How do I place a bet?
Traditionally, placing a bet on horse racing involved visiting a licensed betting shop, in person, writing your selection(s) on a betting slip and handing it, together with your stake money, in cash, to a cashier behind the counter. Placing a bet face-to-face, in this way, remains fairly popular and offers the opportunity to ask a member of staff any questions you may have, which can be reassuring if you are unfamiliar with the workings of a betting shop. Nowadays, licensed betting shops are no longer ‘cash only’ and you can pay your stake money with a debit card, but not a credit card, if you so desire. In return, you’ll receive a copy of your bet, which acts a receipt, which you’ll need to hand back to the cashier to collect your winnings, if your bet is successful.
Of course, the other alternative for stay-at-home punters is to place a bet online, on one of the plethora of bookmakers’ websites. It pays to do some research beforehand, so that you rest assured that your chosen bookmaker is trusted, secure and suitable for your betting needs. Beyond that, registering with an online bookmaker is straightforward; you simply need to provide some basic personal details, a payment method, such as a debit card, and fund your account. To make your selection(s), click on ‘Horse Racing’, click on the appropriate race time and click on the name of the horse, or the odds next to it, to add it to your betting slip. Click the appropriate bet type, enter your stake and click ‘Place Bet’.