Tote
The Tote is Britain's pool betting operator for horse racing, once also known as Totesport. Licensed in Great Britain. How it works.
Licensed in the UK
- Founded
- 1928
- Model
- Pool betting: stakes go into a shared pot
- Licence
- UK Gambling Commission
- Owner
- UK Tote Group, backed by racing investors
Licence and background
The Tote was set up in 1928 as the state-run pool for British horse racing. It was sold to Betfred in 2011 and has belonged since 2019 to a group of investors from within racing. It is licensed by the Gambling Commission.
The Totesport name, under which it once also offered fixed-odds betting, is no longer used.
What you get
Pool bets such as the Placepot, Jackpot and Exacta, where every stake goes into one pot that is shared among the winners after a deduction. Returns are not known until the pool closes. The site also offers fixed-odds racing and sports betting.
UK protections apply, including GAMSTOP.
Our take
The place to go for Placepots and other pool bets, which can pay far more than fixed odds on a good day. For ordinary win bets, compare the Tote return with the bookmakers' prices.