A betting app that fails to live up to the hype is like backing a horse without a jockey. It may come in first, but you’re kidding yourself if you think you’re winning.
So, if you’re bored of your current betting app, or new to horse racing, keep reading. In this comprehensive guide, you can view our extensive list of the best horse racing betting apps in the UK along with our personal top 10 favourites list.
What Makes a Good Horse Racing Betting App
Top horse racing betting apps excel in offering an all-in-one place for you to deposit cash and place wagers. They provide competitive race odds all year round, in addition to live streaming, expert tips, and easy banking. Advances in horse racing betting mean it’s easier to gamble on the go than ever.
The biggest bookmakers let you install the latest Android or iOS app directly from the relevant app store. Provided you have a strong WiFi connection or mobile data, you can access the best app for horse race betting and search for your favourite horses and jockeys with a few taps.
And, of course, let’s not forget the excellent horse racing free bets offers that you can claim. The best horse racing betting apps supply free wager deals and enhanced odds to keep you coming back for more.
10 Best Horse Racing Betting Apps
Ultimately, the best app for horse racing for you will enhance your betting experience. It will excel in what your prefer, whether it’s regular free bet offers, particular deposit options, or app speed, among other advantages.
As such, we’ve put together a list of our favourite horse racing apps along with a detailed pros and cons table to show you exactly how and why they made the list.
bet365
There are good reasons that bet365 comes out top as our best UK horse racing app. It’s a solid pick for the best horse racing odds, plus you can watch live streams of thousands of races through the app. You can also sign up for regular mobile alerts and earn free bet credits on selected meetings during the year. Make sure you have the right min. system requirements, as the bet365 app only works on Android 8.0+ or iOS13+.
Pros:
- Seamless mobile racing app with 5M+ downloads
- 200,000+ live streams per year, inc. horse racing
- £30 free bets for new sign-ups
Cons:
- Older mobile phones may struggle with system requirements
William Hill
Coming in a close second as the best UK horse racing app is William Hill. The Android app alone has over one million downloads, and you can access William Hill’s excellent radio commentary via your smartphone. Look out for competitive odds on all UK races, and use your EPIC Boost on any horse and race of your choice.
Pros:
- Reliable download app for both iOS & Android
- Live races & WH Racing Radio service available
- £40 free bets when you stake £10
Cons:
- App lobby can feel cluttered
QuinnBet
QuinnBet isn’t the most popular of the free horse racing apps for Android. However, it’s certainly easy to navigate and we found getting to our favourite races was easy. Throw in daily free bet deals and fast cashout times and you have the makings of a solid UK horse racing app.
Pros:
- Clear and easy-to-use mobile app for Android
- Money back as free bets on SP favourites
- Enhanced welcome offer for UK customers
Cons:
- Some reviews report slow customer support
Virgin Bet
Virgin Bet is an all-in-one horse racing, sports betting, and casino app that offers full markets on most races. The app isn’t too cluttered, however, and it’s easy to side-step the live betting tabs and slots to find the best horse racing. Look out for daily Virgin Bet price boosts on many of the top races.
Pros:
- User-friendly mobile app from big-name UK brand
- Virgin Bet price boosts on many horse races
- Get £20 in free bets as a new sign-up
Cons:
- Live streams restricted to funded accounts
BoyleSports
BoyleSports is possibly the best app for horse racing betting if you want to gamble in-shop and on mobile. The Irish bookmaker lets you access in-shop offers on races while gambling on your app at the same time. Plus, of course, there’s a full selection of best-odds and money-back offers that you can claim through the flat and jump season.
Pros:
- Money-back offers on all losers for selected races
- Daily racing deals at BoyleSports shops
- Live streaming on many UK & Irish races
Cons:
- Welcome bonus at lower end of sign-up offers
Tote
The Tote is the best horse racing app for UK punters who love pools betting. The Tote racing app lets you into the many placepot and big-money prizepools. Plus, you can join the Stayers Club to claim bet credits on all qualifying wagers. We’re also big fans of the new Form Wiz tool for easier horse selections, in addition to super Racing Post tips every day.
Pros:
- £50K-minimum Tote prizepools every day
- Stayers Club offers race-day tickets & free bets
- Racing Post Spotlight & regular tips
- New Form Wiz tool for serious punters
Cons:
- Welcome bonus focussed on pool betting only
Smarkets
Smarkets is a slick betting exchange that lets you back or lay horses of your choice. The easy-to-use iOS or Android app is available for download and has a new trade-out function that allows you to settle bets early. Don’t forget the SBK sportsbook app too which offers live streaming at selected courses.
Pros:
- Great odds
- Trade out live racing bets with a few taps
- £30 free bets via the SBK sports betting app
Cons:
- No welcome bonuses on the Smarkets exchange app
10bet
10bet is a no-nonsense sports betting app that offers a 50% match bonus for new punters in the UK. It’s certainly the best betting app for accumulators as you can claim acca boosts up to 100%, and up to a maximum of £5,000. Get started with a 50%-up-to-£50 welcome bonus when you join 10bet with the code PLAY10.
Pros:
- Regular prediction competitions on sports
- Full live streams on horse races & greyhounds
- £50 welcome bonus for new customers
Cons:
- Not the best betting app for Grand National offers
Unibet
Unibet offers one of the top horse racing betting apps for gamblers who love odds boosts and bonuses. Not only does Unibet offer new sign-ups an exclusive horse racing welcome bonus (£20 free bets), but you can also enjoy daily odds boosts. The Uniboost is applied to your betting slip on any race and horse. You get to use the Uniboost up to three times a day, making it Unibet a no-brainer for grabbing some extra value.
Pros:
- Live racing streams via SIS partner
- Uniboost & SuperBoost offered on UK races
- £20 free bets for new UK sign-ups
Cons:
- Android app can be laggy
Betfred
Betfred is one of the UK’s premier gambling companies, and of course it has a dedicated mobile betting app to match. You can install a native iOS or Android app and browse 100s of race markets on meets across the UK, Ireland, and the rest of the world. We recommend checking out the helpful Racing Post previews, plus ‘Fred’s Daily Double’ where you can grab enhanced each-way odds.
Pros:
- Super Extra Places on many UK/Irish races
- Racing Post previews on all big races
- Claim £30 in free bets when you join
Cons:
- Betfred app combines casino & games
How We Review Horse Racing Apps
It’s important to know how we rate betting apps and sites here at Punters Lounge. With so many gambling companies offering mobile software, it’s hard to nail down the best betting app for horse racing. Luckily, that’s exactly what we’ve done.
We’ll go into more detail on what to look for in the best betting app for horse racing. Here are some of the main areas we look at:
- Licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission
- Mobile app compatibility (iOS/Android)
- Bonuses & promotions
- Live streaming on races
- Enhanced odds & Best Odds Guaranteed
- Money-back deals for losing horses
- Customer support & live chat
- Broad deposit options
How to Choose the Best Betting App For Horse Racing
When choosing the right horse racing app for you, it’s important to consider all the factors. Some might be more important to you than others, it’s important to consider everything.
So, below we have set out the key areas to investigate when looking to sign up to new horse racing betting apps.
Mobile Compatibility
These days, most of the best horse racing betting apps are available for download on iOS and Android devices. You can either download a .apk app for Android directly from the bookmaker or install it from the Google Play Store. Alternatively, visit the Apple App Store to find an iOS app for iPhone or tablet.
Finally, you can simply sign up at the best horse betting app through your smartphone browser if you prefer. However, the optimisation may be better through a standalone app.
It’s important to have the right operating system running on your smartphone before you download. You can find the minimum system requirements listed on the App Store page. Plus, we recommend having strong Wi-Fi or a data package if you’re trying to use apps when you’re out and about. This guarantees you can make deposits, find races, and get those bets on in time.
Type of Horse Racing Betting Apps
Horse racing betting apps offer a range of options, sometimes together in the same piece of kit:
Fixed Odds Sportsbooks
Fixed odds sports betting apps offer win and each-way markets on all UK and Irish races. The best betting app for horse racing will even offer markets for international races.
Betting Exchanges
A betting exchange lets you bet (back) or lay (bet against) horses. Essentially, you become the bookmaker and can accept bets from other punters. However, you also stand to lose cash if you lay the wrong horses.
Tote Betting
Tote betting apps use a prizepool format. Every wager on a horse goes into a prizepool that is split between all punters should the horse win or place.
Spread Betting
Spread betting apps give you the chance to win money based on the winning distance of a horse. The bigger the distance, the more you win. However, you also lose if your horse doesn’t make it past the line in 1st place.
Betting Offers & Promotions
The best horse racing apps run a range of attractive promotions to bring in new players and reward loyal ones. Here’s what to look for when choosing the best betting app for horse racing punts.
New Customer Free Bets Offer
All our top-rated horse racing apps offer free bets when you sign up. You must make a qualifying deposit first (and usually a first bet) before you can receive free bet credits to the same value.
No-Deposit Bonus
Though rare, some bookmakers also offer free bets where no deposit is required. You receive a free bet credit just for depositing into your account. A small wagering requirement may be attached.
Cashback
The money-back deal is usually reserved for regular customers, though some bookmakers also offer it to new sign-ups. You receive a refund on your first wager if it loses. The refund is normally credited as a free bet with the usual terms applied.
Existing Customer Promotions
As a loyal customer, you can enjoy plenty of regular offers via your best horse betting app.
Moneyback Specials
With cashback deals, you receive free credits into your account if your horse loses. Terms vary depending on the deal, so check the conditions first. For example, you may only receive a refund as a free bet if your horse is the favourite and loses by a nose.
Best Odds Guaranteed
Bookmakers with best odds guaranteed will ensure that the highest odds are always paid out, regardless of the starting price. If you took 8/1 and the SP was 6/1, you’d be paid at the higher odds.
Non-Runner No Bet
The non-runner, no-bet (NRNB) safeguards your ante-post bet in case the horse pulls out. You’ll receive a complete refund of your stake in your account.
Price Boosts
Price boosts are offered on many of the biggest races. These are short-term enhancements on the odds, usually on selected favourites only.
Acca Bonus
With an acca bonus, the best horse racing betting apps reward your multi-bet picks with extra juice on top. You can receive a boost of 40% or more if all your acca bets come in.
Extra Places Paid
Extra Places Paid is a great way to spread the risk on your each-way bets. The best betting app for horse racing may pay up to 7 places in large races like the Grand National. Alternatively, you can choose how many each-way places are paid out, with the bookmaker recalculating the prices automatically just for you.
Tips & Analysis
Good racing tips are essential if you need help with your picks. While Punters Lounge has its own top horse racing tips page, betting apps also provide daily analysis and podcasts with the hottest picks.
Horse Betting Options
The best horse racing app for UK punters should make it simple to find races and horses. Specially designed apps for touch screens mean that betting racecards should be easy to find and search for. You should also be able to make win and each-way bets, form accas, or bet on tricasts and forecasts with a tap.
Horse Racing Odds
The best betting app for horse racing will offer competitive odds all year round. You should be able to find value in all the biggest UK and Irish races without resorting to installing multiple apps on your phone.
Payment Methods
The best horse betting app should make payments easy. Register a debit card through your mobile app and save it for future use. Plus, the best betting app for horse racing must offer Google Pay and Apple Pay for seamless deposits with your smartphone.
Customer Service
Good customer support can make a difference on free horse racing apps. Use your mobile app to access live chat, or make 24-hour phone calls to dispute a bonus or slow payment.
How to Download Horse Racing Betting Apps
Looking for the best horse racing app for download? Here’s how to get started in a few simple steps:
- Read our reviews and choose a bookmaker
- Hit the ‘Claim Offer’ button
- Complete the registration form
- Make qualifying deposits and bets to release free bet credits
- Visit app store and search for the betting app
- Click install
- Log into your account
How to Place a Bet on Horse Racing Betting Apps
It only takes a minute to place a wager through a horse racing betting app. Remember to stay logged in while you deposit and confirm your wager.
- Select Horse Racing from the A-Z Menu of sports
- Use the Search tool to find your horse, race, or trainer. Alternatively, use the calendar to find the day’s races or big Antepost meets.
- Tap on a Win/Each-Way selection to add the horse to your betting slip.
- Once you’ve made your selections, enter your stake in the betting slip.
- Confirm your bet and accept the odds if they change before you make the wager. You can also make an instant deposit if you have insufficient funds to make the bet.
How to Withdraw from Horse Racing Betting Apps
You can also cash out winnings when you use the best betting app for horse racing. Ensure your Wi-Fi or mobile connection is secure when you request funds.
- Log in and tap on the Banking page of your app. You’ll usually find this on your account page.
- Enter the amount you wish with cash out. You may be restricted to using a payment method you used to deposit with.
- Enter your horse racing app password to confirm the withdrawal.
- Your cashout request will be sent for approval right away. However, betting apps apply different processing periods to the withdrawal.
Best Horse Racing Tips App
You can access the best horse racing tips app directly from Punters Lounge? The Punters Lounge racing tips app is available for a range of iOS and Android devices. There’s no need to visit the App Store, either: simply visit the link via your smartphone or tablet browser and use the ‘Add to Home Screen’ option.
Plus, you can chat with other members and discuss betting strategies via the PL forum. Our dedicated horse racing forum has threads on every major festival and course, with up-to-the-minute discussions on the movers and shakers.
Join up today and use the Punters Lounge forum app to find the hottest tips and deals every day. We’ve been running since 2000, making us the biggest and best gambling forum for mobile gamblers. You can even win cash in regular competitions such as the NAP of the Day.
Final Thoughts: Best Horse Racing Apps
Finding the best betting app for horse racing is vital if you want the smoothest experience on your smartphone. Our recommended horse racing betting apps offer the slickest mobile betting for all types of punters. They provide competitive odds, expert tips, and regular promotions that promise free bets and much more.
What are you waiting for? Unleash the power of the best betting apps for horse racing today and open a new account to claim free bets on the biggest races.
