With the introduction of online horse race betting, the sport has become even more popular over the years. Betting enthusiasts like you have started reading more about sports so that they can understand the nuisance of horse racing betting.
Online horse race betting offers the convenience of placing bets from the comfort of your home or using a mobile device.
Without a shadow of a doubt online horse race betting in India has added a new dimension and popularity to the sport. On this page, we will talk about all the nitty and gritty of betting on horses, including information about the most popular bets, useful strategies and the best horse racing betting sites.
Horse racing has a rich history in India, dating back to the colonial era when the British introduced the sport. The first recorded horse race in India took place in Madras (now Chennai) in 1777. And since then Horse racing has gained popularity in the country.
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Otto Nino Gamez
Football betting expert
Even though I place most of my bets on football, I also like to bet on the largest horse racing events in the world. Bookmakers such as 1xbet often offer great odds for large events like Cheltenham, Goodwood and the Epsom Derby.
Is Horse Race Betting Legal in India?
If you're wondering whether horse race betting is legal in India, the short answer is yes! According to India's Public Gambling Act of 1867, all betting and gambling activities are considered illegal if they are offline.
However, in 1996, the Supreme Court of India ruled that winning a horse race bet isn't just a matter of chance. Instead, it requires significant knowledge about the horse's breed, the race location, training, and the jockey's abilities.
Therefore, horse racing is considered a ‘game of skill' rather than a ‘game of chance,' making it exempt from the country's current betting laws and completely legal. For instance, in horse racing, there are various forms of wagers available.
You can place bets on horizontal, vertical, and exotic bets, and the Indian government views this as a pursuit for knowledgeable individuals. When it comes to online Horse Race Betting in India, it is also perfectly legal.
Indian gambling laws allow the use of licensed and regulated offshore racebooks, a list of which you can find on the top of this page. If you are looking for the best horse race betting sites in India, make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to find our recommendations.
Read more about the legality of online betting in our extensive guide about legal betting in India.
How to Bet on Horses?
Horse racing betting can be an exciting and enjoyable pastime, but it's essential to understand the process and various betting options before you start a horse racing betting adventure.
If you have experience with betting on sports, you will have no trouble placing a bet on horses either. The process is pretty straightforward and includes setting up an account, depositing money and picking the bet you want to place. However, there’s more to horse racing than meets the eye, as it is filled with strategies, tactics and more.
In this section, we will guide you through the process of horse race betting, covering everything you want to know before you start putting wagers on horses. We will walk you through various kinds of betting markets, horse race betting odds, and plenty more.
If you are interested in a more in-depth resource, make sure to read our horse racing betting guide. That covers all the betting options, the most popular races of the season and much more!
Most Popular Betting Markets
In horse race betting, there are several popular betting markets, each offering different ways to bet on the outcome of a race.
Here are explanations of some of the most common bet types:
- Win: A “Win” bet is the simplest form of horse race betting. You select one horse, and if that horse finishes first in the race, your bet is a winner. This bet offers the highest potential payout but is also the riskiest.
- Place: A “Place” bet involves selecting a horse to finish either first or second in the race. This bet provides a higher chance of winning compared to a “Win” bet but offers a smaller payout.
- Exacta: An “Exacta” bet requires you to predict the first and second-place horses in the correct order. This bet has higher payouts than Win or Place bets due to its increased difficulty.
- Quinella: A “Quinella” bet is similar to an Exacta, but it allows you to choose two horses to finish in the top two positions, regardless of their order. As long as your selected horses finish first and second, your bet is a winner.
- Trifecta: The “Trifecta” bet involves picking the first, second, and third-place horses in the correct order. This bet is more challenging but offers amazing potential payouts if you get it right.
- Quartet: A “Quartet” bet extends the concept of a Trifecta to include the fourth-place horse. To win a Quartet bet, you must correctly predict the first four horses in the race in the correct order. It is one of the most challenging bets but can lead to significant rewards.
Horse Race Betting Odds
Horse race betting odds are crucial for understanding the potential payouts and likelihood of a particular outcome. They indicate how much you can win relative to your initial stake.
In horse racing, you'll typically encounter two main types of odds: fixed odds and pool betting.
Fixed Odds
Fixed odds are the more common and straightforward type of odds in horse racing. In most countries including India, horse racing odds are expressed as decimal odds.
For example, if a horse has odds of 3.00, you'll receive a payout of 3 times your initial stake. So, if you bet INR 100 on a horse with 3.00 odds, a winning bet would yield INR 300 in total (INR 200 in profit plus your initial INR 100 stake).
Fixed odds remain constant at the time you place your bet, meaning your potential payout is known in advance. If you win, you'll receive the odds-multiplication of your stake as your total payout. The fixed odd principle is always used on online horse race betting sites.
Pool Betting
Pool betting operates with dynamic odds. The odds remain uncertain until the race commences. All bets of a particular type are pooled together, and the winnings are distributed among the successful bets. Let's consider the ‘win' bet for example, as it always displays the odds.
If a substantial amount of money is wagered on a particular horse, and that horse emerges the winner, the prize pool must be divided among numerous winning tickets, resulting in very low odds for that horse.
Conversely, if a horse with limited bets on it wins, the prize pool only needs to be shared among a few tickets, leading to automatically higher odds. The odds are directly influenced by the betting amounts on each horse and are only fixed once the race commences.
Pool betting is not common in an online environment, but if you visit the tracks, for example for the Hyderabad race, you may encounter betting pools.
Horse Racing Betting Tips
When you bet on horse races, you're entering an exciting and potentially profitable world. However, it's crucial to approach it with thoughtfulness and a well-thought-out strategy. Here, you'll find a range of horse race betting tips which you should keep in mind before you start betting:
- Start with Straight Bets: If you're new to horse race betting, begin with simpler bets like Win to get a feel for the process before exploring more complex betting markets.
- Understand Odds and Value: Learn how to interpret odds and identify situations where the odds offered are more favourable than the horse's actual chances of winning.
- Shop for the Best Odds: Different bookmakers offer slightly different odds for the same race. Shopping around for the best odds can help you earn more profit. So always do research before choosing the best betting website.
- Research and Stay Informed: Study the horses, jockeys, trainers, and track conditions. Information is your best friend when doing horse betting. The racecard is the perfect place to find all the information you need.
- Bet Exotic Wagers Sparingly: Exotic bets like Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta offer larger potential payouts but are more challenging. Only enter this type of market when you have a strong understanding of the field. We don’t recommend these bet types for beginners.
Best Horse Race Betting Sites
When it comes to betting on horse racing in India, it's essential to choose the right betting site that not only offers a variety of horse racing markets but also provides a safe and user-friendly betting experience.
Below, we'll highlight some of the best horse racing betting sites in India. However, it's important to note that not all bookmakers offer horse racing on their platform, so it's crucial to carefully check the available options before placing your bets.
10Cric
If you're a horse racing fan, you might think 10CRIC is all about cricket, but it's a fantastic choice for horse racing enthusiasts too. Whether you use it on iOS or Android, the 10CRIC betting app is perfect for horse racing betting.
They offer a wide range of horse racing markets, including virtual racing, providing you with plenty of options. Plus, the horse racing odds at the bookmaker are solid, giving you decent value for your bets.
Even better, you can use the 10CRIC welcome bonus for your racing bets.
Dafabet
If you're in India and looking for a solid choice for horse racing betting, consider DafaSports. You can find Dafabet horse racing odds on your mobile and website by navigating to the sportsbook section of the site.
Just press the OW Sports button, and you'll have access to various horse racing events to bet on. The Cheltenham Festival is one of the major events of the year at Dafabet, just like it is for most horse racing bookmakers in India.
You will be able to place all the standard horse racing bets on Dafabet and you can even find some detailed information about the horses that participate in the events.
1xBet
1xbet horse racing betting offers you the opportunity to bet on your favourite horse racing events, including popular races like the Australia Geelong.
You can choose from a variety of horse racing leagues as well. What sets this bookmaker apart are the daily offers they provide. These include options like the Daily Combined bet, the Fantasy marathon, and the Jackpot.
Plus, with 1xBet's higher odds, you have a greater chance of securing significant winnings as well.
