Best Horse Racing Betting Sites UK for 2025

We review and help you compare the best horse racing betting sites in the UK today. Whether you want Extra Places on a big handicap, Best Odds Guaranteed or other great deals on offer, we can steer you in the right direction.

The Top Horse Racing Bookies at a Glance

With a plethora of UK horse racing bookies available online, we’ve narrowed down the options to our experts’ top picks. This is a blend of trusted, well-established names and new betting market entrants.

Best UK Horse Racing Betting Sites Per Category

Without further ado, let’s pick up the bridle and delve straight into the best horse racing bookies, which are also among the top betting sites the UK has available. Each of these has a detailed review looking at what they provide for punters just like you…

Top Choice for Boosted Odds: Paddy Power

From Power Prices that boost the odds for certain outcomes to Best Odds Guaranteed beginning from 8am on race days, it’s easy to see why Paddy Power is a popular choice for horse race betting online. There are plenty of daily Extra Place Races available too.

Racing Money Back Tokens that refund losing stakes as a free bet up to £10 if your horse finishes second, third or fourth in a race of your choice only add to the appeal of cheeky chappies Paddy Power. Although they are an Irish bookmaker, their presence in the UK is a key part of horse racing here.

For evidence of that, look no further than their sponsorship of the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham in November and Stayers’ Hurdle during the four-day festival at the same venue in March. On their own side of the Irish Sea, Paddy Power partners with the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown and Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at that track over Christmas.

• ✅ Request bets with #WhatOddsPaddy
• ✅ Money Back Tokens for race you choose
• ✅ BOG applies from 8am onwards
• ✅ Big race sponsors in UK & Ireland

Best for Extra Places: Sky Bet

More than just an idle boast in their TV adverts, Sky Bet really do provide more Extra Place Races than the other top horse racing betting sites around. Although this deal doesn’t work in conjunction with Best Odds Guaranteed, in effect from 9am on the day of races when it applies, they are an ideal bookie for each-way punters.

With Price Boosted Multiples and daily horse racing specials, Sky Bet have this sport covered from all angles. They even have their own dedicated sponsored meetings. The Sunday Series takes place at different courses on the Flat, designed to increase attention for horse racing on the last day of the week.

Outside of that, Sky Bet sponsors the historic Ebor Handicap at York in August and the “win and you’re in” races en route. Over jumps, meanwhile, their partnership with the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, and various trials for it in the UK and Ireland, means they put plenty back in.

• ✅ BOG in effect from after 9am
• ✅ More Extra Place Races than other bookies
• ✅ Partners of big races over jumps & on Flat
• ✅ Sunday Series official bookmaker

Leading Horse Racing Betting App & BOG: BoyleSports

Another Irish bookie for you now in BoyleSports. Based near the Emerald Isle’s only All-Weather track Dundalk, look out for their Midweek Racing Rewards. These include free bets when you wager £25+ on horse racing accumulators and multis. You can also Pick Your Place at BoyleSports, changing up the odds depending on if you want more or fewer places.

Operating Best Odds Guaranteed from 8am on race days, they also have a named meeting for their Money Back as a Free Bet if 2nd to the SP Favourite deal. Add that to Extra Place Races every day and Smart Racecards powered by the Racing Post, and BoyleSports bring a lot to the table. Don’t forget about their excellent betting app either, which gives you all this and more on mobile.

BoyleSports are best known as the sponsors of the Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, but have in recent years partnered with Aintree and the Grand Sefton and Beecher Chases over the famous fences. On the Flat, meanwhile, they back Group 1 action in the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

• ✅ Early BOG from 8am on race days
• ✅ Midweek Racing Rewards on offer
• ✅ Money Back as Free Bet if 2nd deal
• ✅ Smart racecards available every day

Best for Horse Racing Live Streaming: William Hill

One of the heavyweights among horse racing betting sites next. William Hill evolved from trackside pitches and high street shops to an online juggernaut with free access to live streams of every meeting in the UK and Ireland. This includes not one, not two, but three Betting TV channels.

William Hill matches other firms with an 8am start time on race days for Best Odds Guaranteed applying to punters’ bets. A Daily Racing Winnings Boost lets you enhance the price of a runner of your choice, meanwhile. Their Top Price Guarantee on selected races shows a commitment to offering industry-leading odds.

On top of daily Extra Place Races, William Hill also allows punters to Pick Your Places each-way and Lengthen Your Odds with distance betting. Keep your eyes peeled for enhanced prices, multiples and specials from one of the best bookmakers for horse racing around. William Hill sponsors the Super Saturday meeting at Newbury, the County Hurdle during the Cheltenham Festival and Doncaster’s Futurity Trophy among other races.

• ✅ 3 dedicated betting channels & live streaming
• ✅ Bet Boost for runner you pick available daily
• ✅ Lengthen Your Odds & Pick Your Places deals
• ✅ Top Price Guarantee from 10am onwards

International Live Streaming: Virgin Bet

For punters wanting to wager and watch horse racing overseas, Virgin Bet has you covered. A funded account, unused free bet or live open bet is enough to access free live streaming of races from France, South Africa and the USA, as well as the UK and Ireland. While Virgin Bet doesn’t offer Best Odds Guaranteed until 10am, they have a Money Back as a Free Bet deal on a selected race each Saturday.

This sits alongside an Extra Place Races promotion you can benefit from if bet each-way every day. With long-term specials also on offer and an A-Z glossary of racehorses, Virgin Bet makes it easy for you to track down an old favourite. It’s a handy feature other betting sites for horse racing can and should emulate, if they don’t already.

On the sponsorship front, Virgin Bet partners the old Western Meeting at Ayr, now known as the Ayr Gold Cup Festival in September. Including the three-day fixture’s feature Heritage Handicap, they also back races at Chester on the Flat, Sandown and Warwick over jumps, and events in both codes of the sport at Doncaster.

• ✅ A-Z racehorses glossary updated each day
• ✅ Live stream domestic & international races
• ✅ Money Back as Free Bet Saturday offer
• ✅ Plenty of Extra Place Races available

Chief Among New Horse Racing Betting Sites: Parimatch

We’ll let you into a secret. Relative newcomers Parimatch use the same interface and layout for their site as BetVictor, but are a brother firm offering a Lucky Dip on race winners. Price Boosts are also available when you Lengthen The Odds, while Bet Boosts on doubles from a set meeting or across ITV Racing broadcast tracks appeal too.

Best Odds Guaranteed comes into effect from 9am on the day of the races in question. That’s later than some, but earlier than other top horse betting sites out there. Parimatch also pledges to give you a Run for Your Money by refunding stakes in cash if the horse you back loses all chance at the start, which is ideal if something goes awry in big handicaps.

Sponsorship of racing isn’t on the same scale as their competitors with better known sister site BetVictor using its higher public profile and taking the lead in this area. You can still live stream all UK and Irish races through Parimatch, though, with occasional Extra Places an option for punters.

• ✅ Bet Boosts for doubles available
• ✅ BOG starts at 9am on race days
• ✅ Lucky Dip available on most races
• ✅ Run for Your Money guarantee

How We Rate the Top Bookmakers for Horse Racing

In case you’re wondering what criteria we use for ranking the horse racing betting sites partnered with here, we asked our experts for the key areas that help them identify for you what the very best must have:

Comparing The Leading Horse Racing Sites

We know that a visual comparison of horse racing betting sites can be a real help to some punters. It shows you what bookies provide on this great sport and from when side by side with their competitors. The table below does precisely that for our bookmakers and partners:

💡Pro Tip: BOG ASAP

Now that you can see which of our partners offer Best Odds Guaranteed and when, focus on wagering with bookies who provide it the earliest. Some punters are reluctant to bet first thing in the morning of race days, but you will get SP regardless with some firms after 8am.

Why New Horse Racing Betting Sites Have an Edge

Established firms are ones that most punters already have accounts with, so newer online only bookmakers providing alternative horse racing betting websites must always be a consideration. They are a source of new customer offers and free bets to all.

Wagering with new horse racing betting sites in the UK also allows you greater access to the market. You can cast your net wider in search of the best prices and deals open to all. Multiple betting accounts for horse racing are now a fact of life for smart punters in their eternal battle with the bookies.

Horse Racing Betting Offers & Deals for UK Punters

All of the best horse racing betting sites have promotions available to not just new, but also existing customers. We already called out some of the most popular in our discussion of key criteria for rating bookies.

Offers play a vital role for punters in who they wager with and when. Each deal acts as a reason to bet with a certain firm in favour of others. Let’s recap and discuss further the promotions that matter most in horse racing today:

• BOG – Best Odds Guaranteed ensures you receive SP if it’s bigger than the price taken on the morning of the race. The best online horse betting sites do this from 8am on race days.
• Extra Places – one for each-way punters and those who like betting in big fields. Extra Place Races extend how far down the field bookies pay out. It could be as many as six or seven places.
• Money Back Deals – if you can get losing stakes back as a free bet or cash refund in certain circumstances, such as finishing second to the SP favourite, then that’s all to the good.
• Multiples Bonuses – get a little something extra on your accumulators, combination and system bets like bonus winnings if all legs come in. Acca Insurance also comes under this.
• Non-Runner No Bet – also known as Non-Runner Money Back, this guarantees you a complete refund if the horse in question doesn’t take part in the race. Look out for this in the weeks leading up to the Cheltenham Festival.
• Price Boosts – enhanced odds for a certain runner or horse of your choice, depending on the firm. This is often boosted to the next industry recognised price up from current odds.

👉 If you’re looking for even more comprehensive bonus offerings, make sure to check out non Gamstop bookmakers.

Horse Racing Offers for New Customers

As well as all of the above open to every punter, sign up bonuses to attract new business to a bookie are on the table. Broadly speaking, these fall into one of the below categories:

• Bet & Get – deposit, place a qualifying bet and receive a bonus, typically free bets, either on placement or settling of that initial wager.
• Deposit Bonus – awarded to new customers who make a qualifying deposit via an eligible payment method.
• Enhanced Odds – rarer these days, but from time to time you still get a massively boosted price about a fancied runner winning a big race with winnings paid as free bets.

💡 Pro Tip: Check T&Cs

Whatever offer you like the look of, make sure that you read the small print first. Buried away in those terms and conditions are aspects like minimum runners and odds that apply to the offer, plus other restrictions you may not know about. 

Proven Horse Racing Strategies Every Bettor Should Know

There are ways of wagering smarter on horse racing betting sites that can help turn the odds in your favour. Don’t overlook no KYC bookmakers either, where you can get started and place your bets in under a minute. We asked our experts to give their top tips on how to approach taking a punt. This advice isn’t a guarantee of success, but it should enable you to make better decisions when betting more often.

1. Look at Taking on Favourites

In horse racing, the favourite wins on average around a third of the time. That means backing the market leader blind every time would mean a net loss. Betting is a bit of fun, but nobody enjoys losing.

This statistical fact means a different approach. Try and make a case against the favourite. Are they vulnerable in some way? Must they prove their stamina? Or will they handle different conditions.

If there is better value elsewhere in the market on horse race betting sites, then that needs serious consideration. Sometimes, there is simply no way of opposing a favourite on known form. By and large, though, you shouldn’t be scared of taking them on.

2. Follow the Form Book

Horse racing is one of those sports where there is no getting away from knowing your stuff. If you want to be a successful punter, shortcuts are few and far between. You need to dip into the form book and look at how horses you want to back have run in the past.

Previous performances are no guarantee of repeating or bettering them in future, but it’s one of the few facts at your disposal. Current trainer form also plays its part, though, and stats are available on which stables’ runners are doing well. Study all this before deciding on a bet.

3. Make the Most of Bookie Offers

All good horse betting sites have deals that we discussed at length above. As a punter, these are there for you to use. Wager on the morning of the race, safe in the knowledge that you get SP through BOG.

If there’s a chance to mitigate the risk of losing with a Money Back as a Free Bet promotion, then take the bookies up on it. Extra Places on the big handicap might mean a shorter price, but it also increases the chances of pulling off an each-way bet. Speaking of which…

4. Always Bet Each-Way When Possible

The absolute best piece of advice we can give you for betting on horse racing is to use the each-way market. There is a minimum odds threshold here below which you can’t break even, but that should be the goal.

Just getting your money back on a placed horse doesn’t have the same feel as a winner, yet it is better than losing. With all the Extra Place Races bookies offer nowadays, they are practically encouraging you to heed our words.

5. Remember About the Luck of the Draw

On the Flat, racehorses jump out of starting stalls. This brings potential draw bias into consideration. In other words, there are times when the best horse doesn’t win because they were on the wrong part of the track.

If the race takes place over a straight course, there is very little the jockey can do about it. Reining a horse back means losing ground on the field. You need a favourable draw, something out of everyone’s control, and a clear run if not to win some races.

Popular Events & Festivals to Bet on

As an international sport, the leading horse racing betting sites all value worldwide events as well as the domestic action. Here are the major meetings to look out for every year:

Most Common Horse Racing Markets & Bets

• Win – keeping it simple, you back the horse to finish first in the race.
• Each-Way – when you wager on both a win and place for the horse together. Your unit stake doubles and the number of places paid out depends on the number of runners.
• Place – this sees you bet on the horse finishing placed and can be a top 2, 3 or 4 finish.
• Ante-Post – any wager struck before final declarations for a race. You aren’t guaranteed a run for your money with the trade-off often being a better price.
• Forecast – where you bet on two horses in the same race to finish first and second in a set order. This can be reversed covering any order and the unit stake doubles.
• Tricast – Like the Forecast but with three (or more) horses in the same race to finish first, second and third in a set or any order. Can be boxed or wheeled.
• Without The Favourite – this bet effectively takes the favourite out of the equation. If the horse you back wins outright or finishes second to the fav, then it is settled as a winner.
• Combination & System Betting – when you place multiple horses together on the same betslip in combinations of singles, doubles, trebles and accumulators. Examples include Trixies, Patents, Lucky 15s, Yankees, Lucky 31s and Canadians.
• Distance Betting – if it’s not a matter of winning but by how far. For example, Kauto Star to win the King George VI Chase by 10+ lengths.
• Match Betting – where you wager on one horse beating another in a race. Your selection doesn’t have to win, but just finish in front of the other named runner.

Horse Racing Terms to Know Before You Bet

Make sure you’re familiar with these key terms before wagering on horse racing betting sites:

• Bar – the minimum price of every runner in a race apart from those mentioned on a betting show.
• BOG – Best Odds Guaranteed.
• Classic – five races for three-year-old colts and/or fillies only: 2000 Guineas, 1000 Guineas, The Oaks, The Derby and St Leger.
• Colt – an entire male horse under the age of five.
• Drifter – when the price on a horse in a race expands and gets bigger.
• Each-Way – where you back a horse for a win and a place
• Favourite – the horse with the shortest price in a race.
• Filly – a female horse under the age of five.
• Gelding – any male horse who has had a gelding operation.
• Mare – a female horse aged five and above.
• Minimum Odds – for a qualifying bet to unlock an offer, the horse must have at least a specified minimum price.
• Minimum Runners – there is a minimum threshold of runners in races for certain place terms to apply. If fewer than this take part, then it impacts each-way betting.
• Non-Runner – if a horse doesn’t turn up in a race they have been declared for, then they are a non-runner.
• Rule 4 Deduction – in the event of a non-runner at odds of 14/1 or shorter, this applies to all bets struck after final declarations. The shorter the price of the absent horse, then the larger the deduction in intervals of 5p in the Pound Sterling.
• Starting Price – abbreviated to SP, these are the final odds of a horse for the race.
• Steamer – the best backed horse for a race as it contracts and shortens in the market.

Summary

If we’re to sum it up, the leading horse racing betting sites not only have a range of options and offers but give you free access to live streaming so you can watch your fancied runners compete. There are cashout options, the opportunity to receive SP even if you wagered earlier in the day and handy additional features. This is what best in class looks like.

FAQs

Which is the best betting site for horse racing?

This rather depends on the elements of gambling on horses that appeals to you most. Our best overall horse racing bookie is Paddy Power, because they tick the most boxes from our experts’ criteria.

What is the best bet to place in horse racing?

In our opinion, the each-way market is the best whenever it is logical to do so. If you can break even on the overall bet for a place, then that is the minimum.

How do you bet on horses successfully?

A combination of form study and watching previous races yourself is the best strategy. You should consider tips from experts, but it’s down to you to make up your own mind on the right horse. With patience, time and experience, you can make a success of it.

What is the best horse racing betting system?

You can try Dutching, where you bet on two horses to win the same race. At least one must lose of course, but it does give you more chance of success.

What is the most profitable horse bet?

Any accumulator, combination or system bet has the potential to be very profitable indeed. This is because horse racing betting sites multiply the odds of each leg of such wagers together. You can win big off small stakes like this, but it’s a riskier way of gambling.