Legitimate Horse Betting - How to Bet the Ponies Online
There are a few respected websites where US bettors can play the ponies. Whether you like the favorite across-the-board, a long-shot nag to win, enjoy taking a stab at daily trifectas for a bigger payday, or prefer just casually having a flutter on the horses now and again, there are legitimately licensed Internet destinations where you can do exactly that. But not everyone is familiar with how to bet horses online. That includes both the particular Internet control panel and user interface you will come across, as well as what bets are available. Let's take a look at the exact steps you need to place a horse racing bet online. And we will go over the most common bets you will come across, for those of you unfamiliar with horse betting terms.
How to Bet Horses on the Internet
First off, you need to log into your online sportsbook account. The websites we recommend are all dependable and trustworthy, and have been in business for years. Simply click through one of the links we provide, and you will be greeted with a sportsbook welcome bonus. Create an account, login, and head to the "racebook" or "horse racing" section of the site. Usually, on the left-hand side of your display, you will see a list of the racetracks which offer horse racing action. These will include today's races and futures events. You will see races that are among the most popular events in the industry, such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. You will also see the plentiful less mainstream races that all contribute to a horse's experience and portfolio. Click on the name of the track you would like to bet, and then a sub-menu will appear showing the races at that particular track that you can wager on. Choose a race, and you will be presented with the horses running in it. You then simply select the horse/horses you would like to wager on, double check your betting slip, place your bet, and receive a betting confirmation. Then just watch the race and keep your fingers crossed.
What Horse Racing Bets Can You Place Online?
Each website is different, but the above process is basically what you will run across. Now let's take a look at the actual bets you can place. The most common bets you will see made on horse races, online and off, are Straight Bets. These are Win, Place, Show and Across-The-Board. If you bet on a horse to win, and your pony beats the field in that race, you collect whatever winnings are due. If you instead of bet on a horse to place, that means if it finishes either first or second you win. And placing a wager on a pony to show simply means it must come in first, second or third for you to win your bet. An across-the-board wager means you are picking a particular horse to win, place and show. When your horse wins, you get paid for all three bets. If your pony finishes second, you win both place and show bets, and a third-place finish pays you the show bet. Now let's take a look at understanding your odds and payout.
Legal Online Horse Betting – Understanding Your Odds and Payout
Betting horses online pays you off according to the odds a particular horse or horses has against it for that wager. For instance, the tote board shows you the amount of profit you will receive and the amount you have to wager to get that profit. A horse at 6-5 to win simply means you will receive $6 in profit for every $5 you wager, when that horse wins the race. When you are placing intricate, multi-horse wagers and parlays, the math can be quite daunting. That is why the top legal horse betting sites calculate all of this for you. As you are placing your wager and choosing your horses, your bet slip will automatically calculate your odds. This takes into account the total cash pool for each race, horse and type of bet. It is done instantly so you can simply see how much you have to bet, how much you stand to win, and quickly place your wager. Now let's look at some other types of Internet horse bets you can make at the top legally licensed racebooks that we have reviewed and recommend for US horse bettors.
Exotic Online Horse Racing Wagers
Most online racebooks will offer Exacta and Quinella wagering. An exacta bet requires that you choose two horses to come in first and second, in the exact order. Quinella bets allow you to choose the two horses you think will finish first and second, in either order. Not all Internet racebooks which offer horse betting allow Trifecta wagering, but some do. This means you choose three horses to finish the race first, second and third, in the exact order. You may find other possible bets offered, such as boxed bets, daily doubles, parlay betting, pick six wagering, superfecta betting (pick the first four finishers in exact order) and others. But by and large, your online horse betting experience will cover win, place, show, exacta, quinella and trifecta wagering, and possibly parlays. Check back next week, when we will dig a little deeper into online horse betting types and cover the exotic and specialty horse bets in more depth, as well as racebook bonuses.
