- Overall: 9 out of 10
- Website: 8 out of 10
- Odds & markets: 9 out of 10
- Customer service: 9 out of 10
- Introductory offer: 9 out of 10
About Totesport.com
The Horseracing Totalisator Board or “tote” was established by Act of Parliament in 1928 and is now the fourth largest bookmaker in the UK. Its original purpose was to offer on-course pool betting on horseracing as an alternative to starting price betting with bookmakers and to distribute its profits for “purposes conducive to the improvement of breeds of horses or the sport of horseracing”. The first major race meetings with tote betting were the flat race meetings at Newmarket and Carlisle on 2nd July 1929.
The Betting Levy Act 1961 forced significant changes on the racing and bookmaking industries. A horserace betting levy on bookmakers meant that the tote was no longer the only source of betting revenue for racing. The spending powers of the tote were transferred to the Levy Board. Most importantly bookmakers were permitted to open betting shops. However, the tote was restricted to opening shops offering bets on horseracing at tote odds. These restrictions were lifted in 1972. From then on the tote could operate as a bookmaker as well as offering pool betting on horses. Today the tote has 540 retail shops offering cash betting on horseracing and a wide range of sporting and non-sporting events.
Website (9)
Totesport has a nice looking site that is uncomplicated and easy to navigate. Its branded green colouring is carried throughout the site. The home page is regulary focused towards horse racing, keeping customers up to date with the action. With a huge selection of bets available and the knowledge that the UK government is watching over all their practices, Totesport is a safe bet. A great place to start out for newbies, who are looking to open an online account with a trustworthy bookmaker.
All the above bets are available at the online site, along with a comprehensive “sportsbook.”
Online sports betting opportunities include:
* American Football
* Baseball
* Basketball
* Cricket
* Darts
* All types of Football
* Golf
* Greyhounds
* Ice Hockey
* Motorsports
* Rugby Union / League
* Snooker
* Tennis
Along with sports betting, the totesport Casino offers 80 instant or downloadable games, accessed via a simple menu. These include card games, table games, slots and video poker. The casino is particularly attractive and navigation is straightforward.
Odds and Markets (9)
In “Pool” Betting, all the stakes on a race are pooled and a deduction made to cover costs. The remainder is divided equally amongst the winning tickets. Essentially, pool customers bet against each other rather than against a bookmaker. Odds fluctuate according to betting patterns. The greater the number of winning tickets, the lower the payout. Last minute backing of a horse can dramatically reduce the odds.
Along with the usual win and each-way betting that will be familiar to most punters, the tote is unique insofar that it offers “place only” betting on races of 5 or more runners. There are also a number of very popular tote pool bets. All of these bets are multiple type bets that require a punter to pick with the winner or placed horses in the relevant races. For each of the tote pool bets there is a tutorial provided on the totesport website. Additionally, the site provides the latest returns for most of these bet types.
The exacta is the tote’s equivalent of the bookmakers’ straight forecast. The punter must pick the first and second (in correct order) in a race. This is a popular bet when there is a very short priced favourite in a race. Permutations with a unit stake of a little as 10p are accepted, provided the total is £2 or more
The equivalent of the bookmakers’ tricast, with punters required to select the first 3 in correct order in races of 8 or more runners, as nominated by totesport. Permutations are accepted as per the Exacta.
The tote placepot requires the punter to select a placed horse in each of the first 6 races and is available for every UK race meeting. It’s a lot of fun and can offer big rewards for a small outlay.
There is a promotion running on this bet currently. If staking £10+, 5% is added to winning bets and 5% of the total stake returned on losing bets. Permutations are accepted.
The quadpot is a variation to the tote placepot but only applies to races 3 to 6. This presents the opportunity to have an interest in the last four races if a placepot bet loses early.
This is one of the most popular tote bets, requiring the punter to pick the winner of all 6 tote jackpot races, as highlighted on totesport.com before racing starts.
The Scoop6 is a very popular Saturday bet, featuring 6 TV races. The object is to pick all 6 winners. Huge rewards are possible for a relatively small outlay (£2 per line).
Customer Service (9)
Pretty much all customer service enquires are handled by email at Totesport, so it has to be good. We sent a number of enquiries to Totesport customer care at various times and they were all responded to within 30 mins, which is really quick. Replies are clear, although sometimes lack all the information you might be after. There is a customer support telephone number, however it is not advertised on the site and they don’t encourage you to use it, preferring customers use email or refer to frequently asked questions section.
Tel Support (UK): 0800 666 100 (Free phone)
Email support: customercare@totesport.com
Introductory Offer (9)
Totesport.com – £25 free bet
- Open a Totesport.com account today to claim your £25 Free Bet!
- Applies to new customers only! – Simply register a new Totesport account today for your free bet!
Verdict
Totesport.com is extremely in-depth statistics features ensure you’ll know everything about your next race totesport radio broadcasts keep you informed of the latest results. The Totesport.com coverage of UK and Irish horse racing is ver thorough and is an outstanding site for horse racing with many types of wagering you won’t find anywhere else! With a site that is backed by the British government and founded in 1928, with an easy to redeem free bet offer Totesport.com is hard to beat.
