There are dozens of horse racing tracks in the United States alone, but in this day and age, you no longer have to head for the course if you want to place a bet on racing.
Instead, you can go online and bet on one of the many horse racing betting sites out there. With so many sites to choose from, however, it can be hard to work out which one is best for you.
Here, we’ve made a list of nine features that people looking to bet on horse racing should look for on a betting website.
Form Guides
Perhaps the single most important thing that a prospective bettor could want from a horse racing betting site is the form.
A big part of how well a horse has been doing, whether they’ve won over course and distance before, and even the overall form of a stable or jockey, can play a big part in a gambler’s decision.
The more information you have, the easier it is to decide who to bet on, and having the info on the site makes everything so much simpler and straightforward.
Registered and Regulated
If you are going to be risking your money by betting on horse racing, you will want to make sure that the only money you’ll lose is the cash you put on a horse that doesn’t come in.
A smart racing punter will want to make sure that the site is regulated and approved by the relevant authorities.
Betting on an unlicensed site could mean that your money isn’t safe, so be careful and do your due diligence.
Best Odds Guaranteed
One frustrating thing for horse racing bettors is when your horse wins, but you don’t win as much as you could have.
If you’ve taken a price, the horse goes off a bit bigger and it wins, it feels like there’s money going missing.
Something that can take the annoyance away is finding a site that offers best odds guaranteed, meaning that if you bet on a horse and it wins at a bigger price, then you get paid out at the larger odds. No more regret at coming in at the wrong time!
User Experience
It’s all very well being a shrewd bettor who knows when to play and when to take a watching brief, but you want to make sure your site is easy to use.
It can be good to shop around so you can find somewhere that is easy to use and quick to operate. Doing so can save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
Likewise, a lot of bettors do their betting on a mobile phone these days, so it’s good to check out whether they have a properly mobile-compatible site or even an Android or iPhone app.
Quick Withdrawals
Winning money is, to put it incredibly bluntly, what betting on racehorses is all about. If you bet at one of America’s 50-plus courses, then you’ll just hand your winning ticket in and get your cash.
However, some betting sites will take a very long time to actually deposit your winnings in your bank account. Times of up to five working days aren’t that uncommon.
So, when you are checking your sites out, you should have a look to see what their withdrawal times are. If you like to spend your winnings on something nice, it’s good to know when you’ll be able to get it.
Bonuses And Special Offers
It’s always good to be made to feel welcome. It’s also nice when a business treats you like you’re a popular customer. There is absolutely no reason why betting sites should be any different.
Take a look and see what welcome bonuses, whether it’s free bets or boosted odds, they offer.
You also want to see what promotions the sites have for established customers, too, so you don’t feel ignored once you’ve got through the door.
Different Types Of Bet
Some people like to just bet in one way, and that’s to win only. That’s OK, different people like different things.
If, on the other hand, you like a bit of variety in your betting, whether its win, place and show, or exactas and trifectas, multiples or any other kind of exotic bet you can think of, then make sure that the site offers them so you can bet in the way you want to bet.
Winning a bet is nice, but being able to watch the horse you backed win is even better.
A lot of sites offer live streaming for races so once you’ve placed your bet, you can log in and see what happens in real time.
No more having to wait around for the results to come up, and, perhaps even better, you can also see how the other horses are doing and see if any of them catch your eye for another time.
Bet History Tracking
If you are a regular bettor who wants to keep track of the bets you’ve made and what you’ve won and lost, then you’ll want a site that has some easily accessible betting history.
That will make it easier to keep on top of what it is you’re doing, whether it's assessing your wins and losses or seeing what antepost bets you’ve got coming up.
The more information you have about your betting history, the more informed you can be about your betting future.
Cash-out Options
One other thing that some sites offer is a cash-out option. Basically, this gives you the chance to effectively take a bonus if certain conditions are met, if you want to cancel a bet.
You can have full cash-out or partial cash-out, or even both, depending on where you bet. Just make sure to check out the terms and conditions.
So, there you have it. There are a lot of betting sites out there, so use our list to whittle down what works for you and eliminate what doesn’t work for you.
No matter where you go, though, you need to remember to keep a calm head when you bet, do your own research, and never gamble more than you can afford to lose. Good luck, and have fun!
