Like horse race wagering, this sport is exciting, popular, and readily available on most online betting sites. However, while it’s easy to find betting sites for greyhound wagering, it’s important to know how to recognize the best ones.
Rebecca is a Liverpool gal and a big fan of the club. She likes nothing more than sharing tips and predictions on sports betting. Her other favorite sports include horse racing, snooker, and golf. Rebecca is in charge of writing and media at BetZillion. You can thank her for making our articles look so great.
This article will teach you all about the top sportsbooks and touch on key topics.
The List of the Best Greyhounds Bookmakers
This sport is very popular across the world, which explains why there are so many greyhounds sports betting sites. In fact, nearly all sportsbooks that cover horse races also offer markets on greyhound racing, which more or less includes all bookmakers.
However, while finding a platform with betting markets on English Greyhound Derby and other big races is easy, you need to know how to recognize the best bookies.
Top bookmakers will offer competitive odds and a good offer of betting markets, but that’s only a portion of what differentiates a good betting site from the rest. Bonus offers, extra features, good customer support, and live betting also come into play, but the trick is to find the right balance.
Many greyhound racing betting sites meet the criteria of a good bookmaker, so finding one that will suit you isn’t that difficult. However, the general rule is to trust some of the most famous bookies, such as Bet365, William Hill, Betfair, and Sky Bet, known for their excellent online betting options.
Since so many sportsbooks offer greyhound betting markets, competitive odds, sign-up deposit welcome offer promotions, and overall a good betting experience, it’s hard to pinpoint the best option. Realistically, there isn’t one best bookmaker, but some do certain things better than others.
William Hill is a highly reputable, licensed, and safe sportsbook, widely regarded as one of the top betting sites for most popular sports. As such, it’s not surprising that it has earned the tag as the best online greyhounds betting site, and there are many reasons for it.
As a UK bookmaker, William Hill has close ties to greyhound races and often sponsors some of the biggest and most prestigious races. It has competitive odds, solid quick bet settlement, plenty of account payment options, promotions for new customers, and more.
Sky Bet is one of the biggest and most respected UK bookmakers, and similarly to William Hill, it has close ties to the greyhound racing scene. As a British bookmaker, Sky Bet covers all UK races and accepts bets on selected events from all over the world.
SkyBet is a solid option for all punters, offering great market coverage and good odds. Still, its biggest advantage is its excellent bonuses and promotions with low minimum deposits for reload bonuses, and it regularly has exclusive promotions on a selection of races.
Mobile betting has become very popular, and the majority of the best greyhounds online betting sites took notice of that and started offering optimized mobile websites and apps. However, mobile punters quickly realized that using an app is more convenient and offers a better betting experience, which explains why 22Bet has gained so much attention among mobile punters.
Besides offering good coverage of races and solid odds, 22Bet also has an excellent mobile app to bet on the biggest races and access all the features on the desktop site.
PROS
CONS
PROS
Excellent mobile app
Competitive betting odds
CONS
It doesn’t have as many sport-exclusive bonuses
High qualifying bet requirements for welcome bonuses
Very few sportsbooks are ready to put in the work to offer live markets. Still, those who prefer to bet on racing in play should consider checking out SpinBetter, which does a good job with its live betting offer.
Most punters shouldn’t care too much which greyhound online betting sites they use as long as they have good odds, are reputable, and offer good market coverage. However, those who prefer to bet with higher amounts should consider PlayZilla to be one of the top high-payout bookies.
Besides offering money-back promotions, PlayZilla also has high limits, allowing players to place bets with higher wages without worrying about payout limitations.
Using a safe bookmaker should be everyone’s number one priority. Even though all betting sites I recommend are safe and most hold reputable licenses from MGA or the UK Gambling Commission, ZodiacBet stands out as a safe betting site for greyhounds, with a good reputation and strong license.
PROS
CONS
PROS
Competitive betting odds
Accepts card payments
CONS
Focuses more on online casino than its sportsbook offer
Extra features on sportsbooks are not as important as key things such as safety, competitive odds, good market coverage, and bonus promotions. However, sportsbooks with extra features add to the betting experience.
So, if you’re looking for a reliable betting site that has added features such as fast-bet, best odds guaranteed offers, and more, 1Bet is a solid option.
Even though there are no greyhound-exclusive mobile betting apps, sportsbooks that offer mobile apps and cover races will also allow you to use the app to place bets. Since mobile betting has become increasingly popular over the last few years, most sportsbooks will have an app available.
Even though some sportsbooks continue to offer only a mobile website – which does the job fine – mobile apps are unquestionably more convenient to use. So, when discussing the best online greyhound betting sites, I mostly include those with an app.
Even those who primarily bet from their computers will find use in a mobile app, which allows you to place bets quickly and efficiently from your phone. So, if you like to bet from your phone or are constantly on the move and need a way to bet on races anytime and anywhere, consider picking a sportsbook that offers a betting app!
Every sportsbook nowadays, with a few exceptions, will have a welcome offer available on top of many other bonuses and promotions. Offered primarily to attract new customers to the platform and place bets, bonuses, and promotions can offer much value to the punters.
Some will come with restrictions, including mi odds bets on free bet offers; others will require an opt-in bet to be enabled, while the majority of bonuses will be automatically activated. That includes enhanced odds on selected races and specific bet types commonly offered by old and best bookies for greyhounds.
All bookies will have deposit bonuses, acca boosts, free bets, boosted odds on the trifecta, quinella, or superfecta bets, and many more. However, some bookmakers tend to have more bonuses than others, so it’s wise to compare the offers and pick the right bookmaker.
Kick off your new GTbets.ag account with our top-rated CASH sign up bonus. Make your first deposit to receive a 100% cash bonus up to $500, and then 50% up to $250 on your second deposit. Full T&Cs apply.
Rakeback is a withdrawable bonus that is accrued for each bet and depends on your current Rank. Please bet responsibly, begambleaware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs apply.
Earn a 50% Welcome Bonus up to $1,000 on your first-ever deposit at Jazz Sports. Use Promo Code JAZZ50 and your extra 50% will be added to your sports betting balance. Full T&Cs apply
Due to more and more people wanting to bet on the races it’s not surprising to learn that more sportsbooks have started offering racing markets. Moreover, I saw an influx of new betting sites in recent years.
New bookmakers, in particular, should be on every punter’s radar since they often offer generous bonuses and promotions – including welcome bonuses. Their generosity can be used as a part of a betting strategy such as matched betting. Still, even more casual bettors can get a lot from bonuses on new bookmakers.
There is a difference between bad, good, and the best greyhound betting sites, and the best way to recognize them is to compare some specific features. At BetZillion, I compare and hand-pick sportsbooks that I end up recommending based on seven key criteria, which include:
Security & Licensing
The number one thing I check before recommending any sportsbook is whether it’s safe, legit, and has a valid gambling license. A sportsbook with a valid gambling license operates legally and has safeguards to protect its users.
The same sportsbooks also have to follow certain rules that protect their customers and can quickly lose a license if they scam or otherwise harm their users. So even though a betting license is not the only thing to consider, it proves that the bookmaker is legit.
Payment & Withdrawal Methods
Payment and withdrawal methods on sportsbooks will vary. Some betting sites will only accept payments and payout with certain payment methods, while others will have plenty of options. Credit and debit cards are typically available everywhere, but the availability of other solutions will vary.
The punter’s location typically dictates this, as some payment solutions don’t operate in certain countries. Still, while the payment options available will primarily depend on the customer’s location, it’s important to check which payment methods a sportsbook accepts, the transaction times, and whether there are any additional fees.
Design & Usability
A good-looking website or mobile betting apps for greyhound betting usually indicate a good bookmaker, as all of the top sportsbooks tend to have well-designed platforms. While the look is mostly subjective, the design goes hand in hand with usability.
You wouldn’t want to bet on a sportsbook with a poorly made website, lackluster filters, and is overall tough to navigate, though, as this will heavily impact the betting experience. That’s why I add bonus points to bookies with a good design and easy-to-use platforms.
Speed
The speed of a website or mobile app goes hand-in-hand with the platform’s design and usability and is just as impactful on the user’s experience. No one wants to use a sportsbook with a slow website that takes a long time to load and register bets. If you set up a betting account, you also want to access a website that works as intended.
Thankfully, with faster internet available nowadays, the vast majority of sportsbooks work fast without any unnecessary delay. Granted, there are some outliers, which is why I consider this factor when picking the top sportsbooks.
Mobile Betting
Due to the popularity of mobile betting, every sportsbook is expected to cater to mobile bettors, and the vast majority do. It’s very difficult to find a bookmaker that doesn’t have a mobile website available. While it usually does a fine job, mobile punters will appreciate the availability of a dog betting app more.
Mobile apps tend to work better and faster than mobile websites and are more convenient due to their design. Moreover, some bookmakers have specific bonuses for app users, which makes them much more useful. That’s why any bookmaker with an app deserves bonus points.
Features
You don’t need much to bet on races besides signing up with any available bookmakers, finding markets you want, and placing a bet. And the sportsbooks don’t have to do much more than offer the market and accept the bets.
However, bonus features such as live streaming, fast-bet options, and various settings that allow you to customize your betting experience are a huge plus. Most modern bookmakers have added features available, yet some don’t, so it’s wise to check what else a betting site can offer besides markets.
Customer Support
Customer support is one of the most overlooked when deciding which bookmaker to use. That’s normal, considering the majority of punters won’t need to ever get in touch with a customer support agent.
However, using a greyhound betting site with a solid customer support department can go a long way as it ensures any issues you might come across will be resolved quickly and efficiently. That’s why the quality of customer support should not only be considered but also counted as one of the key things a good bookmaker should have available.
How to Bet on Greyhounds?
Betting on racers is very simple; anyone can do it without much prior knowledge. It’s extremely close to betting on horse races and, due to its nature, very similar to betting on any type of race.
However, while anyone can sign up with sports betting sites and place their first bet on which dog will win the race, not everyone will profit from placing greyhound bets. So here are my four tips and tricks to help you on your journey as a greyhound bettor.
Specialize
Greyhound races are spread across England, Ireland, Australia, and many other parts of the world, and each track comes with its own characteristics. While you can bet on all races, this isn’t advisable, as it’s always better and smarter to specialize.
The best online betting sites won’t limit you to which races you can bet on; however, just because you can’t it doesn’t mean you should. By specializing and focusing on only one type of race, or even races in just one country, you can cut down the time of becoming a betting expert, and like with anything in life, specializing in a certain field means you will become good at it much sooner.
Don’t forget to check the field
Like in horse racing, greyhound races will feature different runners, and the field should be one of the first things you check before placing a bet.
A badly drawn favorite will fail, while a well-drawn outsider has a better chance of coming out on top. So, if you’re betting in-play, check how the dogs have been drawn before placing your bets.
The early pace is important
Since greyhound is a betting sport, plenty of data is available on each dog – sometimes even on greyhound bet apps. This data will unveil some interesting stats about them, including early pace, which is arguably the most important thing to check.
There is a saying, “Early pace wins the race,” and that’s true, especially in racing. Admittedly, some tracks have more pace bias, but as a punter, you should always consider betting on a dog with the fastest pace. It’s much easier for a dog to win the race if he’s out on the bunny, in front, rather than playing a chasing game.
Make your own choices
Those starting their betting journey should preferably follow betting tipsters and read race previews to see how professionals bet and what they consider. This is the best way to learn how to think as a punter and online betting tips can also be an excellent source of information and news.
But in the end, you’ll have to decide which bets you’ll place with the best bookmaker for greyhounds.
Trust what you see and bet on the dogs you believe have the best chance of winning. Even the top bookies will make mistakes pricing the runners, so if you stumble upon a dog you think checks all the marks of a potential winner, the high offered odds shouldn’t discourage you from betting on it.
Remember, the best way to bet is to trust your own eyes and bet on what you think makes the most sense.
Most Popular Greyhounds Competitions
This sport is popular across the world, and as a result, there are many competitions and tournaments you can bet on. So, if you’re getting into online wagering, you can rest assured that there are enough events to wager on.
However, out of all the competitions, a few stand out as the most popular and most prestigious. These will typically have the best coverage by greyhound betting apps and sites.
Here, I will check some of them and explain what they are.
The English Greyhound Derby is the most prestigious classic racing event in England and worldwide. It features a six-round competition traditionally held between April and May at the world-renowned Nottingham Colwick Park.
As such, all of the best bookies for greyhound betting will not only cover the race but often offer special bonuses and promotions.
Scottish Greyhound Derby
Scottish Greyhound Derby, also known as Scottish Derby, is a 480-meter race at Shawfield. It is a long-standing event whose history dates back to 1928. While not as prestigious as its English counterpart, it was one of the world’s biggest and most important races.
Irish Greyhound Derby
Irish Greyhound Derby, held at Ireland’s premier Shelbourne Park track, is one of Ireland’s most well-known events. Offering a purse of €140,000, the derby usually takes place on a 460m flat track between August and September.
East Anglian Cup
East Anglian Cup, or East Anglian Derby, is one of England’s biggest races, held at Yarmouth Stadium. It offers a purse of £15,000, and while it’s not one of the most prestigious events on the calendar, it’s one of the leading competitions for Irish and English greyhounds with an extensive and rich history.
The Oaks
The Oaks (or English Oaks) joins the English derby as another of the classic events on the calendar, restricted only to bitches. It was first held in 1927 and has since emerged as one of the biggest races in the world; it does feature a £15,000 prize pool.
St Leger
St Leger is a highly prestigious racing event held in Limerick. It is one of the classics, alongside the Oaks and Derby. It was first held in 1928 and is now considered one of the premier stayer competitions.
Grand National
The Grand National is an English greyhound race held at Crayford Stadium, and it is one of the few big events with hurdles. Spanning 540 meters, the Grand National offers a £10,000 purse. To date, Serrys Prince is the only dog to win the event three times, while his trainer, Ricky Holloway, has trained five winners, including the most recent, Coppice Fox, in 2023.
Most Popular Greyhounds Betting Markets
If you’ve never visited any of the best online betting sites, you’ll be surprised by all the available meetings and betting markets. There are many types of markets to explore and enough variety of bets to allow punters to wager however they like.
Most bet types will be very familiar for those with experience in horse racing, while some might sound unusual for the greyhounds betting newcomers.
But fear not. All betting types, particularly the most popular ones, are simple to understand.
Win
To win is the most common bet type on any greyhound betting app. As the name suggests, this wager is a simple bet on which runner will win the race.
Place
To place is a bet similar to the “to win” wager; instead of betting on which dog will win, you’re placing a bet on which dog will “place”. The number of places will vary depending on the size of the race.
Most commonly, if a dog finishes the top two, it counts as if he placed. However, with more runners, bets on places can include top-three, top-four, and more places.
Each-Way
Each-way bet is a mix of a wager to win and to place. It is essentially a wager which combines both and divides your initial wager into two equal parts, where one half gets placed on “to win” and the other on “to place”.
It’s also important to note that the payout will differ, so if you bet at odds 5.00 on a dog on each-way market and he places, the bookmaker won’t return you the full amount, but only a portion – depending on the E/W terms and the number of places it includes.
Fixed Odds
Fixed-odds betting involves placing a bet with the best greyhounds betting sites at predetermined odds. It’s not exactly a bet type, but since pool betting exists, fixed-odds betting deserves to be recognized as a separate approach to betting.
Quinella
A quinella is a bet in racing where you must correctly predict which two runners will place first and second in any of the races in the list of the best events. However, with a Quinella, the exact order in which the dogs finish doesn’t matter.
Exacta
Exacta is similar to quinella and is also one of the exotic bets. Like with quinella, with exacta, you’re predicting which two runners will finish a race in first and second place, but in exact order. This bet type is available in all of the biggest races, and due to its difficulty, it also offers some of the best odds.
Trifecta
Trifecta joins the list of exotic bets, available with all of the best greyhounds betting online platforms. It works like an exacta, where you have to predict the exact order of finishers, but instead of picking which two runners will finish second, you have to predict which three dogs will end the race in the top three, in exact order.
A trifecta is also known as a tricast, so some bookmakers will name the market forecast and tricast, where the forecast includes four dogs instead of three.
Boxed Trifecta
A boxed trifecta is the same wager as a normal trifecta, but it gives you a bit more room as it doesn’t require punters to predict the exact order in which the dogs will finish. So you have to predict which three dogs will end the race inside the top three, in no particular order.
A First Four
As the name suggests, “first four” is a wager with which you predict which four dogs will finish the race in first, second, third, and fourth place. Like with a boxed trifecta, this wager doesn’t require you to predict the exact order, but this doesn’t take away from the fact that it is one of the most difficult bets to place.
Some bookmakers will have special greyhound betting offers for these exotic bets, so keep an eye out for that.
Lay Betting
Lay betting isn’t exactly a bet type but a special way to approach betting, only available on betting exchanges. A lay bet is the opposite of a normal bet – instead of betting on a dog to win, you can lay a dog, i.e., bet against him winning.
This form of betting is usually used by more experienced punters and will never be offered by “normal” betting sites.
Greyhounds Betting Tips
Betting on races is very simple, and anyone can do it, but before you place your first wager with a greyhounds bookmaker, you need to know what you’ll be betting on. The only way to do so is to analyze all the past results, look through the news, and get as much information on the race as you can.
The research needed to find the best bets can be tedious, but there are ways to streamline all that. Your best tool to get all the needed information in one place is the Racing Post, which is very popular among horse and greyhound bettors.
But if you don’t have the time to research wagers on your own, you can always try to find a betting expert who can provide you with quality predictions. Many top bookies offer a blog on their website where you’ll discover predictions and previews, but many other betting sites do the same.
While blindly following betting tips is not the best way to bet on dog races, it is certainly an approach that will help your online betting on dog races when first starting. After that, you’ll have to focus on creating a strategy that works for you.
There is no betting system or a betting strategy that can guarantee you profits. So, instead of looking for the best strategy for betting systems, you should learn from betting experts and their experience. Here, I have gathered some of the most important tips and tricks to help you come ahead.
Seeding is extremely important for each race, as greyhounds are seeded on their racing line preference. Unseeded dogs usually run towards the inside while the middle and wides are on track. Knowing where the dogs are seeded will help you make the right dog racing betting choices, so check if that information is available before placing your bets.
Remember to check which track the race will be held on. Four different race grades have different rules and seeding distribution, and some dogs also tend to perform better on certain tracks.
History has taught us that dogs with a strong early pace usually do better in UK races, so keep that in mind while doing your research and deciding on dog racing betting picks.
Bottom Line
Before I end my article, here are some interesting facts.
The Oaks, Grand National, English Greyhound Derby, Scottish Greyhound Derby, and St Leger are the most popular greyhound racing events.
Some of history’s most successful greyhound trainers are Mark Wallis, Patrick Janssens, Chris Allsopp, Charlie Lister, and Linda Jones.
Tims Crow, Westmead Hawk, Westmead Lord, Ravage Again, and Ballyregan Bob are some of the fastest dogs in the sport’s history.
Greyhound racing is very popular in the United States, Australia, England, Ireland, Scotland, and France.
Sports similar to greyhound racing include horse racing, Jack Russell Terrier racing, and Terrier racing.
Greyhounds come in 18 primary colors and 55 different color combinations.
Greyhounds can reach 69 km/h speeds – twice as much as Usain Bolt.
The fastest recorded speed of a greyhound was 72 km/h, achieved by Maximum.
With that, we come to the end of my article, which touched on everything new and experienced greyhound punters should know about. Equipped with all this knowledge, you should know where to find the best greyhound sportsbooks, how to take advantage of offers and promotions, and ultimately, how to approach betting.
It’s important to remember to gamble responsibly and never bet with more than you can afford to lose.
Rebecca is a Liverpool gal and a big fan of the club. She likes nothing more than sharing tips and predictions on sports betting. Her other favorite sports include horse racing, snooker, and golf. Rebecca is in charge of writing and media at BetZillion. You can thank her for making our articles look so great.
Fresh off a 3-1 Test Series win in South Africa, India will head for Australia later this week as they take on the Aussies in an interesting series of five. Both teams are top two on the Men's Test Team rankings, and the hosts are in the top place after a perfect run in Pakistan a few days ago. The Border–Gavaskar Trophy is on the line, and our article gives an insight on what to expect alongside AUS vs IND cricket Test betting predictions.
After a three-week hiatus, Formula 1 returns, with Las Vegas as its next destination. Verstappen's win in Sao Paulo puts him on the verge of securing his fourth consecutive championship title. Will he clinch the title this weekend? Our F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix predictions article previews this contest.
The darts fans are in for a three-day exciting event over the weekend in the Players Championship Finals. Luke Humphries is the defending champion, having beaten Michael van Gerwen in the 2023 final, and he is one of the main favorites to win the title along with the rising star, Luke Littler.
The CME Group Tour Championship marks the end of the 2024 LPGA season, and it's a very special competition for golfers. Nelly Korda won the last tour, and she is the biggest name here, but with big money on the line, it will be an interesting event. Amy Yang emerged as an unlikely hero in the 2023 CME Group Tour, and this year, we have the likes of Mao Saigo pushing for a win.
Welcome offers
Players from United States accepted
