Best Bookie In Ireland for Betting on Horse Racing

4.0 / 5 13 Ratings

The biggest name in online betting has been top rated by OLBG members for years. There is no reason not to use the biggest and best online bookie available in Ireland

Bet365 Review

• ITV Racing Coverage
• Extra Places
• More Ante-Post

SEE OFFER Bet365 Review

If you already have a bet365 account we would strongly suggest registering a new account with betVictor, this advice is off the back of the best horse racing betting odds available more often, according to our comprehensive odds comparison data

4.8 / 5 5 Ratings

With best odds on racing more often and the best mobile app, BV are the best alternative to bet365 in Ireland

BetVictor Review

• Best Racing Odds
• Low Minimum Deposits
• Great Racing Promos

SEE OFFER BetVictor Review

Best Bookie for Horse Racing

This guide will help you choose the best bookmaker for betting on horse racing online in Ireland. With a whole host of online options available you want to know which is best for promotions, betting odds and more. We have gone through the industry with a fine-tooth comb and present to you your best options.

Why Are bet365 The Best for Horse Racing

Bet365 have come out at the top or joint top for the following factors 

Reasons to bet on horse racing with bet365
ITV Racing Coverage	Earliest Prices
Choice of Markets	Most Ante-Post Events
Overnight Best Odds Guaranteed	Extra Places
Tote Betting	Live Streaming

Geo-restrictions apply.

To use the Live Streaming service you will need to be logged in and have a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours.

For UK/Ire horse racing simply place a bet of at least £0.50 win or £0.25 each-way on your selection to watch that race.

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites

Horse racing bettors have many different strategies and style.

As your betting life evolves you find which bookie is most suitable for how you bet.

Our quick guide below indicates which bookmaker is best for particular methods of betting.

Best Horse Racing Betting Sites	Best For
BetVictor	Best Odds
Betfair	Odds Boosts and Enhancements
bet365	Ante Post Betting
Paddy Power	Extra Place Terms
William Hill	Racing Radio and Live Info

You can click on the bookmaker name above to go to the review page and see everything they cover + all their welcome offers, or if you prefer, read on to find out why they come out top for these categories.

Every day on OLBG we collect horse racing odds data, and on each and every occasion find who is top, or joint top best odds.

We then display in the chart below how often a bookmaker has provided the best price or joint best price each month.

This collection of odds data is collated, and a new table is published on this page.

We and you then know which bookmaker has CONSISTENTLY offered the best odds on horse races throughout the month.

This data covers Irish and UK horse racing.

Whether you are betting on your mobile or computer you can then be sure that you are betting with a best odds bookie.

If you bet on horse racing, then you want an account with the bookmaker that sits at the top of our list.

Best Horse Racing Odds for 2020

Our records are kept monthly, and we will always know the best bookies for horse racing odds, and will always advise readers of, just 2 or 3 bookmakers to choose from, to ensure you are always getting the best horse racing odds available

So please check this page regularly it will save you heaps of time and you can be confident that you are betting with a bookie who supplies the best prices more often.  

Which Betting Site Has the Best/Most Promotions

You should take advantage of free bet offers when they suit you, never just make a bet to get an offer. 

You should only accept a betting promotion offer if it suits your personal betting habits.

When you see betting opportunities then sign up, and then use the bookmaker free bets. 

The bookies want your business and there will be another offer along shortly.

Best Bookmaker Special Offers

Most betting promotions generally fall into just a few categories:

Enhanced Odds for New Customers

 Many bookmakers have sign up offers that include ridiculously enhanced odds

• 50/1 for any horse to finish the Irish Grand National
• Tiger Roll to win the Grand National at 25/1

These are advertised heavily by the bookmakers on their sites, apps and social media channels.

These type of sign up offers are attractive but are normally restricted to £1 bets and are solely designed to get you to sign up.

Online Bookmakers that often offer enhanced odds for new accounts:

1. Coral enhanced odds
2. Paddy Power enhanced odds
3. Betfair enhanced odds
4. 888sport enhanced odds

You always need to read below the headline offer and only sign up when you understand all the T’s and C’s. 

These Massive odds enhancements are generally only available for new customers.

Although some bookies enhance odds for existing customers (not sign ups) these are always worth nothing 

Enhanced Odds Promotions for Existing Customers

Happy hour, where board prices increase for a certain length of time on the morning of racing. Coral and Bet Victor are known to do this.

During big racing festivals, certain runners will be available as a double or bigger at slightly larger odds.

Look to the sponsors of Festivals, and major bookies to do this, these are generally highlighted in a "specials section".

A jockey to ride a certain number of wins may be offered with enhanced odds, again Bet Victor do this.

A trainer (E.G Aidan O’Brian, Willie Mullins) to have 2 or more winners on the day at 3/1.

For existing customers, these enhancements are more realistic. You may see 6/4 increased to 2/1, or 10/1 increased to 12/1. 

These small enhancements are always worth noting especially if you were planning on placing a horse racing bet on the selection.

Want your Moneyback?

Horse racing Moneyback specials come in a variety of forms but are normally focused on the big meeting of the day, especially Group and Grade 1 races, and horse racing Festivals (Cheltenham, Galway, Ascot, Punchestown etc).  

These tend to be very popular as they offer a risk-free bet under certain conditions.

The amount of money returned tends to be capped at 10 Euro, 20 Euro, 50 Euro.

Typically money back is offered on a certain race if your selection finishes within a certain distance or within certain places of the winner or a winning favourite. 

If you are very lucky you will find a money-back special where all losing bets on a certain race are refunded.

Typical examples of bookie money back specials:

• Moneyback if your selection finishes 2nd or 3rd in the Galway Plate 
• Moneyback if you finish 2nd to the favourite in the Phoenix Stakes 
• Moneyback if your selection finishes within a length of the winner in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

The amount of money returned is usually capped at around 50 Euro (it can be much less depending on how likely you are to be refunded) 

Also be aware that the refund is usually bet credits rather than cash, although this is slowly changing with bookies offering cash in some cases.

Cash Back or Free Bet?

Many Bookmakers often offer a money back special, we will always feature these on the bookmaker promo pages.

1. Paddy Power
2. Betfair 
3. Ladbrokes 
4. Betway
5. William Hill

Moneyback on Fallers

We despair when our selection falls in National Hunt races especially if it is carrying our money.

However some bookies will give us our money back, this concession will not be available on all races, but when you see it take advantage of this safety net.

Bookmakers that often offer money back on fallers:

• Ladbrokes 
• Paddy Power 
• BetVictor 

Both Paddy Power and BetVictor are currently offering separate Faller Insurance on jumps races. 

Again, always check the bookie promos page for those bookies offering horseracing faller insurance. 

Rewards for Picking Winners

Winners, as we know, are hard to find but getting another reward when you find a winner sounds like the perfect betting life!

There are some bookmakers who will reward you for picking a winner in a particular race!

The reward is usually a free bet to the same stake on another selected race. 

The free bet amount is usually capped at a maximum of 50 Euro. 

Bet 365 is the best known for doing this with their TV adverts

Betfair followed suit with their offer, and now we see Ladbrokes, Betway and William Hill doing similar. 

You should not be swayed to bet on the race just because of the offer, but if you are having a bet on the race anyway it all helps in our quest to beat the bookies.

Horse Racing - Types of Bets. Which Bookie offers the most?

This a golden age for horse racing betting. 

The bookmakers have so many markets on offer that we can be selective and keep our money in our pockets when we are not happy with the odds. 

In horse racing today, we looked at which of the bookmakers offered the most markets.

Horse Racing Markets on bet365
Winner	Each Way
Place only	Forecast
Tricast	W/O Favourite
Matchbets	Insurebet/Coverbet
Each Way Extra

The markets on offer between Bet365 and William Hill are very similar, but the odds-on offer are nearly always different, + at varying times of the day one will be more generous than the other. 

Betting Without the Favourite

Many favourites are ridiculously short odds and offer little value to everyday punters.

We shunned these short-priced favs and saved our cash, so the bookies had to do something to tempt us to bet on the race, that is how “without the favourite” markets were born 

Regardless of what the favourite in the race does, your bet is now for your selection to either win the race or finish second behind the favourite.

You can place the bet at a decent price now knowing you don’t need to worry about the fav hosing up. 

Come second to the fav and you win, be first past the post and you win. 

On a random mid-week race day we counted 12 bookies who offered betting without the favourite, these included:

• bet365 
• William Hill 
• Paddy Power  
• Ladbrokes
• Bet Victor  
• Coral 
• Betfair Exchange
• Betfair Sportsbook

Betting without the favourite market has even been extended with some allowing bets on betting without the first two in the market!

It’s a growing market and should be on your radar. It can be used when you see a fav you think could be vulnerable OR when you can see your bigger priced selection giving the fav a run for his money. 

Insurance Bets

This bet is on a horse to win but if it fails to win but gets a place, you get your stake back. Now naturally your odds are reduced but your bet is covered/insured. 

You have the choice of this bet as opposed to betting each way

Many bookies offer insurance bets including

1. Bet365
2. Coral 
3. Ladbrokes
4. William Hill

Place Only Betting

This bet many OLBG members like and is growing in popularity, a while back we had a discussion on the OLBG forum in relation to place only betting. 

Your winnings are less than finding a runner that goes past the post in 1st, but for those of us who are risk-averse (me) it allows small gains more often.

The Betfair Exchange is the go-to site/app for place only betting, although some bookmakers now offer place only as opposed to each-way betting. 

With the largest range of place betting options the Betfair Exchange can offer some excellent place betting opportunities.

Match Betting in Horse Racing

Two horses are selected in a race and all you must do is decide which one will beat the other. 

It doesn't matter where they finish in the race, just that they beat the other horse. 

Neither horse has to win the race!

Which Bookmakers offer Match betting?

• Bet Victor
• bet365 
• Betfair
• Coral 
• Ladbrokes 
• Paddy Power
• Sporting Index
• Spreadex
• William Hill 

Which Bookie Offers the Most Ante Post Horse Racing Odds?

As of the end of Feb 2020, and ignoring the Cheltenham Festival for ante-post calculations there were up to 9 Ante Post betting markets covering the UK and Ireland. 

bet365, William Hill and Unibet had the most Ante Post Horse Racing markets available to bet on, closely followed by Ladbrokes and Paddy Power

The amount of ante-post races on offer will vary at different times of the year, but it’s likely one of the above bookies will have the ante-post race you are after. 

Which Bookmakers Offer Early Odds on Horse Racing?

Many of us are now placing bets from the night before racing, if that is you then you will want to know where you can get on?

Well as in many things bet 365 lead the way, they consistently offer odds before any other bookmaker.

They normally price up from around 5.00 PM (sometimes earlier) and real value can be had from their early prices. 

They are closely followed time-wise by William Hill, but please note BOG IS NOT available with William Hill until 10.00 am the following morning. 

You can spot any bookmaker ricks in these early prices and again take advantage. 

The number of races priced up the day before by bookies varies wildly from bookmaker to bookmaker

Bookies with Early Odds on Horse Racing

• Bet365
• Betfair 
• Betfred
• BetVictor
• Betway 
• Coral
• Ladbrokes 
• Paddy Power
• William Hill

The very biggest races should be priced up by all bookmakers as soon as the final declarations are made.

Having an account with these bookies allows you to get the best overnight prices.

Which Bookmakers Offer Best Odds Guaranteed for Horse Racing?

We have researched best odds guaranteed to within an each of its life. 

BOG, short for Best Odds Guaranteed is the staple diet of online bookmakers horse racing promotions these days

Simply put if you take the price of your horse when placing your bet but the starting price [SP] is greater, you will be paid at the bigger odds!

All the big bookies do offer BOG, where they vary is the time they offer it from. 

Here is the current list of OLBG bookmakers with best odds guaranteed, this table was updated in February 2020. 

If the bookmaker is highlighted you can read a full review of that bookmaker by clicking the highlighted name. 

Day/Night Before	Before 9am	After 9am
bet365	888Sport	Betway
Boylesports	Coral	Bet Victor
Sportingbet	BetFred (8.00 am onwards)	SportNation (Selected races only)
	PaddyPower (8.00 am onwards)	William Hill (10.00 am)
	Betfair (8.00 am onwards)
	QuinnBet (8.30 am)
	Ladbrokes
	Unibet (8.00 am)

Which Bookies Are Best for Each Way Betting?

There is little variance between bookmakers when it comes to each-way betting. The difference comes when bookies on specific races offer extra places or enhanced odds.

Which bookies offer more than 4 places on big races?

In 16+ runner handicaps the standard each-way terms are 4 places 1/4 odds, but the higher the profile the race the more likely you are to see some bookmakers offering 5 places, or less commonly 6 places on each-way bets. 

Most Saturdays you will see more places offered on big field handicaps. 

Make sure your place terms are good though, as you may be able to get a better price on the place market with Betfair.

In these races, the extra place is nearly always given whilst maintaining the place terms of 1/4 the odds.

Bet365, Paddy Power, Betfair and BetVictor are normally the most reliable with offering an extra place in this sort of race.

Which bookies offer 4 places instead of 3 places for each way bets?

It is becoming more common for some bookies to offer 4 places in handicaps that have just short of 16 runners when the usual place terms would be 3 places 1/4 odds. 

However, in this sort of race, you'll usually find that the bookies penalize you for getting the extra place by offering just 1/5 odds on placed horses. 

Look for an angle to exploit the place terms

This isn't necessarily an advantage if you can only see one or two dangers, but if you are simply looking for a horse to outrun its odds it can be great to take advantage of this.

Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Coral are usually first to offer this extra place.

Which bookies offer enhanced place odds on each-way bets?

If a handicap has less than 12 runners the place odds will switch from 1/4 odds to 1/5 of the odds but you'll find many bookies are willing to offer 1/4 odds 3 places even when there are as few as 8 runners. 

It might not seem much, but it can make a fairly big difference on some bets. 

For example, £10 each way on a 16/1 shot that places at 1/5 odds will only pay 42 Euro whilst at 1/4 odds it pays 50 Euro. 

That's almost 20% more winnings!

Bet365 are normally first to offer 1/4 odds 3 places when other bookies are offering just the standard terms of 1/5 odds 3 places.

Each Way Non-Runners

Non-runners can affect the place terms if a 16 runner race is reduced to 15, then most bookies will only pay three places, if an 8-runner race is reduced to 7 then most bookies will only pay the first 2 places. If a 5-runner race is reduced to 4 places then it will be win only. 

Some bookmakers bite the bullet and still offer the original place terms when non-runners are announced, but this is rare. 

You should always be aware that nonrunners can happen in any race, and truly mess up each-way bets.

Where Can I Get Bonuses on Horse Racing Multiples?

If we have found winners via Lucky 15s/31s/63s then surely we should get a bonus? 

There are bookies who offer bonuses for getting just one winner or if all your selections are successful. 

Bet 365 and Betfred are two firms noted for their bonus generosity, however, note that the odds for your selections can’t be too short to get the bonus.   

Who has the best Lucky 15 offer?

Betfred has a standout offer on Lucky 15s as they give treble the odds on one winner. 

Betfred is known as the “bonus king” so they are worth checking out. 

Can I Place in Running Bets on Horse Racing?

Yes, you can. The Betfair exchange is the go-to bookie for in running horse racing bets. 

It has the most in running players, the biggest in running markets and offers % commission if your bet loses.

All Irish and UK Races go “in play” and prices fluctuate rapidly as the race unfolds. 

You have the option to both back and lay (backing to not win) any selection in the race and you'll be betting against other in play punters. 

You do need to be careful and practice with small stakes before you get comfortable with in play bets.

Which Bookies Offer Tote Betting?

Totesport obviously offers Tote betting but a range of other bookmakers allow you to access Tote odds. 

Some may not cover all Tote options, but most do a decent job of providing the main tote markets. 

The following offer Tote Markets. 

• Betfair Exchange - All Tote markets are available.
• BetVictor - All Tote markets are available.
• Ladbrokes - All Tote markets are available.
• Coral - All Tote markets available.
• Paddy Power - All Tote markets except for Tote Swinger.

Horse Racing Betting Related Questions