What Types of Racing Can You Bet On?
By Thomas Spink | There is nothing quite so exhilarating as a race. Whether it’s motorsports, where drivers pit their wits and nerves against each other, humans running on the track, or even animals, we just love competition. Where there is sport, it follows that there will be betting. People have been placing wagers on races of various kinds since the Classical period, so what can you gamble on?
Horse racing
The most traditional form of betting on races involves horses. Still popular today, there is an entire breeding industry supporting the competitions that take place at tracks worldwide.
With horse betting online, you can take fellow punters on via the exchanges or battle bookmakers on a fixed-odds sportsbook. You can place wagers on the winner, horses’ placing, to win by a certain distance and to beat specific other horses in what they call a match bet, among other markets.
It doesn’t matter if the horses are racing against each other on dirt, turf or over jumps. You can even bet on harness racing if you wish. This sport remains the most developed for betting overall when it comes to races.
Formula 1
Motorsport is, obviously, another popular form of racing, and its premier brand of F1 attracts plenty of betting attention. Throughout the course of the season, outright markets are available on the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships.
As well as betting on F1 overall, you can take a punt on individual Grand Prix races. Markets apply here across both qualifying and the race itself proper. Podium finishes are also a popular bet made.
Athletics
You can make wagers on major championships in track (and field) athletics like the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Runners race from sprint distances of 100m right up to the marathon at these events.
Times are key to informing your betting on athletics. In order to be successful, you need to find a runner who is posting close to personal best times and is winning heats and semi-finals easily. Besides betting on an outright winner of an event, you can get a wager on an athlete finishing in the medals.
MotoGP
The motorcycle equivalent of F1, MotoGP offers a similar betting experience to the cars. A market on who will be world champion is available until the winner is crowned.
There are Grand Prix races on the MotoGP circuit, and these too have similar markets to what you would expect to find on F1. Fans of speedway and rally driving can also get bets on the world championships in those motorsport disciplines, so from a gambling perspective, you are well catered for.
Greyhound racing
One form of racing that doesn’t involve humans at all, yet we still like to bet on is greyhound racing. Colloquially known as the dogs, they greyhounds chase an artificial hare called a lure around a track with the first past the post winning.
You can bet on which of the greyhounds, who come out of traps like horses from starting gates, will win, as well as place betting. There are so many forms of races which we enjoy gambling on, then.
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