Horse betting
– the basics
What can I say about betting on horses? Well, it’s an activity that’s about as old as racing itself, and you’ll find it offered by pretty much all
new gambling sites in Canada, as well as longer-in-the-tooth betting brands, too.
At a basic level actually betting on the sport isn’t much of a faff at all. Whether you’re keen for a flutter at the Cheltenham Festival, or you’d rather spread your bets at the next Kentucky Derby, it’s just a case of:
- Finding a trustworthy bookmaker.
- Creating an account with them.
- Picking a horse.
- Placing a bet.
But as I’ve hinted at a bit already, horse racing betting sites offer a truly mind-boggling range of different bet selections on this sport – and this can definitely be daunting for beginners. I’ll lay bare what’s what in a sec, but first, let’s look at some more general pros and cons of indulging in this ever-popular form of iGaming.
Some
horse race betting
pros and cons to get you started…
- Tons of betting options
- Excellent odds on big events
- Take your pick from top sites
- Jargon is confusing for beginners
- Only locally-licensed sites are legal
Classic bet types in
horse racing betting
– a quick crash course
Right, so without further ado, allow me to play jargon buster. You see, horse race betting online is a blast, but only once you’re totally familiar with the weird and wonderful nicknames betting sites have borne for different bet types.
Some of these are simple, some are completely insane, and right here, I’m going to explore what’s what – and how each one works. All ready? And they’re off!
Simple “win” and “place” bets
Baby steps, guys. Allow me to start with the simplest betting options usually on offer, which are:
- Win – i.e., bet on a horse to win.
- Place – i.e., bet on one to place.
These horse racing betting bet variations are massively self-explanatory, so I won’t teach your granny to suck eggs. Just know that, usually, you can only bet on first, second or third to “place” unless a bookie is running an “extra place race” promotion of some kind.
‘Show’ and ‘Each Way’ bets
Whether you’re into
live betting
or advance plays, you’ll find yourself face-to-face with “Show” and “Each Way” bet options at most racing-friendly bookmakers sooner or later. For those of you uninitiated among us, they’re easier-to-understand than they sound, trust me. Here’s what you need to know:
- Show = betting on a specific horse to place first-fourth.
- Each-way = betting on a horse to both win, and place.
The first probably doesn’t warrant much further elaboration but allow me to share an example of an each-way bet. I recently backed Peppers Pride to win. I put down $50 on this potential outcome, but simultaneously dropped another $50 bet on Peppers Pride placing. The horse didn’t win, but it did place – so happy days for me, eh?
‘Exacta’, ‘Perfecta’, ‘Quinella’, ‘Trifecta’. and ‘Superfecta’
Flabbergasted yet? Yeah, I thought so. Let’s face it, the jargon used by horse racing betting sites is more than a bit bonkers at times – and this is where they’ll try and knock you down. But with a bit of help from me, here’s to hoping you’ll have no bother dusting yourself off and getting back on the saddle.
You see, while Exacta and Perfecta might sound all la-de-dah, basically all either of these terms means is placing a bet on the exact order of first and second in a race. So, let’s say you bet on Seabiscuit to take pole position, and Horsey McHorse to come in second, for example.
By way of comparison, a Quinella is a bet on which of the running horses will place first and second, but in no particular order.
Then of course comes Trifecta, which is a bet on the specific order of first, second and third, followed by Superfecta, which is the same, but requires you to guess who’ll take fourth place correctly, too. Consider that jargon busted.
Some say that online horse betting offers bettors a bit more long-term potential than some other sports betting markets do, and nowhere is that truer than when it comes to Multiples.
Now, Multiple bets involve spreading your bets across several consecutive races. You can do this as:
- A double.
- A treble.
- An accumulator.
- Multiple each way bets.
All of which I’ve penned separate guides to across my site. Heck, I’ve written exhaustively on anything from how to
bet on Formula 1
to how to activate online casino bonuses. But yeah… The trick to a multiple bets is that all selections placed in every race need to win. The idea is that each win fuels the following stake, kind of like upwards-falling dominoes.
Online horse racing betting in Canada
– is it permitted?
For those of you seeking horse racing betting sites in Canada, I’ve done you a massive favor already right here on this page. You see, all my iGaming guides are set-up to display region-targeted banners for relevant betting sites that are legally available where you live.
And in the Great White North, this is proper important. You see, if you’re gonna be online horse betting in Canada, you need to get clued-up on local iGaming laws. Why? Well, because these differ in:
- Ontario.
- British Columbia.
- Quebec.
- Alberta.
- Montreal.
- And elsewhere.
In a nutshell, if you live in a province that regulates horse racing betting, you’re only permitted to place bets with brands that hold a local iGaming license. You can find evidence of licenses either:
- On a betting site’s homepage.
- In their T&Cs.
What should you consider when comparing
horse racing betting sites?
In some provinces, you guys are going to be faced with a pretty overwhelming number of options – so how do you decide which betting platform is best for you?
Well, obviously this is highly subjective, so your best bet is going to be to ask yourself a few questions. I know, I hate talking to myself too, but trust me, it’s crucial here.
So, allow me to pose a few questions for you lot to ponder regarding important features absolutely all half-decent horse race betting sites ought to offer. As I’m feeling extra-friendly today, I’ll also share a bit of info about what makes each factor so darn important, too.
| Question to ask yourself… | Why it matters… |
| Is the site/app licensed where I live? | Proper provincial licenses are a must-have, remember? Any betting site you’re interested in needs a stamp from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, or whoever your local regulator may be – else you could wind up breaking the law. And let’s face it, none of us want that, do we? |
| Are their horse racing odds competitive? | Bad betting odds can be real demotivating, and in such a busy market, there’s no excuse for settling. So, go and compare the odds offered by top providers prior to choosing where to bet. |
| Do they offer easy-to-use betting tools, or live-streaming? | Now, here’s two features that can really spruce up your online betting experiences. At the end of the day, nobody likes fiddly betting slips, so make sure any bookies you’re looking at have their software in-check. Bonus points go out to any brands offering horse race live streaming or in-play bets. |
Thinking about
horse racing betting? Shape up on your jargon beforehand
So, in summary then, there are a fair few fences to jump before taking your first horse racing bet over the finish line. From the outset, your focus ought to be on finding horse racing betting sites that are properly regulated in your region – which is one thing I can certainly help you with if you care to have a click around my banners on this page.
And from there? Well, the next big thing is getting past the barrage of buzzwords and jargon terms betting sites like to use for what are ultimately fairly straightforward bet variations. Now, I’ve helped you a bit on that point already, too – but only you guys can choose which kind of bets best tickle your fancy.
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Horse racing betting
FAQ
💰 What’s the minimum bet on horse racing?
To be fair, this all depends on the individual bookie you’re betting with, and their own rules regarding minimum bets. In my days of playing, I’ve seen brands offer min. bets ranging anywhere from $0.50 to $20, so it’s on you to shop around. You can do so quickly and easily using my geo-targeted banners, mind.
🏇 Which horse racing betting sites have live streaming?
Betting sites that offer live streaming are endlessly entertaining, but this isn’t so common a feature as you might think – particularly on horse racing. Use my guides and comparisons to locate legal betting sites that offer the tools you need today.
⚽ Which sports are most popular among bettors in Canada?
Canucks just love their hockey, so NHL takes the top spot for sure – closely followed by NFL, NBA and international soccer. Discover betting sites offering odds on all these and more with my expert reviews right now.
