Horse racing is still the 2nd-most popular sport to bet on in the UK (according to YouGov).
This is despite the fact that “affordability checks” — introduced at the end of last year — have led to a big chunk of horse bettors checking out.
Thankfully, this didn’t stop the 2025 Grand National from being a huge success, with an estimated 1 in 3 Brits wagering £150m on the race.
How did most of these racing fans bet on the Grand National? Through horse racing betting apps.
Sure, you can still pop down to the local bookie to bet, but betting apps are where the action has moved to. After all, there are plenty of apps on the market and they make betting that extra bit easier.
So, let’s now unpack the 5 best horse racing betting apps that anyone can sign up with, from bet365 to William Hill.
Five Best Horse Racing Betting Apps
1. Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is currently the BettingTools top-rated betting app, and it’s easy to see why. For over 10 years, Ladbrokes has been the go-to app for most horse racing fans in the country, mainly because it offers the “Best Odds Guaranteed” on all UK and Irish horse racing bets. That’s not a marketing plug, either: they mean that literally. Whenever you place a bet on a race and those odds suddenly increase (for example, you might have placed a bet earlier in the week) you’ll still receive a payout for those higher odds if your horse wins. That gets a big thumbs up from us. And to cap it off, anyone who signs up with Ladbrokes can get £20 in free bets after betting their first £5. You could then use this extra money to wager on any upcoming horse race you’re interested in, whether it’s Punchestown Festival or Royal Ascot.
2. bet365
bet365 is a legendary betting operator trusted by horse racing punters for years. The reason why it’s so well-loved is because the website and app are largely built around horse racing. Right off the bat, you get daily “Bet Boosts” for selected runners across UK, Irish, and international races, which is great for those looking to bet on a daily basis. On top of this, there are early prices for almost every race and members can also take advantage of “Each-Way Extras”, allowing them to choose the place terms for each-way bets on select horses. To make life even better, bet365 also offers regular live streams for most horse races, so you can bet and watch at the same time. And if you do decide to join them, you can grab a sign-up bonus of £30 in Free Bets after wagering £10.
3. Coral
Next up is the Coral sports betting app. Despite being one of the slightly less popular names among the big-hitter apps, Coral has been downloaded over 1 million times and is a great little option if you’re a fan of horse betting. Outside of having a “Best Odds Guaranteed” feature — just like Ladbrokes does, meaning Coral will pay you out at bigger odds if they change after you place your original bet — there’s also the free-to-play “Super Series”, where players can win up to £25K for hand-picking horses to place in selected races. Essentially, there’s nothing to lose but a lot to gain, which is why punters look forward to playing Super Series every week. Let’s not forget that there’s even Coral’s “Racing Spinsurance” feature, too, where betting £5 on selected races can get a £2 Casino Bonus if your horse fails to win (making losses slightly easier to take).
4. BetMGM
Then we have BetMGM, the huge American sports betting app. Anyone who signs up from the UK can look forward to UK-exclusive deals and promotions with BetMGM, such as the highly popular “Golden Silks”, where players get 10% daily profit boosts across any horse racing market. The catch, though, is that you have to opt-in on Mondays and stake up to £20, so make sure you’ve got this amount (minimum) already deposited in your account and ready to go. When it comes to the actual horse betting markets, BetMGM has all the fan favourites, including Each-Ways, Accas and even Lucky 15s. Really, it’s just like a UK-style betting app but with some American flair, so you’ll definitely want to download it and take part in the different promotions.
5. William Hill
The final horse racing betting app we recommend for today is William Hill, another top-tier choice for UK bettors. With the William Hill app, you get extensive coverage of the horse racing market, excellent in-play betting, and the chance to watch in-app live streams of races, too. Plus, there’s the opportunity to land £60 in Free Bets after wagering a minimum of £10 as a new customer. This is actually one of the biggest offers on the market right now when it comes to Free Bets, so we recommend snapping it up, even if you don’t plan on using William Hill for the long-term.
How to Download Any Horse Racing Betting App
If you’re ready to download any of the above-mentioned horse betting apps, it’s easy to do.
Whether you’re on iOS or Android, simply follow these steps:
➜ Open your App Store
➜ Search the name of the horse betting app you want to download (e.g. bet365)
➜ Hit the ‘Download’ button and wait for it to install
Remember, you can download any sports betting app without verifying your age. However, you’ll then need to create an account in-app, which will then require some identification. So, if you’re playing in the UK, you’ll need to prove you’re above the age of 18. Otherwise, you won’t be able to bet on the 2000 Guineas, Cheltenham Gold Cup or any other popular horse race.
After you’ve downloaded your chosen app, we recommend turning on notifications. This way, you can get live odds updates on horse races, as well as instant updates on the winners of specific races. It’s an easy way to stay up-to-date with everything.
Also, don’t forget that there’s no limit on how many horse betting apps you can join. For instance, if you want to take advantage of every sign-up offer discussed here, you can. However, it’s generally recommended you join two or three apps at the maximum, as this makes managing your bankroll (and active bets) much simpler.
“Affordability Checks” — What Are They?
Anyone who downloads a betting app and deposits £150 (or more) over a 30-day period is subject to an affordability check. This has been the case since 2024 and these checks are normally done by a third-party credit reference agency.
In a nutshell, the purpose of the checks is to figure out whether the punter can actually afford what they’re wagering. Unsurprisingly, it’s led to a huge drop-off in horse bets over the past year, with recent reports claiming there’s now a £3 billion blackhole in the horseracing industry.
There’s no need to worry too much about this, as you can still place any bets you like on horse races. However, keep in mind that depositing over £150 a month will lead to your account being checked. As long as you pass the check, though, you’ll be able to keep betting on horses all year round, no matter which app you’re using.
Summary
Ready to start betting on horse races?
Well, now’s the time to do it.
Ladbrokes, bet365, Coral, BetMGM and William Hill are the top five horse racing betting apps on the market, offering great sign-up bonuses and exclusive features specifically designed for horse punters. Whichever you join, you should find that you get a great betting experience in return.