Tote Sports Review 2024

If you’re interested in sports betting, you will have heard of the Tote and will have seen their name at racecourses or on other top betting sites. 

You’ll be happy to know that now you can place bets in Tote Pools directly on their website. New Ireland customers who sign up from the “Bet Now” button on this page can also avail of a €30 free welcome offer.

The Tote was originally founded back in the 1920’s. It’s a different form of betting. Unlike fixed odds, where the punter takes a price, bets are placed into a pool. The money in the pool is then divided between all winning bets. The less money in the pool that’s on the winner, the bigger the payout (known as the dividend).

Betting sites across the UK and Ireland offer Tote betting, giving their customers the option of placing bets in the pools. The UK has long had access to a dedicated Tote website, but since 2020, Ireland now does too, thanks to tote.co.uk.

Have been around for so long, the brand is very well established, having previously sponsored Hull City Football Club and worked closely with Channel 4 on their TV racing coverage. 

Tote Welcome Bonus

New customers who sign up to Tote are eligible for a Bet €10 Get €30 Welcome Offer. The offer is exclusive to UK and Irish customers only. To claim your free bet, simply place a €10 bet on any market and you will receive €30 on free bets and 50 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza.

Here are some of the important terms and conditions:

• Tote Credit expires after 7 days.
• No minimum odds apply.
• The maximum Credit is €30.
• 18+, full terms and conditions apply.

Tote Free Bets

Free bets offers are single-use tokens, where the free bet stake is not returned with the winnings. Tote’s version of this is called a Tote Credit. The Tote Stayers Club, which we cover in more detail later in our review, offers qualifying customers a Tote Credit once six or more qualifying bets are placed in a week.   

Read More: Get the best Grand National free bets for the Aintree showpiece

More Tote Sports Offers

Beyond the welcome offer, Tote offers some excellent sports offers, which are primarily aimed, as you would imagine, at horse racing.

Be sure to opt-in to receive marketing emails and text messages when you register to receive the latest Tote sports offers straight to your inbox.  

Tote Guarantee (SP or better on all UK and Ire Racing)

We’ll always pay at least SP on Win bets and if the Tote dividend is greater, we’ll pay out at that price. Tote.co.uk, Tote.ie, Tote App and selected UK and Irish racecourse customers only. The promotion applies to Tote win bets and the win part of each way bets on all UK & Irish races. Limits apply. 18+ BeGambleaware.org

Tote Sport Betting Markets 

Tote offers pools betting on horse racing and football only. That won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the brand, as they have never covered all sports.

All tote bets available on racing can be placed at Tote.co.uk. These include individual race bets, like win/place, exacta, trifecta and swinger bets.

Bets on part or all of the cards are available too, with the super popular placepot being the standout. This bet is one where you choose a horse (or horses) to finish in the places in the first six races at a particular meeting.

Other multiple-race options include Quadpots, Jackpots and the Scoop6, the last of which is available on each Saturday’s terrestrial TV races. At any time during the meeting, the number of bets still alive can be displayed, which is broken down race by race.

The football betting options available are 1X2, Over / Under goals and Both Teams to Score pools. These usually involve picking 5, 8 or 10 winners from domestic or European fixture lists to win a share of the pool, which is usually several thousand Euros.

Betting Odds at Tote Sports

Odds with the Tote are completely different to what you will find at traditional online betting sites. Rather than taking a fixed price and knowing that’s what your bet will be settled at, Tote bets are paid out based on the volume of stakes on a winning selection, with a dividend then paid out to winners. 

Thanks to the Tote Guarantee, win bets on horse racing will either be settled at the SP or the Tote dividend, whichever is bigger. This is available on all UK and Irish races, ensuring customers get the best possible value. 

Tote Sports Betting Features

Because the Tote operates a pool betting system, there is "no cash" out or facility to edit a bet when it’s half settled. Most Tote betting features are additions to the site which make it more usable. 

The racing pages come complete with Racing Post data, which shows Spotlight verdicts and recent forms for every UK and Irish runner. This information is listed alongside the riders, trainers and form figures.  

Placing a bet is just like any other betting site. Once you’re on the race card, you will see the current, projected dividend for your bet. Click on it to add it to your betslip, enter your stake and place your bet. 

The famous Tote Ten To Follow and Fantasy horse racing are available too, which add something very different which isn’t found on any other site. Build a virtual stable and score points based on their performance. The top-scoring players can win huge cash prizes.  

Football syndicates add a great layer of fun too. Either set up your own or join an existing one. Having more players in the syndicate increases your chances of winning, and with thousands up for grabs in the prize pools, this is a very popular betting feature.  

In-Play Betting and Live Streaming at Tote

You won’t find any in-play betting with Tote. Pools close once the race or event has begun, with no further bets possible.

The racing streaming service with Tote is fantastic though. Once you have made at least one deposit to your account, ever, you will have access to stream all UK and Irish horse racing via your Tote account.

While most horse racing betting sites require a balance or for you to have placed a bet on the race to watch it, with Tote, you just need to have made at least one successful deposit any time after opening your account. 

Tote User Experience

Tote doesn’t offer a wide range of betting options. It’s the place to be for pool betting on racing and football, which is exactly what they specialise in, and they do it expertly.  

The site layout is very easy to follow, as it’s not home to thousands of in play betting markets. Choose horse racing or football, choose the event you want, the bet type you want and place your bet. It’s as minimalist as it can be, and that is exactly what people betting on pools want.  

Because there’s not much clutter on the site, it is lightning fast. It’s also surprisingly modern. For a type of betting which started in the 1920’s, it would be easy for Tote to rest on their laurels. They have maintained a cutting edge betting site, which compares very favourably to the performance of any top betting site, no matter what kind of device you are using.  

On top of all of that, the site has certified encrypted web pages. This means Tote customers can enjoy placing their bets, knowing their personal data and payment information is entirely secure.

Depositing and Withdrawing at Tote

Irish customers with the Tote have just one way of depositing and withdrawing to and from their accounts. Visa / Mastercard debit cards are the only accepted payment method.

This may seem quite limiting, but this is by far the most widely used payment method at betting sites, so it shouldn’t prove too restrictive. 

Before a deposit can be made, new customers must complete the account verification process, known as KYC (Know Your Customer). Your date of birth and proof of address must be sent. A driving licence will verify both, or an alternative ID and utility bill will do.

Deposits can be made for as little as €3, which is the lowest we’ve seen on any betting site. The minimum withdrawal amount is €5 and you should receive the funds in your account within 3-5 working days, though it’s usually on the short end of that timeframe.

Tote Mobile Betting

Irish customers do not have access at present to a Tote mobile app. However, the mobile site is fully optimised for all devices. 

To access the site and place your bet on the pools, visit tote.co.uk on your mobile browser. You’ll get the desktop site scaled down to fit a smaller screen.  When we say scaled down, we mean purely in terms of layout. 

Every feature on the desktop site is available on mobile and mobile sports punters will be able to place bets into the same pools as desktop customers and those betting at other betting sites. 

If you want to bet on the move with a native app on your smartphone, check out our recommended betting apps for Ireland.

For an experience similar to an app, save a shortcut to Tote’s website to your device’s home screen. That way, you can access the site with the click of an icon.