Find the top bookmakers in the UK before you bet on horse racing.
The best bookmakers for horse racing do not all pay the same on the same bet. Here are four top UK bookmakers, the four race-day features to check at each before you bet, and the racing terms that decide what a bet is worth.
Top bookmakers for UK racing, and where Best Odds Guaranteed fits in
These are four top bookmakers for UK racing, and every one holds a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. “Top” here means established British names with a full racing service; it is not a score. The list is not a ranking, which is why it runs in alphabetical order: no single bookmaker is best for every punter, so open one to see what it is known for and who it suits, then read the full review before you open an account. Four race-day features decide what the top bookmakers pay on the same horse. Best Odds Guaranteed pays you the starting price if it beats the price you took; extra places widen the each-way terms on big handicaps; streaming lets you watch the race on your phone; and non-runner no bet returns your stake if the horse is withdrawn. Bookmakers switch these on and off race by race, so check them on the bookmaker’s site for the meeting you want to bet on.
Suits: Regular UK racing puntersBetfred
A Warrington-based British bookmaker founded in 1967 by Fred and Peter Done, best suited to UK racing punters who check each concession's terms before betting.
Racing offers apply to selected races and change often; terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
Suits: Festivals and ante-postCoral
A bookmaker since 1926, now within Entain, that suits festival-focused racing punters who check non-runner no bet and extra-place terms before each big meeting.
Racing offers apply to selected races and change often; terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
Suits: Each-way on big fieldsLadbrokes
A familiar high-street bookmaker within Entain that suits each-way punters on big fields, as long as they check extra-place and BOG terms race by race.
Racing offers apply to selected races and change often; terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
Suits: Racing and other sports in one accountWilliam Hill
A long-standing London bookmaker, founded in 1934 and now part of evoke plc, that suits punters wanting a familiar name for racing and other sports.
Racing offers apply to selected races and change often; terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware.org 18+
All four hold a UK Gambling Commission licence. Racing offers apply to selected races and change often – check the terms on the bookmaker’s site.
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The big meetings of UK horse racing
British racing runs two codes: the flat, on turf from spring to autumn, and the jumps – hurdles and steeplechases – through the winter. Most of the year’s betting money goes on a handful of festivals, and those are the days when the best bookmakers for horse racing compete hardest on each-way terms and extra places. Hover over a meeting to see the course.
- MarCheltenham FestivalJumpsFour days, 28 races, the Gold Cup on the Friday.→
- AprGrand NationalJumpsAintree, about four and a quarter miles over thirty fences.→
- JunThe DerbyFlatEpsom, a mile and a half for three-year-olds.→
- JunRoyal AscotFlatFive days of top-class flat racing.→
- JulGlorious GoodwoodFlatFive days on the Sussex Downs.→
- AugEbor FestivalFlatYork, and Europe's most valuable flat handicap.→
- OctChampions DayFlatAscot, the climax of the British flat season.→
- DecKing George VI ChaseJumpsKempton Park on Boxing Day.→
What does an each-way bet pay?
An each-way bet is two bets of the same stake: one on the horse to win and one on it to finish in the places. The number of runners and the type of race set how many places are paid and at what fraction of the odds. Enter your bet and the calculator applies the standard rules used by the top UK bookmakers.
| Runners | Places paid | Fraction of the odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2–4 | Win only | – |
| 5–7 | 1st, 2nd | 1/4 |
| 8 or more | 1st–3rd | 1/5 |
| 12–15, handicap | 1st–3rd | 1/4 |
| 16 or more, handicap | 1st–4th | 1/4 |
Many bookmakers pay extra places on the big handicaps. More on each-way betting.
What do the form figures say?
The string of figures next to a horse’s name on a racecard is its recent finishing positions, with the most recent run on the right. Letters mark races it did not finish, and a dash or slash marks a break between seasons. The same figures appear on the racecards at the top bookmakers. Type a line of form, or try the example.
How soft is the ground?
The going is the condition of the ground, declared by the clerk of the course before racing and updated if the weather changes. Some horses only run their best on one end of the scale, so it is worth checking each runner’s record on today’s ground before you bet.
Good
All-weather tracks use a separate scale: standard, standard to slow, slow, standard to fast, fast. More on the going.
Betting, explained
- How odds work: fractional, decimal and implied chance
- Each-way bets, with worked examples
- Betting on the Cheltenham Festival
- Betting on the Grand National
- How free bets work before you claim one
- Is a bookmaker safe? What the UK licence means
- Bookmakers that accept PayPal, and other ways to pay
- Asian handicap betting, explained
Racing words, in one line
- SP
- Starting price – the official odds when the race starts.
- BOG
- Best Odds Guaranteed – paid at the SP if it beats the price you took.
- NRNB
- Non-runner no bet – your stake back if the horse does not run.
- Rule 4
- A deduction from winnings when a horse is withdrawn late and the market changes.
- Ante-post
- A bet struck well before the race, usually at a bigger price, with no refund if the horse misses the race unless the bet is NRNB.
- Furlong
- An eighth of a mile, about 201 metres.
Common questions
Which bookmakers are best for horse racing in the UK?
Look for a UK Gambling Commission licence first, then for Best Odds Guaranteed on UK and Irish racing, extra places on big handicaps, live streaming and non-runner no bet on the festivals. Each review on this site shows where to find those terms, and they change often, so check them before you bet.
What does Best Odds Guaranteed mean?
If you take a fixed price on a horse and its starting price ends up bigger, the bookmaker pays you at the starting price instead. It usually applies to UK and Irish horse racing and comes with conditions, such as a time window or a maximum payout, set out in the terms.
How many places does an each-way bet pay?
Under the standard UK terms, races with five to seven runners pay two places at a quarter of the odds and races with eight or more pay three places at a fifth. Handicaps with twelve to fifteen runners pay three places at a quarter, and sixteen or more pay four places.
Is it safe to bet with an online bookmaker?
It is safer with a bookmaker licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, which must verify your age and identity, offer deposit limits and time-outs, and take part in the GamStop self-exclusion scheme. Betting always costs money over time, so set a limit you can afford before you start.