Horse Racing Reference
On this page 10 sections
- How Online Racebooks Work
- The Age of Simulcasting
- Welcome to Online Horse Betting
- Getting Started Betting Horses Online
- How to Bet Horses Online
- Online Horse Betting is Intuitive
- Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your First Online Betting Sessions
- Online Horse Betting Eligibility Varies by Location
- Practice the Full Online Ticket
- Match the Ticket Status to the Next Step
Most of the people who visit and read the articles provided by EZ Horse Betting like to bet horses online. Creating an account with a racebook offers many advantages. Depending on your location and the provider’s coverage, an account may offer remote wagering on selected races through a computer, tablet or phone. Past performances and race video may be free, paid, limited to certain tracks or unavailable.
When you first begin using a racebook, things can be a little bit confusing. This is especially true if you have never used a racebook before. EZ Horse Betting has put together this brief tutorial to help you understand the online racebook platform and help you have a pleasant experience.
How Online Racebooks Work
The first thing you should understand is how online racebooks function as a betting venue. The way in which they operate is not much different from the way things are done at a live racetrack.
At a live racetrack, bettors wager into a pool which is displayed on a tote board. This tote board displays the odds on each of the horses in the race. Bettors are actually responsible for making the odds. As they bet on various horses to win the race, the odds on each individual horse go up and down.
Many years ago, there were only two options for making bets on horseracing. One either had to go to the track in person or they had to find a bookie who was willing to take a bet. Bookies were not regulated by the track odds and could basically set their own lines. The price you received on a certain horse could be much lower or much higher than it was at the track depending on the bookie’s need to make a profit.
In the 1980’s, another form of betting began to surge in popularity. The OTB, or Off Track Betting parlor, was tasked with providing a full menu of betting services for people who could not make it to the racetrack in person. For example, if you lived in New York and were unable to attend the live races at Aqueduct or Belmont Park, you could simply go to one of many OTB parlors in the city and make your bet. The great thing about this was that an OTB was directly linked to the pools at the racetrack. When you made a bet with the OTB you were given track odds just like those bettors at the track.
The Age of Simulcasting
It wasn’t very long before OTB parlors and racetracks were permitted to simulcast races from other tracks around the country. This meant that bettors could now go to a racetrack in New York and watch and wager on races in California, Florida, or even races in Australia. Simulcasting opened up a whole new world for bettors who were handicapping professionally.
Before simulcasting, a handicapper had to depend on making his living at a single track or the tracks on one circuit. After simulcasting, a bettor could pick and choose from races all over the country.
Like an OTB, simulcast races were tied directly into the tote board and pools at the actual tracks. This allowed horseplayers to receive track odds at any tracks they wished to play. It also meant that the pools for the races were getting larger, meaning that there was more money to be won on individual races. You could even make the argument that simulcasting is the reason bets like the Pick Six have grown in popularity and offered life changing payouts that can reach millions of dollars.
Welcome to Online Horse Betting
The advent of the Internet was a boon for horse betting. Because the technology for simulcasting was already in place, it was a relatively simple matter to expand that technology to the Internet. Today, a variety of racebooks allow you to place bets from home.
An eligible commingled ADW wager enters the host pool, but not every online racebook uses that model. Other services can settle by a separate pool, fixed price or published host dividend with operator caps. Even a commingled provider’s available menu and denominations can differ by account or race. Identify the actual product and settlement rules before treating an online slip as equivalent to a track ticket.
You can also watch races in real time through live video streaming. A simple click will allow you to switch between various tracks quickly. If you would like to go back and watch a race replay from an earlier date, you can also do that.
Getting Started Betting Horses Online
The first step to betting horses online is to create an account with a racebook. EZ Horse Betting recommends that you try one of our affiliate partners. Just click on one of the banners you see on our website and you will be taken directly to the racebook’s website.
Registration generally involves identity and eligibility checks as well as account credentials. Use the verified provider’s secure account flow and read the current funding and withdrawal policies before sending money. Accepted cards, bank methods, checks or other channels depend on the service and account location. A successful deposit does not establish that money can return through the same method. Confirm clearing periods, fees, minimums, verification and promotion restrictions using the deposit and withdrawal guide.
After your account is created and you have deposited money, the fun of betting on racehorses begins.
How to Bet Horses Online
When you log on to your racebook account, you will see a variety of menus that let you make various choices. The first of these will be to choose which track you would like to play. In most racebooks, there will be a drop down menu on the side of the screen which lists all of the tracks that are currently available for wagering. The live menu establishes which domestic or international meetings your account can access. It may also show advance wagering for a future card. Do not assume every major track is available, or that a listed race has a corresponding live video feed.
Once you have chosen the track you would like to wager on, a live video feed of the track’s simulcast signal will appear on the screen. You will be able to see the same video feed that patrons at the racetrack are watching. You’ll get to see the horses as they enter the paddock and the during the post parade. Finally, you’ll be able to watch the race in progress.
Just below the video feed you will see a menu of options. This menu is where you will place your bets. Just beside the menu you will be able to see your account balance and how much money you have to bet with. On the menu each horse is listed by the number they wear in the race. If you hover over the number with your mouse or do a long press, you will usually be able to see the name of the horse as well.
Next you will see boxes for different types of bets. There are boxes for win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta, and other exotics. You select the type of bet you would like to make by simply placing a check mark in the appropriate box. You will also place a check in a box signifying the amount you would like to bet. A dividend’s quoted unit and a ticket’s permitted minimum are different. Some menus use $2 payout quotes while offering other base denominations for particular pools. Minimum units, increments, total-cost limits and operator maximums all apply. Check the current wager pad; neither a familiar $2 quote nor a small exotic base means any stake will be accepted.
Once you have selected the bet type and the amount of money you would like to bet, the final step is to choose the horse or horses that you will use in your wager. Once again you will simply place a check in the box next to that horse’s number.
Online Horse Betting is Intuitive
You will discover that the horseracing platforms used by most racebooks are very intuitive and take only a few moments to master. Most racebooks also offer live support in case you need help in learning how to make your bets.
Some racebooks also let you place bets by phone. They provide a toll-free number that you can call and place your bet just like you would with a live teller at the racetrack.
If you know how to perform the most basic operations of a computer, phone, or tablet, you can bet on horseracing with ease.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your First Online Betting Sessions
New online horse racing bettors consistently make a handful of avoidable mistakes in their first sessions that cost them money and sometimes produce a negative first impression of the sport. The most common is placing bets without fully understanding the bet type — selecting “exacta” when you meant “win,” or placing a $10 exacta box when you thought you were placing a $2 bet, because the combination cost multiplied beyond what you expected. Taking a few minutes to review the bet slip before confirming any exotic wager, and understanding how the combination calculator works for boxes and wheels, prevents these expensive early mistakes.
The second common mistake is over-betting the first session out of excitement. Setting a strict session loss limit before you begin — an amount you are prepared to lose entirely as a learning experience — and stopping when you reach it, prevents the pattern of chasing losses that can turn a modest first-session setback into a significant financial problem. Your goal in the first session should be to learn how the platform works and place a small number of well-considered bets, not to generate profit. Analytical skills and platform familiarity can improve the decision process, but do not guarantee later profit. For a step-by-step guide to placing your first online bets, our article on bet-type guide covers the full process. And our guide to how to bet on horses online for real money provides the complete beginner’s framework.
Online Horse Betting Eligibility Varies by Location
Online horse wagering is available in some US jurisdictions through eligible operators, but location, age, identity and account rules vary. A racing wager may use a pari-mutuel pool, where dividends depend on pool money after deductions; other racing products can use different pricing. Check the relevant regulator and the operator’s current terms before registering or depositing.
If an account is available to you, compare its track coverage, bet types, fees, withdrawal rules and any promotion conditions. A signup bonus is conditional promotional credit, not risk-free money or a guaranteed return. Now, it is time to explore some horse betting sites so do check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. Use the online racebook comparison alongside current jurisdiction and operator terms.
More Topics:
- How To Turn $5 Into $100 At The Race Track
- How to Win at an Online Racebook
- What gambling apps have horse racing
- Horse Betting Apps
Practice the Full Online Ticket
Pick one race and write down the track, race number, intended pool, runner numbers, base stake and total ticket cost before opening the bet slip. Check scratches and the displayed race conditions. Compare the completed slip with that note before submitting; the account should then show an accepted ticket identifier.
If the account or location is ineligible, stop at the practice step. A promotion is not free cash merely because it appears beside the form: read its qualifying and withdrawal conditions. Your first online bet should be a deliberate, affordable decision, not a race to claim an advertised offer.
Match the Ticket Status to the Next Step
| Visible status | Meaning to establish | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Draft or preview | The wager has not necessarily been submitted | Selections, unit and full cost |
| Accepted with ticket ID | The account records an accepted wager | Save the race and ticket details |
| Rejected | The requested ticket was not accepted | Read the stated reason |
| Unclear or interrupted | Acceptance remains uncertain | Inspect history before resubmitting |
| Settled | A result has been credited or recorded | Compare official result and actual return |
A spinner or delayed video is not an acceptance record. If history remains unclear, contact the provider using the race details and submission time before creating a possible duplicate. Do not assume an accepted ordinary ticket can be canceled; the specific rules control.
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