A Beginner’s Guide To Using Tote Betting In The UK

The Tote is quite unique and was originally created to combat illegal gambling. Back in the day, there were plenty of criminal gangs running illegal betting activities.

The Tote was set up in 1928 by Winston Churchill as a legitimate alternative to off-site bookmakers which ploughed some of the funds back into the horse racing business.

Horse racing bets involve placing a wager on fixed odds when using a normal bookie in the UK. Whereas Tote bets use a pool betting system to determine the returns on any winners.

Switching from normal betting to Tote betting might seem confusing at first but it can create opportunities once you get used to it.

Our guide will take you through what Tote betting is and how to use it.

What Is Tote Betting?

As mentioned, Tote betting uses a pool system or pari-mutuel betting system as it’s also known.

This system sees all stakes for different bets in a race into pools. The pool is then divided among the winning tickets after the race has finished, less the Tote deductions (tax, commission etc).

Because of the way the system works, it’s impossible to know any payouts until after the race has finished.

How Does Tote Betting Work?

Here’s the basic principles of how it works:

• Punters place bets for specific pools (Win, Place etc).
• The race begins and all betting closes.
• The race concludes and the Tote makes the relevant deductions.
• The remaining pot (pool) is shared amongst the winning bets (the dividend).

Types Of Tote Bets

There’s several bet types available when using Tote betting. Some are easier than others and some offer potential for much higher rewards.

Tote Win Bet

This is the easiest of all the Tote bets.

• Choose a horse to win the race.
• If successful, get a share of the ‘Win’ Pool.

Placing a Tote Win Bet

Placing a Tote win bet is very simple. You just click on the win pool (1.54) and this will add the bet to your betslip. You then enter your chosen stake in the win part of the betslip.

Tote Place Bet

This is essentially similar to an Each Way bet but doesn’t split your stake between the win and the place and doesn’t involve place fractions.

The Tote will display how many places they are paying out on for a given race. When placing your bet, your horse needs to finish in one of those places, including 1st place.

The amount of places paid will depend on how many horses are in the race but typically looks like this:

• 1 - 4 horses: win only
• 5 - 7 horses: first two places
• 8+ horses: first three places

As with the Tote Win bet, if your horses places, you’ll receive a dividend from the pool. In the majority of cases, the place pool is normally smaller than the win pool.

Placing a Tote Place Bet

Very similar to placing a Tote win bet but this time, you click on the figure in the place column. Again, you then enter your stake in the betslip but use the place stake box this time.

Tote Exacta Bet

The Tote Exacta bet is identical to a straight forecast bet but is a version created specifically for the Tote.

This bet is also known as an Exotic Bet and is one of the easier bet multiples to place.

Basically, you need to pick two horses to finish first and second but they must be in the correct order to win the bet.

Exacta bets can be very rewarding and offer decent odds due to the difficulty of predicting the correct outcome.

Placing a Tote Exacta Bet

When you enter a racecard, the Exacta Bet option is a tab to the right hand side of the win/place tab.

You then need to pick the horses you predict are going to finish 1st and 2nd and then enter your stake into the betslip.

Tote Trifecta Bet

This is the Tote version of the Tricast Bet and is similar to the Exacta bet but adds another selection.

This time, you’re picking three horses to finish in the top three places, but again, they must finish in the exact order you have predicted.

Placing a Tote Trifecta Bet

As can be seen from the above image, the Tote Trifecta bet can be accessed from the tab next to the Exacta bet tab.

Pretty much the same as placing the Exacta bet but this time you’re picking 3 selections instead of two.

Tote Swinger Bet

The Swinger bet is exclusive to the Tote and mixes things up a bit. This time, you’re picking two horses that need to finish in the top three places.

The Swinger bet provides bettors with a little bit of breathing space as there’s a place to play with.

Some things to consider about the Swinger bet:

• The winning combinations are first and second, first and third and second and third.
• There needs to be at least 6 horses running.

Placing a Tote Swinger Bet

The Tote Swinger bet can be accessed form the right hand tab on the racecard. From there, you need to click on the “Add” button for the two horses you would like to bet on. You then need to add your stake amount to the betslip.

PLEASE NOTE - You aren’t restricted to the Tote when placing Tote bets. There’s plenty of bookies that act as agents for the Tote so you may be able to place Tote bets with your favourite bookie.

Tote Odds And Dividends

Because the Tote isn’t like the fixed odds you get at a normal bookies, you only get an estimated set of odds. The odds at the Tote are influenced by the amount of money placed into the pool. Just remember that the pool figure is the key here, not so much the odds on display.

Let’s take a look at a real example:

We have highlighted the key information for an upcoming horse race at Thurles. Let’s look at the figures for horse number 3, Can Happen:

• Odds: The guide odds are 5/1 (6.0 decimal). Remember, this is only to be used for guidance.
• Win: This figure is based on a £1 stake so if you placed a £10 stake on Can Happen and it won, you would get £60 back.
• Place: Again, based on a £1 stake. If your horse placed, you would get back £1.10 for each £1 you staked.

All of the bets placed across multiple Tote betting outlets are fed into the same system. This means bettors placing wagers at different race meetings are all adding to the same betting pools.

Here’s an example of how it would work:

• Win pool total: £50,000
• Tote fees: £10,000
• Remaining Pot: £40,000
• Total winning stakes: £5,000

Based on this, the dividend would be £40,000 ÷ £5,000 = £8 per £1 stake. Therefore, if you placed a £10 bet, you would get £80 back.

Tote Prize Bets

We’ve covered the more common types of Tote bets. In addition to these, the Tote offer some significant potential returns with three large prize bets; Placepot, Quadpot and Jackpot.

In the main side menu at Tote, they have links to take you to each of these betting options. Once you click on the links, it tells you which races are applicable to each bet type.

Tote Placepot

A placepot bet requires you to pick one horse from each of the first six races at one meeting. In order to win, each of your selections must place in the relevant race.

Sometimes, there will be one meeting to take part in the Placepot, other times they might offer multiple race meetings. Either way, your six selections must be from the same meeting.

Here’s an example of a Placepot meeting at Exeter Races.

As you can see, it displays 6 legs that display the races that you need to pick your horses from. You click on the + sign against your chosen horse and then click on the next Leg to pick your next horse and this continues until all 6 have been picked.

As you can also see, the Placepot prize for this bet is a lovely £25,000.

Tote Quadpot

Similar to the Tote Placepot bet, the tote Quadpot bet requires you to pick four horses to place in four races form a specific meeting. However, this time you choose your selections from races 3 to 6.

Also similar to the Placepot, there might be multiple race meetings you can opt for. But remember, your four selections must be from the same race meeting.

Here’s an example of a Quadpot meeting at Ayr Races.

The Quadpot will display 4 legs (4 races) that you need to make your selections from. You click on the + sign against your chosen horse and then click on the next Leg to pick your next horse and this continues until all 4 have been picked.

Whilst the potential rewards aren’t as great as the Placepot bet, the winnings pool is not to be sniffed at.

Tote Jackpot

The Tote Jackpot is usually restricted to one race meeting per day and punters need to pick the winner from the first 6 races at that meeting.

Here’s an example of a Jackpot meeting at Exeter races.

You get the gist of how this works now. Pick the horse you predict for leg 1 and then do the same for the remaining 5 legs.

Tote vs Bookies

There is no right or wrong with this decision. It very much depends on what type of bettor you are or factors that may impact the race outcome and odds.

You might choose a bookmaker when:

• You think the odds may shorten.
• You want fixed odds or best odds guaranteed.

You might prefer Tote betting when:

• You want access to larger pools.
• You think there could be a shock result.

It’s not unheard of for experienced bettors to use both options to enhance their chances.

Pros And Cons Of Tote Betting

Pros of Tote Betting

Higher Potential Rewards

• In competitive events and big festivals, the dividends from the Tote can be better than bookies odds.

No Betting Restrictions

• Successful punters won’t get “Gubbed” at Tote as the customers share the pool and the Tote don’t suffer loses as a result of winning bets.

Huge Jackpots

• The Tote runs Placepot and Jackpot prizes on most race days. The winnings from these bets can be mouth-watering.

Cons of Tote Betting

Returns Uncertainty

• It’s impossible to know the exact returns when placing bets.

Commission Fees

• The Tote takes a percentage of the pool before declaring dividends. However, it’s a business so they have to make money.

Complex

• Basic Tote bets are straight-forward. However, bet multiples and prize pots can get a little complicated.

Summary

Tote betting offers an alternative to normal fixed odds betting at bookies. Placing bets on a pool based system doesn’t give guaranteed odds but it can offer the potential for higher returns.

Another positive for Tote betting is that it offers something that normal bookies don’t, multi-race jackpots.

Tote betting isn’t something that can be taken advantage of using matched betting techniques. However, Tote do have a sportsbook that has the usual fixed odds betting and a very nice welcome offer.