How to bet on Greyhounds

Betting on Greyhound Racing 

In the UK, the pinnacle of the sport of greyhound racing is the Greyhound Derby. This is held on an annual basis, and typically takes place at the beginning of June. Several warm-up heats take place throughout April and May. 

The winner of the race will receive £100,000 in prize money. It is the most-watched and biggest wagering event on the greyhound racing calendar. 

Other top-class UK events include the Steel City Cup and the East Anglian Cup. Those who know how to bet on greyhounds in the UK will tend to prioritize these key events; however, there are also hundreds of graded events taking place daily. 

Tracks such as Romford, Henlow and Hove host regular meetings throughout the year. This could potentially provide plenty of opportunities for those who want to learn how to bet on greyhounds to hone their skills and practice their craft. 

Australia also hosts many prestigious events, including the Association Cup and the Melbourne Cup. The latter currently offers a prize purse of A$350,000. In the US, the Iowa Breeders Classic is the most-watched race of the year with prize money of $145,000 awarded to the winner. 

Greyhound Racing Bet Types 

The "Win" bet is the simplest way of wagering on the sport. If you are still getting to grips with how to bet on dogs, this is the easiest and most accessible way to get started. 

A "Win" bet will require your chosen dog to be first past the post and beat each of its rivals. In the US and Australia, standard races will consist of eight dogs, whereas UK events have just six runners. Although a reduced field would suggest that it is easier to find the winner, standard UK graded racing can be far more unpredictable than its US equivalent. 

It is also possible for the race to end in a "dead heat." This occurs when two greyhounds pass the winning line at exactly the same time. In that scenario, the judge will deem that the pair cannot be separated. 

Although this event happens infrequently, online betting sites tend to pay-out on both dogs when a dead heat is officially declared. 

Greyhound Racing Forecast/Exacta 

A straight forecast or exacta bet is a little more complex, although the rewards tend to be far greater. It involves correctly picking the first two dogs to pass the winning post. 

It is advised to look for races in which there is a short-price favorite and then to pair it with another competitor. Your returns will depend on the starting price of each pick. 

Those who are learning how to bet on greyhound racing may also be tempted to opt for a reverse forecast. This allows a little more flexibility, and you will still be paid out even if your two selections pass the line in a slightly different order. 

For example: 

or

Note: A reverse forecast will cost double as it covers an additional outcome (Trap 4 –Trap 5 / Trap 5 – Trap 4). A $2 wager on a reverse forecast will cost $4. 

How to Bet on a Tricast/Trifecta 

This is very similar to betting on a forecast. Significantly bigger returns are available for any bettors who successfully predict the first three greyhounds past the winning post. 

This wager tends to be more popular with UK greyhound racing as field sizes are smaller, thus making it easier to predict. Your picks must finish in the exact order that you predicted. 

There are six possible outcomes in this scenario, so it will be 6x your stake. A $2 wager on a combination will cost $12. 

Possible Outcomes (1-2-3, 1-3-2, 2-1-3, 2-3-1, 3-1-2, 3-2-1)

For Example: 

How to Bet on Greyhounds Daily Double 

The daily double is extremely popular with seasoned greyhound bettors. And also with those who are still learning how to bet on greyhounds. You must correctly predict the winner of the first two races of the day. 

These wagers must be placed before the greyhound card gets underway. They are now accepted by the majority of online betting sites. Your two picks must be clear winners of each race to receive a pay-out. 

How to Bet on a Parlay

Unlike the daily double, bettors have the freedom to choose which races they wish to wager on. Additionally, these events do not necessarily have to be taking place at the same track. 

For Example: 

Parlay

• 1st Race: Trap 4 win 
• 3rd Race: Trap 3 win 
• 6th Race: Trap 1 win 
• 8th Race: Trap 2 win 
• 9th Race: Trap 4 win

All five of these picks must win! 

How to Bet on Futures/Ante-Post

Although futures markets are fairly uncommon in greyhound racing, some online betting sites will price up sizeable events such as the Iowa Classic and UK Greyhound Derby months in advance. These tend to be "Win" markets only. 

Where to Bet on Greyhound Racing

Now that you've learned about the numerous wagering possibilities that the sport offers, you're probably wondering how to place bets on greyhound racing. There are numerous online sportsbooks available to bettors in the US, although some betting sites offer a standout range of markets when it comes to wagering on the dogs. 

Best Online Sportbooks and Betting Sites

TVG

They currently offer betting markets from a variety of US greyhound venues. Tracks from Arkansas, Florida, Colorado, Oregon and Wyoming currently listed. They also have numerous tracks from around the world. Subscribers who are wondering how to make money betting on greyhounds can take advantage of their welcome bonus to place a risk-free bet on a track of their choosing. 

TVG also has UK, Australian and Irish greyhound tracks on their site, which has proven very popular in recent years. 

Bet365

UK firm Bet365 is one of the most comprehensive sportsbooks on the market. They offer greyhound betting opportunities from around the world. If you place a wager on any greyhound race, you can subsequently watch the action on their site or via the app. 

Day at the Track 

Day at the Track offers hundreds of greyhound betting opportunities each week and covers a variety of tracks from around the world. Their slick interface and easy-to-navigate mobile app have made wagering on the sport incredibly straightforward.

Caesars Sportsbook

Bettors are now able to enjoy wagering on greyhound racing from the comfort of their own home using the new William Hill app. The global sportsbook has multiple markets from across the world with betting markets from the UK and Ireland featuring heavily. 

Greyhound Betting Tips and Strategy

There are a number of tips on how to bet on greyhounds currently available; however, we've picked out the key advice that you'll need when wagering on the sport. The unpredictability and fast-paced nature of the sport does tend to throw up the occasionally unexpected result. However, these strategies can be used to help narrow down the field. 

Pay Attention to the Grades 

Outside of competition races, the majority of contests tend to be graded. The UK, Australian and US grading systems are all very different. So if you're wondering how to win betting on dog racing, ensuring that you're au fait with the various grading qualifications would rank as absolutely essential. 

Dogs will move up and down the grades depending on their recent performances. 

Example

• In the UK, a greyhound who wins at A2 level will be moved up to A1 ahead of its next appearance. 
• In the US, a greyhound who wins at TB level will be moved up to TA ahead of its next appearance.

One of our tips on how to bet on greyhounds is to search for dogs who are moving down in grade. If it's been performing creditably at the higher level, it will be competitive against weaker competition next time out. 

Sometimes, greyhounds who come back after a long absence can be entered into a race which is two or three grades below its previous level, and this should always be noted. 

UK Greyhound Racing: Trap Bias is Vitally Important 

If you're wondering how to bet on greyhound racing UK, then we highly recommend paying attention to the trap bias. Most competitors will have a preferred running style. This will result in them running against the inside rail, down the center of the track, or taking up a wider position. 

In the UK, dogs are generally positioned in their favoured spot and the greyhound form will display either (M) or (W) to highlight their preference. If there is a race that features three or four dogs who prefer to race from a wide position, it is likely to cause severe congestion around the first couple of turns. 

Therefore, backing one of the dogs on the inside (Traps 1 or 2) to avoid the trouble could be potentially profitable in this instance. 

Example

• If there are two-plus wide runners: bet on Trap 1 or Trap 2. 
• When there are two-plus rail runners: bet on Trap 5 or Trap 6
• If there are two-plus middle runners: bet on either Trap 1 or Trap 6 

Don't Bet on Every Single Race

Most tracks will host multiple greyhound races on the same card, and this provides multiple wagering opportunities within the space of a couple of hours. 

If you're wondering how to make money betting on greyhounds, then you'll need to be very selective about the races that you choose. Eliminate competitive-looking contests or events in which multiple dogs have a realistic chance of winning. 

In the UK, these races are often described as "trappy," and they often occur in lower-level events. 

Carefully choosing your races will give you more time to meticulously study the form and pick out some big priced winners. 

Specialize 

Once they've learned how to bet on greyhounds, successful bettors tend to specialize and focus on just one or two types of race. If you're a UK greyhound racing expert, then stick to tracks in this region. 

If you're knowledgeable about competition races or maidens, then it makes sense to only focus on these. 

There are currently enough races taking place around the world daily to provide you with ample wagering opportunities, whatever your specialty.