While it is true that greyhound racing is falling out of favour with UK punters, there is still a dedicated following who enjoy both ‘going to the dogs’ and betting on them, or either!
This page is dedicated to them, and to anyone who is interested in betting on greyhounds for the first time, or for the thousandth. Learn about the best greyhound betting sites and wolf up some important greyhound betting tips.
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There are plenty of online bookies and sports betting sites competing for your business. It can be a difficult task to know where to place your greyhound bets. We’ve asked our betting experts to come up with their definitive greyhound betting list, and that is just what they have done.
So, that’s our top ten UK greyhounds betting sites out of the way, and we hope that it has left you wanting a little more … and we are here to give you more! We have selected our top five and now it’s time to tell them they’re a good boy and give them a tummy rub as we get to know them a little better.
Spreadex is well known in the UK as a sports spread betting brand. Spread betting is where you gain better rewards for being right, but suffer worse losses for being wrong. Don’t freak out when you hear this if you’re not used to spread betting as Spreadex offers fixed odds betting too.
Greyhound betting options are excellent at both options, with full coverage of all the UK’s daily greyhound events up and down the country. You’ll soon find a doggie to back … and you can watch it run too, as you only have to have a Spreadex account to watch any UK or Ireland greyhound race!
Nice apps too, plus new greyhound betting sites customers here have the chance of earning up to £50 in bonuses.
What we like:
What we don’t:
Betfred is a name you should be familiar with. Fred Done opened his first betting shop in 1967, and we bet it was lined with the pages from the Racing Post featuring that day’s greyhound meets the first day it opened!
Of course in those days punters had to be content with listening to the races over the radio (ask your granddad) but things have marched on since then, and now you can watch the live stream of any greyhound race at Betfred. You just have to have a bet of £1 or more on the race you want to watch.
Fred often has special greyhound deals, including your money back as a free bet if your doggie is beaten into second place by the SP favourite. There’s a very good welcome bonus too – bet £10 to earn yourself up to £40 in bonuses!
What we like:
What we don’t:
Mobile betting is something of a hot dog. The majority of punters prefer to place bets using their phone or tablet instead of using a laptop or even a desktop PC. 888sport has always impressed when it comes to apps, and it continues to do so.
This site is usually hot on racing offers … horse racing that is. As is common, dogs have to play second fiddle to their equine equivalents, as the generosity of 888sport seldom extends beyond the nags.
Having said that, there is nothing wrong with 888sport’s greyhound bookies section – far from it! ALL UK and Ireland meetings are available via the 888sport site and app, and you can watch too, although again there is criteria you need to meet in order to view any race.
What we like:
What we don’t:
Did you know that the majority of succesful greyhounds in the UK are bred in Ireland? Well, you do now and something else that was bred in Ireland is QuinnBet. It’s one of two Irish bookies to feature in our top ten list, with the other being BoyleSports.
QuinnBet began as a turf accountants and the emphasis on horse racing is heavy here, with football a close second. Greyhound coverage is excellent too, which is why QuinnBet finds itself at number four in our list of the best!
There’s nothing particularly special about Greyhounds (or ‘Dog Racing’ as they also call it) coverage at QuinnBet, but there’s nothing particularly bad about it either. Live streaming is available, but you have to have a bet on any race that you want to watch.
What we like:
What we don’t:
Grosvenor is the newest name on our top ten list, in terms of sports betting at least. Grosvenor has been around as a casino brand since 1970, and there are over 50 Grosvenor casinos located in cities up and down the UK. Sports betting has been available via Grosvenor online since late 2016.
The sports betting side of Grosvenor is called ‘Grosvenor Sport’ and underwent a significant makeover in early 2023, complete with a new logo. You can click on a button to easily get to the site’s greyhounds section. All the UK’s races can be found, with live streaming available as long as you have a bet on the race.
This greyhound bookies section has ‘special & future races’ but when we clicked on it, we found the cupboard bare, so you might have better luck. Grosvenor is otherwise hot on bonuses, with £50 available when you join plus your chance to win goodies with the daily Grosvenor Scratch and Win card.
What we like:
What we don’t:
It can be challenging for UK punters to select an online greyhound racing bookmaker, as many of them appear similar. However, our team of experts has developed specific criteria to create a rating and ranking system. In this discussion, we will explore these essential factors to help you comprehend their thought processes, and maybe even make your own choices:
If you’re not a reading type of person, you’ve probably been dismayed by the word count of this page. So that you don’t have to search for the salient facts, we’ve picked out the most imporant aspects of a greyhounds betting site, and you can see which of our chosen sites scores a ‘yey’ or ‘ney’ in each category.
Bookies | BOG | Acca Deals | Cash Out | Extra Place Races | Free Bet Club | Live Streaming |
Spreadex | ||||||
888sport | ||||||
QuinnBet | ||||||
Grosvenor | ||||||
BoyleSports | ||||||
bet365 | 8am | |||||
10bet | ||||||
Betfred | 8am | |||||
William Hill | 10am | |||||
BetVictor | 9am |
While the key bet on any greyhound race is which dog will win, there are a small number of alternative bets available (although not as many as horse racing, as there are only six dogs per race). Below we look a the markets usually available when it comes to greyhound racing.
Betting exchanges work differently to fixed odds betting sites, as we will find out later. There are only two types of bet you can place at a greyhound betting exchange site, as follows.
We’ve selected for you below three UK bookies that consistently produce the best greyhound betting odds. Our betting experts have compared the odds of these three sites over a number of months, and are happy to draw the conclusion that these five sites are the dog’s … dangly bits for competitive odds. That’s not to say that the odds offered by our other five recommended online greyhound betting sites UK are bad – it’s just that these five sites have odds that are consistently a little better than the other five, and the UK sports betting market in general.
You will notice that all five sites offer ‘best odds guaranteed’ or ‘BOG’. This means that if you place a bet after the indicated deadline, your winnings will be paid out at the better price – the price of the hound when you placed your bet, and the starting price. This is of great benefit to you as will always get the best possible price.
Bookies | BOG | Notes |
bet365 | 8am | No Australasian; other restrictions |
William Hill | 10am | Win market only |
BetVictor | 9am | Offer is occasional withdrawn |
Betfred | 9am | Selected races & meetings only |
Betfair | 8am | Some restrictions apply |
People generally make more money with an effective greyhounds betting strategy. Such strategies are easier to understand and to put into place than horse racing betting strategies, as there are only six dogs per race, as opposed to a horse race which can have over 30 runners.
Using a greyhound betting strategy does not guarantee success, but you will probably make more money from your greyhound betting tips using them than not! Here are some tips for greyhound betting that should increase your chances of greyhound tipping success.
The biggest temptation when it comes to putting money on your tips for greyhound betting is to adopt a ‘back the winner’ policy as betting to win generates the best odds. While it is true the favourite in a greyhound race wins more often that the favourite in a horse race, blindly backing the favourite to win time after time is unlikely to prove profitable in the long term.
One tip is to chose one dog that looks a likely winner in a race but is not the favourite, and then back it along with the favourite. We are not talking solely two ‘to win’ bets here, but a reverse forecast. Two each way bets plus a reverse forecast will score major dividends if you back the dogs that finish first and second.
Some people follow blind greyhound betting systems and this just leads to trouble. One (sadly) popular betting system involves betting on the same trap time and time again, doubling your stake until that trap wins at which point you go back to your original stake. This greyhound betting system (based on the ‘Martingale’ casino system) is simply asking for trouble.
We took a look at race data for a specific meeting and the winning traps over 12 races were ‘166352635533’ – so the ‘double your bets’ system would have been okay for traps 3, 5 & 6, but 1 and 2 only won once and 4 not at all! If you’d begun the night with a £1 bet by race 12 your stake would have been £2,048, and do you really want to bet over £2,000 on dog when you’d begun with a £1 stake?
You won’t get the same kind of info about dogs at betting sites as you do horses, so it’s up to you to look elsewhere, but some sites will give you the dogs’ performances over their last five races. Such form can be difficult to decipher as you won’t know which dogs your dog was up against for each race.
A dog with a consistent record (i.e. something like ‘21312’) is a better bet than one who is inconsistent (‘16245’). An each way bet on a dog that finishes in the top two consistently is a better bet than a win bet on a dog that wins the occasional race, but occasionally finishes last too.
The emergence of mobile technology has revolutionised the way we place bets. Nowadays, top online horse racing betting sites in the UK offer downloadable apps that are compatible with smartphones running on Android and iOS. By using these apps, punters can enjoy a seamless gambling experience regardless of their location. Additionally, greyhound racing betting apps are especially convenient for those who are attending races at tracks throughout England (and one in Scotland).
The most appealing aspect of these apps is their convenience. All you require is an internet connection and a smartphone or tablet with sufficient battery life. We consulted our panel of experts to determine the top-rated greyhound betting apps currently available. They have compiled a list of three apps that you should consider downloading to your mobile device.
We hunt high and low for the top dog betting offers that you can use to maximise your greyhound wagering. Here are three of the hottest betting on greyhound offers that are currently available:
Back any greyhound at selected meetings at BoyleSports and if it doesn’t start favourite but it finishes in second place to the starting price favourite, you will get your stake back as a free bet.
Outrights only (singles and each way singles), first bet on a race only. Maximum refund per customer is £20 as a free bet. Free bet awarded with 24 hours and is valid for seven days. Other T&Cs apply.
Place any tricast on a greyhound race and if all your selections run and win, you’ll get your winnings with a 10 percent bonus slapped on on top!
Just place any greyhounds all correct straight or combination with tricast bet. Voided bets do not count, nor do bets placed using free bets funds. Bonus paid on winnings only, not stakes. Bonus paid as cash (therefore withdrawable), not bonus money. Other T&Cs apply.
If you think that greyhound wagering is a bit of a lottery, then the daily William Hill trap challenge at specified meetings is for you!
Instead of betting on the dogs and risk going to the dogs, you can bet on the traps instead! Just choose your trap from one to six, and if your trap wins the most times during the meeting, then you are a winner. Note that dead heat rules apply in the case of a tie.
One of the main benefits of greyhound betting in the UK at online bookmakers is that most of them offer live streams of races. These are the same video streams that are transmitted to real-world bookies, so for UK bookies with live streaming, look for bookies that are commonly found on the high street too.
Below we have picked out five top bookies that offer the live streaming of UK greyhound races, plus the criteria you need to pass in order to watch the streams.
Bookie | Requirements for Watching Live Greyhound Racing Streams |
Spreadex | Available to Spreadex account owners |
Betfred | Must have a minimum bet of £1 on the race to watch it |
888sport | Must have a minimum bet of £2 on the race to watch it |
Quinnbet | Must have a minimum bet of £1 on the race to watch it |
Grosvenor Sport | Must have a minimum bet of £1 on the race to watch it |
According to academic Professor Keith Laybourn, the 1920s and 1930s were the heyday of greyhound racing in the UK. The first greyhound racing event – where dogs chased an electronically-propelled artificial hare – took place at the now-closed Belle Vue stadium in Manchester in July 1926. Within ten years there were over 200 greyhounds tracks in England, Scotland and Wales, with annual attendances topping the 32 million mark.
Once the UK recovered from the Second World War, interest in greyhound racing and betting in the UK was rekindled, but that interest began to decline from the mid 1960s onwards. Most households now had televisions to entertain them, while rivals such as bingo clubs and dance halls gave Brits more options as to what to do in the evenings. This decline saw many racetracks sold for re-development, and in 1979 the British Greyhound Racing Federation went into liquidation.
A year later the newly-founded British Greyhound Racing Board attempted to revive interest in greyhound racing in the UK, but their efforts were thwarted by the 1980s Parvovirus outbreak which saw many dogs die. A short boost arrived in the 1995 when £6 million was spent on a new state-of-the-art greyhound racing stadium in Sittingbourne with a capacity of 4,750 and a 1,000+ bay car park. Elsewhere though, interest in the sport continued to fall.
In terms of the money generated from greyhounds betting, the annual off-course betting turnover in the UK from greyhound racing has practically fallen year-on-year, for at least the last decade, as the following table shows:
Financial Year | Turnover |
2009-10 | £1.41 billion |
2010-11 | £1.36 billion |
2011-12 | £1.32 billion |
2012-13 | £1.32 billion |
2013-14 | £1.27 billion |
2014-15 | £1.22 billion |
2015-16 | £1.22 billion |
2016-17 | £1.15 billion |
2017-18 | £1.04 billion |
2018-19 | £0.94 billion |
2019-20 | £1.01 billion |
2020-21* | £0.37 billion |
2021-22 | £0.74 billion |
Source: Statista. *affected by COVID-19
In addition, the following shows the market share of greyhound racing compared to other sports from statistics published by the UKGC in November 2022.
Percentage share of betting gambling revenue, April 2021 – March 2022
With attitudes to the use of animals in sport changing (with the first-ever debate on the future of greyhound racing in Parliament being held in March 2022), it seems the popularity of greyhound racing will continue to fall. Already, many states in the US have banned greyhound racing, and other states are making moves to follow suit. How long greyhound racing in the UK continues is an interesting question with no definite answer.
Just like horse racing, greyhounds have their own racing calendar. Here is a list of the major greyhound races in the UK, up-to-date as per 2023.
Date | Venue | Race | Distance & Type |
Sun 15 Jan | Central Park | Arena Racing Company Cesarewitch | 708m Flat |
Fri 20 Jan | Oxford | WKH Development Services Diamond Stakes | 845m Flat |
Fri 27 Jan | Romford | Coral Essex Vase | 575m Flat |
Fri 27 Jan | Oxford | BGBF Puppy Cup | 450m Flat |
Sun 29 Jan | Towcester | Stadium Bookmakers Blue Riband | 500m Flat |
Thu 16 Feb | Newcastle | Arena Racing Company Northern Puppy Derby | 480m Flat |
Sat 18 Feb | Crayford | Premier Greyhound Racing Golden Jacket | 714m Flat |
Sat 04 Mar | Monmore | Ladbrokes Winter Derby | 480m Flat |
Fri 17 Mar | Romford | Coral Golden Sprint | 400m Flat |
Fri 17 Mar | Romford | Coral Coronation Cup | 575m Flat |
Fri 17 Mar | Oxford | Star Sports Galaxy | 845m Flat |
Sat 18 Mar | Monmore | Premier Greyhound Racing Puppy Derby | 480m Flat |
Mon 20 Mar | Nottingham | BGBF Breeders Stakes | 500m Flat |
Sat 25 Mar | Yarmouth | The George Ing St Leger | 659m Flat |
Sun 26 Mar | Central Park | Kent Plate | 500m Flat |
Thu 30 Mar | Newcastle | Arena Racing Company Northern Flat | 480m Flat |
Sat 15 Apr | Sheffield | Steel City Puppy Derby | 500m Flat |
Sat 15 Apr | Crayford | Ladbrokes Champion Hurdle | 380m Hurdle |
Sat 15 Apr | Crayford | Ladbrokes TV Trophy | 874m Flat |
Fri 21 Apr | Sunderland | Arena Racing Company Grand Prix | 640m Flat |
Sat 22 Apr | Oxford | bet365 Hunt Cup | 650m Flat |
Sun 23 Apr | Towcester | KAB Maiden Derby | 500m Flat |
Sat 29 Apr | Hove | Coral Brighton Belle | 515m Flat |
Sat 29 Apr | Perry Barr | Arena Racing Company Laurels | 480m Flat |
Sun 07 May | Kinsley | The Gymcrack | 462m Flat |
Sat 27 May | Crayford | Jay & Kay Coach Tours Kent St Leger | 714m Flat |
Tue 30 May | Sheffield | 3 Steps to Victory | Tri Distance |
Sun 11 Jun | Central Park | Silver Salver | 265m Flat |
Sat 1 July | Towcester | Star Sports/TRC English Greyhound Derby | 500m Flat |
Sat 29 Jul | Oxford | Stadium Bookmakers Pall Mall | 450m Flat |
Sat 29 Jul | Hove | Premier Greyhound Racing Regency | 695m Flat |
Sat 29 Jul | Hove | Coral Sussex Cup | 515m Flat |
Sun 30 Jul | Towcester | Juvenile Classic | 500m Flat |
Sat 26 Aug | Crayford | Ladbrokes Grand National | 540m Hurdle |
Sat 26 Aug | Monmore | Ladbrokes Gold Cup | 480m Flat |
Sat 26 Aug | Monmore | Ladbrokes Summer Stayers | 630m Flat |
Mon 28 Aug | Nottingham | Arena Racing Company Puppy Classic | 500m Flat |
Sat 23 Sep | Perry Barr | M Lambe Construction Birmingham Cup | 480m Flat |
Sat 23 Sep | Perry Barr | Premier Greyhound Racing St Leger | 710m Flat |
Sun 24 Sep | Towcester | bet365 Empress Stakes | 500m Flat |
Sun 24 Sep | Swindon | 77th BGBF Produce Stakes | 476m Flat |
Wed 20 Sep | Yarmouth | East Anglian Derby | 462m Flat |
Fri 29 Sep | Romford | Coral Puppy Cup | 400m Flat |
Tue 17 Oct | Sheffield | Steel City Cup | 500m Flat |
Fri 20 Oct | Romford | Premer Greyhound Racing Champion Stakes | 575m Flat |
Sat 28 Oct | Oxford | RPGTV Cowley Puppy Collar | 450m Flat |
Sat 28 Oct | Perry Barr | Premier Greyhound Racing Oaks | 480m Flat |
Sun 29 Oct | Central Park | Premier Greyhound Racing Kent Derby | 480m Flat |
Fri 17 Nov | Sunderland | Arena Racing Company Classic | 450m Flat |
Sat 25 Nov | Crayford | Ladbrokes Gold Collar | 540m Flat |
Sun 26 Nov | Towcester | bet365 English Puppy Oaks | 500m Flat |
Mon 27 Nov | Nottingham | Premier Greyhound Racing Eclipse | 500m Flat |
Tue 19 Dec | Sheffield | BGBF British Bred Derby | 500m Flat |
Sat 23 Dec | Hove | Olympic | 515m Flat |
Sat 23 Dec | Towcester | RPGTV English Puppy Derby | 500m Flat |
Sat 23 Dec | Oxford | bet365 Challenge Cup | 650m Flat |
Sat 23 Dec | Hove | George Curtis Ballyregan Bob Memorial 740m | 740m Flat |
Thu 28 Dec | Newcastle | Premier Greyhound Racing All England Cup | 480m Flat |
Stadium | Location | Capacity |
Belle Vue* | Gorton, Manchester | 4,100 |
Brighton & Hove | Hove | 2,200 |
Brough Park | Byker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | 1,000 |
Coventry | Brandon, Coventry | 4,500 |
Crayford | Crayford | 1,200 |
Great Yarmouth | Caister, Great Yarmouth | 6,000 |
Hall Green | Hall Green, Birmingham | 2,500 |
Harlow | Harlow | 1,500 |
Henlow | Lower Stondon | 1,000 |
Hull | Hull | 1,500 |
Kinsley | Kinsley, Pontefract | 3,000 |
Meadow Court | Stainforth, Doncaster | 1,500 |
Mildenhall | West Row, Mildenhall | 8,000 |
Milton Keynes | Ashland, Milton Keynes | 3,000 |
Monmore | Monmore Green, Wolverhampton | 1,150 |
Nottingham | Colwick Park, Nottingham | 1,500 |
Owlerton | Owlerton, Sheffield | 4,000 |
Oxford | Cowley, Oxford | 1,500 |
Pelaw Grange | Chester-le-Street | 600 |
Perry Barr | Birmingham | 1,500 |
Peterborough | Fengate, Peterborough | 1,500 |
Poole | Poole | 2,500 |
Portsmouth | Tipner, Portsmouth | 1,200 |
Reading | Smallmead, Reading | 3,500 |
Romford | Romford | 4,300 |
Rye House | Hoddesdon | 1,200 |
Shawfield | Glasgow | 4,000 |
Sittingbourne | Eurolink, Sittingbourne | 4,750 |
Sunderland | Sunderland | 1,500 |
Swindon | Blunsdon, Swindon | 2,000 |
Walthamstow | London | 5,000 |
Wimbledon | Wimbledon, London | 6,000 |
*closed since 2020.
The English Greyhound Derby is the premier race each year in the UK’s greyhound racing calendar. Run since 1927, only the very best greyhounds are entered and qualify for the final race. There are only four greyhounds to have won the race on more than one occasion, those being Mick the Miller (1929, 1930), Patricia’s Hope (1972, 1973), Rapid Ranger (2000, 2001) and Westmead Hawk (2005, 2006).
Currently, entries to the Derby are limited to 192. Heats take place in the weeks leading up to the final, with the top three dogs in each race going through to the next round, until only six dogs remain. Betting on the English greyhound derby is no different to betting on any other greyhound race other than the prestigiousness of the competition.
Year | Winner | Venue | Prize |
2013 | Sidaz Jack | Wimbledon | £150,000 |
2014 | Salad Dodger | Wimbledon | £200,000 |
2015 | Rio Quattro | Wimbledon | £250,000 |
2016 | Jaytee Jet | Wimbledon | £150,000 |
2017 | Astute Missile | Towcester | £175,000 |
2018 | Dorotas Wildcat | Towcester | £175,000 |
2019 | Princess Blake | Nottingham | £100,000 |
2020 | Deerjet Sydney | Nottingham | £50,000 |
2021 | Thorn Falcon | Towcester | £175,000 |
2022 | Romeo Magico | Towester | £175,000 |
If you ask people to name a famous racehorse, even someone who has never placed a bet on a horse race ever would be able to pick out Red Rum, Desert Orchid or Shergar. Ask them to name a famous greyhound though and … you might grow a little hungry waiting for their answer.There have been plenty of champion greyhounds throughout the decades, though, and some of them have (briefly) tasted fame beyond scampering around the track in pursuit of a cuddly rabbit. Here we have listed some of the most famous and successful greyhounds to ever explode out of the traps. In true ‘top of the dogs’ fashion, we’ve listed them as a top ten and we’re going to count down.
10. Future Cutlet (1921-34, UK, 1933 English Greyhound Derby winner)
9. Dolores Rocket (1969-?, Ireland, 1971 English Greyhound Derby winner)
8. Scurlogue Champ (1982-1996/7(?), Ireland, once held 20 track records)
7. Rapid Ranger (1998-2010, UK, 2000 & 2001 English Greyhound Derby winner)
6. Westmead Hawk (2003-2014, UK, 2005 & 2006 English Greyhound Derby Winner)
5. Patricia’s Hope (1970-1982, UK, 1972 & 1973 English Greyhound Derby winner)
4. Mile Bush Pride (1956-?, Ireland, 1959 English, Scottish & Welsh Greyhound Derby winner)
3. Pigalle Wonder (1956-1969, Ireland, 1958 English Greyhound Derby winner, won six other classics)
2. Ballyregan Bob (1983-1994, Ireland, once won 32 consecutive races, won three races)
1. Mick the Miller (1926-39, Ireland, once won 19 consecutive races, won 1929 & 1930 English Greyhound Derby, ‘starred’ in movie ‘Wild Boy’ in 1934, taxidermied and on display at the British Natural Histroy Museum, Tring)
It’s a long time since we sprang out of the traps, but now we’ve reached the finishing line as far as our look at greyhound betting in the UK is concerned. We hope you have found this guide useful, and you now consider us to be the ‘hot dog’ when it comes to UK greyhound wagering information.
We can heartily recommend any of the sites for betting on greyhounds that have found a place in our top ten, but if we had to give one site a bone, it would be Spreadex. Why not throw a stick at Spreadex and go chase?
If only the question 'how to win at greyhound betting' had an easy answer! There's no guaranteed way to win at greyhound betting, but you'll find some top tips for greyhound betting online on this very page!
You certainly can! Many of the sites mentioned on this page offer apps that you can download to your devices, or can at least be used via a mobile browser.
Yes! Many UK bookies offer the live streaming of greyhound races, and we have picked out five of the best above. Note that you usually have to pass some kind of criteria in order to place a bet on a race.
Unlike horse racing, dogs do not have their own colours, or silks. The colours, from trap 1 to trap 6, are always red, blue, white, black, orange and black/white stripes, and in that order.
Yes - the tradition started in 1876 with the first greyhound meeting having six dogs. It wasn't really until the 1920s that greyhound racing and gambling caught on. All greyhound races in the UK have six competitors.
No, only greyhounds. Greyhounds have been specifically bred as fast dogs, originally for hunting, and reach over 40mph when running. Other breeds (Afghan hounds, salukis) are fast, but not as fast as greyhounds.