoy bets on all UK and Irish horse races, there are now more promotions than ever to claim. Best Odds Guaranteed and enhanced odds are par for the course, but BoyleSports also spreads a few extra goodies such as a free bet every time you back a 3/1 winner on select races. Even better, there’s no limit on how many free bets you can claim this way.

• Great promotions including Beaten by a Head
• Daily racing price boosts
• 2x free bets welcome bonus

888sport

888 has been a leading light in UK online betting for years. The online sportsbook offers a full calendar of UK and Irish races with competitive prices across many horse races. You can also take advantage of daily bet and odds boosts and special prices on double results. A recent innovation at 888sport is the iCard. It’s a unique tool where you can view a predicted outcome for each race. View the odds and get some help on studying the form at the same time. You can also watch live streams of virtually all UK/Irish races. 888 also makes full use of the Betfinder tool. Filter up to 1,000 horses to find the winner in the last 3, beaten favourites last time out, and many more stats and figures.

• Competitive odds across all UK & Irish races
• Handy BetFinder function to find horses fast
• Double result on all UK & Irish racing

Virgin Bet

Virgin Bet is the online sports betting wing of Sir Richard Branson’s global empire. As well as betting on dozens of sports, the UK-licenced site offers the full gamut of gambling on UK and Irish racing. You can also watch free live streams on all races from the UK, Ireland, US, France and South Africa as long as you’ve placed a £1 bet. The range of horse racing promotions is fairly limited at Virgin Bet. You can earn a free bet up to £20 when you back a winner at 3/1 or higher. And of course, there are Best Odds Guaranteed on all UK and Irish win and each-way markets.

• Live streaming on UK, Irish, and US races
• Regular bet specials on select UK & Irish races
• £20 in free bets when you sign up

New Horse Racing Betting Sites

New online betting sites are appearing all the time. They offer slicker graphics, more user-friendly lobbies, and lots of great features like Build a Racecard and live horse racing streams. You can also access a mobile app that lets you make deposits and place bets on the move. New horse wagering apps must be licenced by the Gambling Commission. That ensures that the online operation is properly regulated and there are no issues with your data not being protected. Your funds will also be segregated so that they are safe in case the company goes bust. Best of all, new horse betting sites in the UK will always try to attract players. They do this with a host of exciting and original offers, such as free bets, enhanced odds, and money back if your horse comes 2nd.

UK Top 5 New Horse Racing Sportsbooks:

• Sport Nation
• QuinnBet
• Mr Play
• Vickers Bet
• Rhino Bet

Placing Bets on Top UK Horse Racing Events

It’s never been easier to enjoy horse racing betting online or on mobile. You can bet legally at dozens of great gambling sites on major British festivals like Cheltenham, or find more exclusive markets in France, Dubai, USA and beyond. 

Top horse racing bookies accept bets on a range of UK festivals and daily races. You’ll be able to back horses at courses across the country, such as Ascot, Newmarket, and Aintree.

But UK bookmakers spring into life when the major festivals come round. Britain is home to some of the most prestigious races in the world, and these are one of the busiest times of year for UK horse bookies.

Not only will you be able to back the favourite at the Grand National, Royal Ascot, or Derby, you’ll also be able to claim a host of bonus offers such as free bets, enhanced odds, and extra places paid.

Here are the most popular horse races in the UK and reasons for their popularity:

• The Grand National (Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool)
  • Why: Often referred to as the world’s greatest steeplechase, the Grand National is a true test of endurance and jumping prowess. With its challenging 4 miles 514-yard distance and 30 fences over two laps, it’s a spectacle that garners attention from both dedicated racing fans and the general public. Many people who don’t usually bet on horse races will place a flutter on this event.
• The Cheltenham Festival (Cheltenham Racecourse)
  • Why: This four-day event features several Grade 1 races, with the Gold Cup being the standout. It’s a meeting point for the best British and Irish-trained horses, and the atmosphere, particularly on Gold Cup day, is electric. The festival is a celebration of jump racing and has races for various age groups and distances.
• The Derby (Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey)
  • Why: Part of the five English Classics, The Derby is the premier classic race for three-year-old colts and fillies. It has a rich history dating back to the 18th century and is synonymous with prestige and tradition in the flat racing calendar.
• Royal Ascot (Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire)
  • Why: Royal Ascot is as much about fashion and society as it is about racing. Attended by the British royalty, including the Queen, it’s a major event in the social calendar. The racing, however, is top-notch, featuring several Group 1 races over five days.
• The 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas (Newmarket Racecourse, Suffolk)
  • Why: These are two of the five English Classics and are pivotal races in determining the best three-year-old colts (2,000 Guineas) and fillies (1,000 Guineas) on the flat. The history, the prestige, and the impact on future breeding make these races stand out.
• St Leger Stakes (Doncaster Racecourse, South Yorkshire)
  • Why: As the oldest of the Classics and the final leg of the English Triple Crown (following the 2,000 Guineas and The Derby), the St Leger has immense historical significance and is a test of stamina for three-year-old thoroughbreds.

Common Horse Racing Bet Types Offered by UK Bookmakers

UK betting sites offer a bewildering array of betting types. As well as basic win and place bets, you can go for ‘exotics’ such as the exacta and trifecta where you must predict the horses’ finishing positions.

Most online betting sites in the UK also offer Tote betting. With the Tote, you’re p

• Win: This is a bet on your horse to win only. Your bet will lose if your horse comes second or further back.
• Each-Way: An each-way, or ‘place’ bet, is a wager on your horse finishing 2nd-4th. Some bookies will also pay for extra places in bigger races. The number of each-way places usually depends on the number of runners.
• With an each-way bet, half of your bet goes on the win and the other half on the place. If your horse comes 2nd-4th, you’ll win a fraction of the odds – usually one-quarter to one-third.
• Exacta: The exacta, or ‘forecast’, is a bet on two horses finishing first and second in that order.
• Trifecta: The trifecta, or ‘tricast’ is similar to the exacta but you predict the first, second and third horses in exact order.
• Not to Win: You can also back horses not to win in some markets. Perhaps you don’t like the look of the hot bookies’ favourite. You can get odds on the horse simply to fail to romp home.
• Tote betting: The Tote has been a mainstay of the British horse racing betting scene for years. It works a little like the lottery. Every bet made goes into a communal pool. Winning bets are then shared out depending on the size of the pool. You might win the entire pool if you’re the only correct entry or share it among all prize-winners. The more punters who share the pool, the smaller your prize.
• Placepot: One of the most popular Tote pool bets. Choose a horse to place in each of the first six races on your card
• Place 6: Similar to the Placepot, simply choose one or more horses to place across any six races at a meeting.
• Scoop6: Pick the winner of six specified races on the card. You may win the whole prize pool or win a share if there is more than one winner.
• Quadpot: Choose a horse to place in four specified races.
• Jackpot: Choose the winners in each of the first six races on the card. 

Welcome Offers

Most horse betting sites in the UK run regular promotions and bonuses for punters. Take advantage of odds boosts or get extra places paid on select races.

Welcome Bonus: Most online bookies with horse racing odds will offer a welcome bonus if you’re a new customer. Open your account and make a deposit to receive a deposit match. Typically, you’ll have to bet a minimum amount at eligible odds in order to receive free bets. You can then use your free bets on races of your choice. If you win, the value of the free bet is normally deducted from your winnings.

Best Odds Guaranteed: In most racing bets, you either take the price when you place your bet or go for the Starting Price (SP) – the odds when the race starts. With Best Odds Guaranteed, the bookmaker will honour the price if the SP is lower.

Extra Places Paid: Most each-way bets pay down to 3, 4 or 5 places. Some races carry extra places where you can get paid down to 7 or 8 places.

Pick Your Places: Some of the bigger UK racebooks also let you pick the number of each-way places in a race. The odds will be changed to reflect that.

Lengthen Your Odds: Fancy the favourite but don’t like the odds? With Lengthen Your Odds, you can get a bigger price but your pick must win by a length for your bet to come in.

Enhanced Odds: Bet boosts are commonplace at UK horse betting sites, particularly on big races like the Grand National or Gold Cup. That fancied 3/1 shot may be boosted to 4/1 before the race starts. Plus, some UK online wagering sites offer a number of bet boosts which you can use whenever you like.

Money Back: Some online books will give refunds if you back the favourite and it comes second, or your horse is beaten by a head. Refunds are often paid out in the form of free bets.

Free Bets on Televised Races: Some UK race betting sites stream live races through ITV Racing. You can earn a free bet if you back a winner at 3/1 or 4/1 on one of the televised races.

How to Sign Up for an Online Betting Account

It’s easy to open your online horse betting account. Try William Hill racing betting site, for example. You’ll need to be aged 18 or over and resident in the UK. Also have some photo ID and a utility bill to hand in case the bookie needs some ID verification.

• Step 1: Create your account with a username and password
• Step 2: Provide some personal details, including name, address, phone number, and email address
• Step 3: Enter a promo code if you have one
• Step 4: Verify your email address by clicking on the message in your inbox
• Step 5: Log in and open your account page to access free bets or a deposit match. You can also make a deposit through the online cashier page.

Payment Methods

An online betting site is only as good as its banking methods. New horse betting sites should allow quick deposits through a number of fast and easy banking options. Use a debit card to send cash for free straight from your account. Alternatively, leave the card in your wallet and make a simple online bank transfer. It’s just like sending cash across the web.

The best UK horse betting sites also accept e-Wallets such as PayPal and Skrill. Use one handy e-Wallet to move cash anonymously straight to your gambling account. Most UK sportsbooks now accept mobile payments too. You can use Apple Pay or Google Pay to move money using your smartphone.

Online gambling deposits should be instant and free. Deposit limits can vary depending on the payment option but the best sites will let you move as little as £5-10 at a time.

Be prepared for a short wait when you make a withdrawal. The online bookmaker will add on a day or two for payment processing and this should be factored into the overall time period. Typically, it can take around 2-5 working days to see your money back in your bank account.

Top Deposit Methods for UK Horse Betting Sites:

• Debit card (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Visa Electron) (£5-£20,000)
• e-Wallet (Skrill, NETELLER, PayPal) (£10-£5,000)
• Online bank transfer (£50-£100,000)
• paysafecard (£5-£1,000)
• Apple Pay (£5-£5,000)
• Google Pay (£5-£5,000)

UK Horse Racing Online FAQs

Dive into the intricacies of horse racing betting, from the strategy behind superfecta bets to understanding speed figures. Whether you’re deciphering post positions, trying to get a grip on ‘m/l’ or looking for the best books to guide your wagering journey, this series offers insights every punter needs to know.

Navigating the World of Online Horse Racing Betting: Our UK Guide

Guides

A superfecta bet in horse racing explained with examples

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How is payout calculated in horse racing?

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How is post position determined in horse racing?

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What are “exotic” bets in horse racing?

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The best books on horse racing betting to read?

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What are free bets in horse racing?

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What are speed figures in horse racing?

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What does “pulled up” mean in horse racing?

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What does “m/l” mean in horse racing?

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