The Tote

How betting with the Tote works

When you bet with the Tote you’re not betting against a bookmaker. All the money bet on a race is pooled together into one pot. After the race, the pool is then split between everyone who backed the winners. In general, the less people that pick the winner, the higher the dividend.

There are two ways that you can bet with the Tote during a raceday- at the racecourse where a member of the friendly Tote team will be available to take your bet. Or you can bet online at Tote.co.uk, where all your favourite pool bets are available in the palm of your hand.

What are the different Tote bets?

Single Race Bets

The Tote Win and Place bets are the simplest bet you can place. Just pick a horse to win or place in a race. Other more exotic type bets, such as the Tote Exacta or Tote Trifecta can yield big wins from a relatively small stake. To win these bettors must pick the first two, or first three horses home in the correct order.

Multi-leg Bets

The Tote Placepot is undoubtedly the most popular bet with the Tote- you don’t even need to back a winner to win the bet! Simply pick a horse to place in each of the first six races on the card. All bettors who make it through the six legs win a share of the overall pot.

All bet Tote bets are available at Tote.co.uk and at Jockey Club racecourses.
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get to know the lingo

Accumulator

A bet involving two or more selections in different races – winnings from one are placed on the next.

Placed

A horse is placed if it finishes in the first three or four, depending on the number of runners in the race.

Also ran

This means any horse not finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in a race or event.

Bar

This is a betting term that denotes that all horses not already listed in the betting market for a race are at the bar price or longer odds.

Each-way

This is a bet in two equal parts – one backing a horse to win and the other backing it to finish in the first three.

Evens or even money

These are betting odds where your stake exactly equals your winnings – £5 at evens wins a further £5.

Form

A horse's race record. You may hear people talk about the form of a race, indicating the collective performances of all the horses.

To find out more about betting, how to read a racecards and even what to look out for in the parade ring make sure you take a look at our Racing Explained.

Racing Explained