Horse Racing Betting Sites in South Africa for 2025 – Check the Bonuses and Odds

When it comes to horse racing bookmakers in South Africa, knowing the best horse racing betting sites is half the battle. While horse racing has always had a loyal fan base, other sports have gained momentum.

However, there are still plenty of horse racing bookmakers that provide the opportunity to bet on horses. In this article, we will look at the top 5 horse racing bookmakers in South Africa and provide information about the features they offer.

Top Horse Racing Betting Sites in South Africa – Tested & Compared

Multiple betting sites in South Africa allow bettors to bet on horses, but let’s face it, some are better than others. Taking that into consideration, we have gone out of our way to find the best online horse racing betting sites South Africa. Here is a list of the top 5 horse racing bookmakers in South Africa:

Hollywoodbets

Hollywoodbets has been a leading provider of horse racing coverage in South Africa since its grand opening in 2000. Known as one of the best online horse racing bookmakers in South Africa, the site offers competitive odds, access to Gallop TV Live, and is quick to post results. More importantly, Hollywoodbets is recognized for its competitive horse racing odds and for covering a wide range of local and international racing events.

Betway

Like other South African horse racing bookmakers with positive ratings, Betway is a top provider of fixed odds and tote betting within the UK, USA, and Ireland. As a betting provider, the bookie includes bet types such as Toteplace, Totewin, Exacta, Reverse Exacta, and Trifecta. Similarly, they include horse racing promotions and live streams for Irish and UK racing.

Betfred

Since 1967, Betfred has been synonymous with horse racing. With a dedicated section that provides coverage for UK, Irish, and international horse racing events, the bookie offers Win Bet, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta bet types. More importantly, it provides live coverage via its Watch Live feature. Adding to their status as a preferred horse betting site are exclusive horse racing promotions and in-play betting opportunities.

Tic Tac Bets

Tic Tac Bets is another highly regarded sports betting site that offers online horse race betting. As a licensed betting provider since 2015, it provides bettors the opportunity to bet on local and international horse racing events. Likewise, it offers great odds at Johannesburg’s Turffontein Racecourse, and international favorites like the Ascot and Melbourne Cup.

10Bet

10Bet has long been regarded as a premier betting site for horse racing enthusiasts. As one of South Africa’s top-rated international horse racing betting sites, it offers a packed schedule of races from around the world. With events from iconic venues like Ascot and Churchill Downs, bettors have an extensive catalog of betting options – from win, place, and show to trifectas and exactas. Adding to that is a 20% up to R1000 free bet for horse race betting on your first deposit.

How to Pick the Best Horse Racing Betting Site?

Now that you know the top 5 betting sites for horse racing, it’s important to understand what factors we took into consideration to compile that list. For South African horse betting sites, we asked ourselves the following:

Are the Odds Competitive?

Competitive odds are a minimal requirement that we take into account to determine if a site is worth being in our top 5 horse racing online betting sites list. If a site does not offer competitive odds, it does not meet our requirements.

Are Multi Bet Options Supported?

Multi betting sites horse racing allow you to increase your win potential and overall profitability. Every betting site on our list offers multi-betting options.

Does the Bookmaker Support Price Boosts?

Price boosts and a site’s willingness to offer them are another factor we consider when choosing the best horse racing sites. If a betting site didn’t offer price boosts, it didn’t make the list.

Is Live Streaming on Horse Races Supported?

A betting site’s willingness to stream horse races is a big part of the decision-making process. With live streaming, bettors can watch races unfold in real time.

Does the Bookmaker Support Best Odds Guarantee?

Determining whether a bookmaker offers a best odds guarantee is a crucial part of the decision-making process. A best odds guarantee ensures you get the best pricing for your winning bets.

How to Place Horse Racing Bets?

Placing a horse racing bet is a straightforward process that requires careful consideration. Given the nature of horse race betting, this will require you to:

1. Choose your preferred betting site.
2. Log in to your gambling account.
3. Select a horse to bet on based on the best odds and racing form.
4. Pick a betting market (Win, place, show)
5. Enter the amount you want to stake.
6. Click the “Bet Now” button.

Which Are the Most Popular Horse Racing Bet Types?

Considering horse race betting offers a limited number of markets for each race, bettors need to understand the different options they can avail. Along with the traditional options, such as win, place, and show, the following strategic bets can be availed.

• Betting to Win – Betting to win is often referred to as a “straight” bet, meaning that you are betting on the horse to win the race. If your horse wins the race, you win, and if it loses, you lose.
• Each Way Bet – An each-way bet is a bet that involves you picking one horse to win and another to place. To win, your first selection must win, and your second must finish in second or third place.
• Forecast – A Forecast bet is a multiple bet that requires bettors to predict the first and second place finishers of a race. Both must be correct for the bet to be deemed a winner.
• Tricast – A Tricast bet is a single bet that requires punters to predict which horses will finish in first, second, and third in the correct order.
• Goliath – A Goliath is a bet that consists of 247 separate bets from eight different selections. Its complexity is due to it consisting of doubles, trebles, four-fold, five-folds, six-fold, seven-fold, and 8 fold accumulators.
• Lucky 15 – A Lucky 15 bet is a multiple selection bet that requires bettors to select four horses from four different races. To win this bet, one horse must win one of the races.
• Lucky 31 – A Lucky 31 bet consists of 31 bets from five different selections. Its complexity is due to it consisting of singles, doubles, trebles, four-fold accumulators, and five-fold accumulators.
• Trixie – A Trixie bet is a four bet from three selections multi. It requires bettors to successfully predict the winner from two out of the three races for a winning double and all three for a winning treble.
• Patent – A patent bet consists of seven bets on three selections. This bet type includes three singles, three doubles, and a treble.
• Yankee – The ‘Yankee’ bet type consists of eleven bets from four selections. It includes one four-fold accumulator, four trebles, and six doubles.
• Placepot – A Placepot bet that requires bettors to select the winner from the first six races in an Irish or UK horse racing event. To win, you must correctly predict the winner in each race.

Horse Racing Betting Offers

Horse racing betting offers are common amongst sports betting sites. Given the competitive nature of horse racing, most bookmakers focus their promotional activities on one type or another. Here is a summary of the promotional offers you can find and the best bookie for each promotional type.

• Free Bets => Best Bookmaker: Hollywoodbets – Hollywoodbets is the best bookmaker for free bets. It offers a no deposit free bet of R25, which players can use on any sport, including horse racing. Bettors can use their free bet on any sport within 24 hours of crediting.
• Odds Boosts => Best Bookmaker: World Sports Betting – Currently, WSB has an Odds Boost offer. The promotions get even better when major festivals like Cheltenham begin.
• Money-Back Offers => Best Bookmaker: Tic Tac Bets – Tic Tac Bets is your best option for money-back offers. At the time of writing this review, the sportsbook does not offer any Money Back promotions. As with many other online bookmakers, special offers on horse races start at the beginning of a major festival or race.
• Acca Boosts => Best Bookmaker: 10Bet – 10Bet is a solid option for ACCA boost offers. While none are currently offered, the bookmaker routinely offers an ACCA boost for select sporting matches.
• Non-Runner No Bet => Best Bookmaker: World Sports Betting – WSB is a good option for Non-Runner No Bet. The bookmaker is known for its promotional might. Check the bookie’s promotional page to see what offers are available.
• Best Odds Guaranteed => Best Bookmaker: Betfred – Betfred is a great bookie for best odds guaranteed promotions. When available, it will ensure you get the best odds for select sporting events.

Useful Horse Racing Betting Tactics

Utilizing effective horse racing tactics is the most effective way to enhance your winning potential. While there are many tactics punters can use, our top three betting tactics that we know make the difference when it comes to horse racing bets.

• Track conditions – Paying attention to track conditions and comparing how each horse performs under those conditions is crucial. It allows you to adjust your bets according to the conditions and the analytical data you have about each horse and course.
• Checking past performances – Checking past performances is another factor that must be considered before placing a bet. By factoring this into the betting process, you can determine whether a horse will be competitive in an upcoming race.
• Keeping an eye on trainers and riders – Keeping an eye on trainers and riders is another useful tactic that enables you to make informed betting decisions. The more you know about a trainer and the rider, the better equipped you are to pick the winner.

How to Bet Responsibly on Horse Racing?

Betting responsibly to ensure your online gaming activities remain recreational is something that most bookies promote on their platforms. To help players bet responsibly, most bookies offer a variety of responsible betting tools. They include:

• Deposit Limits – Deposit limits enable you to set a daily, weekly, or monthly deposit amount. Once your limits have been reached, you will be unable to deposit until the deposit limit period has expired.
• Reality Checks – Reality checks are another valuable tool. They provide you with updates in relation to the amount of time you have been betting.
• Self-Exclusion – Self-exclusion is another option players can avail. This option is suitable for players who feel their gambling activities are out of control.

In addition to the above tools, most betting sites include links to Gamcare and GambleAware. Both provide addiction counseling services to those struggling to control the amount they spend on extracurricular activities.

Final Verdict and Rating

Horse racing in South Africa remains a popular tradition that many new horse racing betting sites attempt to capitalize on, but at the end of the day, betting at the top horse racing bookmakers is the way to go. Not only does it provide you access to the best bookmakers horse racing odds, but it also ensures you’re betting with a legitimate bookmaker whose goal is to provide you with a superior horse racing betting experience, and that is just as important as the race itself!

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