Horse racing is a fun pastime but it's even more fun when bets are placed. The recommended horse racing sites that we promote all have numerous betting markets and options available. There are numerous stages that you need to travel through and we will take you through each step clearly.
All of the betting sites will have numerous horse racing markets. You will probably be able to bet on UK racing, racing from Australia or even US racing to name but a few. All of the action from Ireland will also be featured including some of their top point to point races. Once you have selected your market then it is time to place a bet.
You cannot place a bet before you sign up for an account. Most of our recommended sites have the widest possible number of deposit options. You can download the software or you can even go straight to the site from your web browser if they have a no-download capability. Once there, simply go to the sign-up desk and create an account. This will involve giving them your personal details.
The next step is to deposit some funds but you cannot do that without first going to cash desk. The number of deposit options at all of our leading sites will be wide and varied. So if you want to use a bank transfer, debit card, credit card or e-wallet then you can do. Simply go to the cash desk and select your preferred deposit option and enter the amount that you want to deposit.
The final process is to place your bets. You can consider if you want to use a betting system like First 4 (Superfecta) or perhaps Show Bets. Simply go to the race card and select the horse that you want to bet on. Click on it and a "betting slip" will open up. The current odds will usually be displayed and so you can see what price the horse is currently at. Enter your betting amount into the box and click "enter" or "accept" or "bet" whichever the case may be. Once you have done this then the bet is on its way and is in the system.
Once you have placed funds into your betting account then this account becomes your actual betting bank. When you place a bet then funds will be diverted from your account and be held in limbo while the bet is active. The betting site neither takes your money or returns it to you!
After the event (usually within several minutes) your stake will either stay deducted from your account if the bet loses or be returned plus the winnings should it win. So if you are placing a series of bets then your account will be refunded as soon as possible. For this reason, you need to be careful about your bet sizing.
Let us say for example that you only have £50 in your account. You want to make a £25 bet on a horse and it wins. If it is a photo finish then it could take quite some time before your funds appear back inside your account. If you have a hot tip for a race coming up in a few minutes time and you wanted to bet more than £25 then you have a problem.
So just be mindful of any time delay that may happen as a result of winnings going back into your account. Remember that the site's system may mean that as they process tens of thousands of bets that there is a delay in funds being returned but this is absolutely normal.
Some of our top rated sites will have live action streamed straight to your smartphone or PC. So you will be able to watch the action unfold and see how your bets fared. If this isn’t possible, never fear because even if you don't know the result, your funds will be either deducted or added to your account rapidly so that you will know the result anyway. Some betting sites have a live radio which adds another interesting facet to horse betting. It is so much more interesting to be able to see or hear your bets in action.
At the end of the day, there is a lot of complexity to horse racing sites. So many screens to choose from and so much complexity! Is it any wonder why so many novice horse racing bettors become confused by it all? Well, luckily there is a way out for all of you that have problems that you need solving. If you are unsure as to how certain bets work or the vagueness of certain odds then just ask the people on the help desk.
Many of our top sites have live help desks. This means that you will be able to get your questions answered quickly and reliably. Never again should you be doing anything in the dark as the answer to your question is only a couple of clicks away. The help desk staff are polite, friendly and knowledgeable on every aspect of horse racing including the functions of the site.
If you want our advice before you bet and we were to condense that advice into one sentence then it would be this: Only bet with quality bookmakers because it is these guys that look after you the most. The best horse betting sites know how to care for their customers. To them, they are entering into a relationship with their client. So it means the world to them to look after you in every possible way in the same way that a husband looks after a wife.
This is where you really start to see the difference between the best online horse betting firms from the mediocre ones and the bad ones. We don't just pick sites for their fancy websites but in how they look after their customers' problems too. No question or problem is too small for the best sites.
