First Time at the Races? Here’s How Horse Betting Works

First Time at the Races? Here’s How Horse Betting Works

Valuable Tips for First-Time Visitors

When going to a racetrack for the first time, you have to absorb a lot: classy horse races, stylishly dressed ladies in elegant hats, the press, tips, the betting slips, and more. Yet, one main thing you really need to get down is the betting process as it happens in real time right in front of you. There's no better place to learn how it all operates than at the betting window you see in the image above. If you want to prepare in advance or practice from home, exploring online horse racing betting is a great way to get familiar with the basics.

Placing a Bet

Your bet can be placed by informing staff at the betting counter, or you may fill out a betting slip available at the betting terminals (Toto) and hand it in at the counter.

Our race day information and race program booklet—available at the ticket counters and betting info desks for €2—contain valuable details about the horses, jockeys, and current form that will help you make informed decisions come race time. You can also download the race program for free from our website in advance of your visit. We list all the details for individual race days in our race calendar.

We've gathered the essential details regarding the completion of the betting slip, the various kinds of bets, and the method of calculating odds. This information is presented on this page, quite notably in the form of lists.

The Betting Slip

Always mark the following information on the betting slip:

  • El numero de carrera

  • Wager Type

  • Amount staked

  • The number of the horse you have chosen.

You will find the information for the race number and horse number in our race day program or the details for the day of the race. You choose the kind of wager and how much you wish to stake.

Mark your selections in the corresponding boxes with a vertical line. If you do not, the betting slip might not be read correctly.

When you visit the betting counter, you will get a betting receipt. This receipt must have the following: location, date, race number, type of bet, number of the horse (as listed in the program), amount wagered.

Once the race is over and the final odds are settled, you can pick up your winnings at any Toto point. Or you can use your winnings to make a fresh bet.

How Odds Are Calculated in Horse Betting

It is vital to grasp what distinguishes bookmaker betting from totalisator betting. First, we should acknowledge that. But there is more to understand about these two forms of wagering. What else makes them different? And why do those differences matter?

  • When you bet with a bookmaker, he sets the odds, and these can be seen before the race starts. From these odds, it is quite easy to work out what you will win if your horse backs a successful performance.

  • When it comes to totalisator betting, the final odds are set only post-race. Preceding this, the approximate odds are laboriously averaged and displayed (sometimes as big-screen projections in the betting parlors), but these odds are not indicative of the totalisator itself, only of its output.

The odds and your stake determine the amount you could win.

Example:

You placed a bet of €10 on your chosen competitor to win, and the odds are 3.5. What you earn, minus what you put in, is profit—specifically, net profit. This is how it's calculated.

Net Profit = Stake × (Odds - 1)
Net Profit = 10 × (3.5 - 1)
Net Profit = €25

Only if you return your betting receipt can your winnings be paid out.

You are entitled to a full refund of your stake if a race is canceled, interrupted, or declared void.