In the world of sports betting, placing a wager on horseracing is incredibly popular and has been for as long as betting has been commonplace in the UK. Horseracing is a pretty high profile in the UK, with several showstopping events organised each year, most notably the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, both of which draw thousands of spectators who flock to the trackside place millions in bets along with many multiples of that through the huge amount of new online sites. Horse racing is thought to be worth more than $5 billion every year, and no matter what time of day or night, you can find a race going off in the UK, US, or Australia.
But why is horseracing so popular with gamblers in the UK? Let’s take a look at some of the possible reasons below.
It’s simple to understand.
As sports betting goes, few sports are easier to understand than horseracing. While there are many elements to consider when placing your bet, such as form, the trainer & jockey, and course conditions, ultimately you pick a horse that you think will win the race and place a bet on them. Novice gamblers often choose horses with exciting names or appealing colours, which is why the sport is so accessible when it comes to gambling.
It’s a tremendous social spectacle.
As well as being simple to understand, horseracing events, particularly the larger festivals, are fantastic social spectacles, where people come together from all over the country. People attend the races for corporate days, birthday parties, stag and hen dos, and various other social reasons. People dress up for the races, and it’s a fantastic day that’s enjoyed by all. While many serious gamblers are attracted to the events, many of the people attending would be considered novices, and therefore enjoy the day out and spend money on bets as a social experience.
It’s easy to learn about form and other important race information.
For those who want to increase their chances of winning their horseracing bets, there are many easy access resources that provide them with sufficient information about the upcoming races. Many racegoers access information from sites like Racing Post, where they can find all the information they need to know about recent races, forthcoming odds, and the racetrack conditions.
There are multiple markets and betting options to keep things interesting.
While the simplest way to win on the horses is to simply pick a winner and hope it comes first, there are other ways that people can bet on the horses to keep things interesting in case their horse doesn’t do as well as expected. Punters often elect for each way bets using racing betting sites like Unibet which offer bonus odds on such bets, which enables you to bet half of your stake on the horse to win, and the other half for the horse to be placed. This is an accessible bet to understand, but more experienced gamblers might enjoy one of the following:
• Place only betting
• Ante-post betting
• Forecast/Tricast betting
• Multiple bets
The fact that there are so many variants within horseracing means that it’s interesting for lots of people, and this contributes to its overall popularity.
As we have learned, horseracing is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the UK. While many of the larger festivals draw in huge crowds and large betting spreads, punters can also gamble on the horses online, with many sites such as William Hill even offering gamblers the opportunity to live stream the race after placing a bet. This further contributes to horse racing’s popularity, as it is something that can be enjoyed from anywhere, by almost anyone.