How Do You Bet on Horse Racing?: The Quintessential Beginner’s Guide

Betting on horse racing has been around since the 1600s. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of placing a wager and watching your horse win.

If you haven’t experienced the rush, you may not know where to start and you’re wondering, how do you bet on horse racing?

How Do You Bet on Horse Racing?

If you’re ready to start betting, we’ll tell you how to get started with the “Sport of Kings”. Here are three simple steps to betting on a horse race.

Learn the Wagers

You’ll need to start with a little knowledge of how to place a bet. The three straight wagers are to win, place, or show.

• Win: This one is pretty straight forward. You bet on a horse to win 1st place in the race.
• Place: This is a wager for your horse to finish in 1st or 2nd place. The payoff is usually not as high.
• Show: To show a horse needs to finish in the top 3. Its payoff is even less since the odds are better that the horse can make it to the top three.

These are the three types you’ll probably want to stick with as a beginner. There are more exotic bets like an Exacta, Quinella, or a Double but you should probably get a feel for the straight bets first.

Understand the Odds

Odds are simply the return you’ll receive if your horse wins your wager. What you get back depends on how much money you bet.

Say the odds are 7-2. In this case, if you bet $2 you’re going to make back the initial $2 plus a $7 profit for a total of $9.

If a horse’s odds are 1-1, that’s even money, so for a $2 bet, you’ll get a return of $4.

Find a Place to Bet

Going to the racetrack can be a lot of fun. You can place a bet directly with a cashier or use one of the tracks easy to use betting machines. There’s a special rush that comes with standing on the sidelines, cheering on your horse.

These days, the online gambling scene is blowing up and there are many places on the web to place bets on horse racing. There are plenty of sites that will place wagers for you. It’s an easy way to get in on the fun without having to leave your couch.

The Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously running sporting event in the United States. Tickets to this coveted event can be pretty expensive, but you can bet on the race online. Kentucky Derby online betting is available if you’re ready to bet on the 2021 race.

Final Thoughts on Betting the Ponies

Betting on horse racing is a great time and it can make you some money too. Now, if someone asks you “How do you bet on horse racing?” you’ll sound like a pro. 

If you want to feel like a pro in all areas of life, check out more articles here on our site.