Where to Bet
on the Horses
There are 4 places to make your bet:
- At the racecourse
- At the Bookies
- Over the Phone with a Bookmaker
- Using the Internet
The Racecourse
Making your bet while racing really puts you among the
action, you can mingle with the crowds and cheer your
winning horse home while drinking a pint of your favourite
drink.
On the racecourse there are various enclosures and each
area has its own bookmakers. Most of the main bookmakers are
present including Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill. There
are independent bookmakers at every circuit which display
the prices of the runners on display boards powered by
laptops. Using the bookmakers right next to the track allows
you to be a part of the race. The main bookies area is very
busy and many people are actually put off by all the betting
activity. Hunt down what you think is a good price, and
place your bet and then watch the race - hopefully you've
backed a winner.
If you don't want to use a bookmaker at the course, then
you could use the tote to place a bet, using the tote is a
lot more well mannered than the hustle and bustle of the
bookmakers fence side.
At the Bookies
Gone are the days of the smoke filled High Street
bookmaker, now we've got very clean and well managed shops -
some even have coffee lounges where you can enjoy a drink
while watching your horse cross the finishing line first.
The bookmaker displays all its races on newspapers which
are displayed around the walls. Combined with televisions
displaying the latest odds and the races themselves the
bookies doesn't quite offer the trackside appeal of a race,
but at least you can see what is going on using the screens.
Betting slips for all the common bets are placed liberally
around the shops and a helpful betting office clerk will be
more than happy to give you assistance.
Over the Phone
Opening up a credit or deposit account with a bookmaker
is an easy way of placing a bet. Most of the bookmakers
offer this facility. Using this method you can watch some of
the main races on TV and place the bet just before the
start.
Using the Internet
The Internet is the fastest growing way to make a bet.
The idea is that you visit the website of the bookmaker,
open an account and using a debit card or money deposited
into a betting account. You make your bet on the horse you've
chosen. Now that streaming video is available to most homes
with broadband you can now watch the race on your computer
in the comfort of your home.
Using the Internet allows you to place your bet at the
very last second once you have ploughed through all your
form information, and listened to the racing pundits on
television.
Lots of companies offer
Internet betting, the main ones are as follows.
Many of the above bookmakers offer free bets when opening
a betting account the first time.
