Tote Bonus & Review

Renowned for its focus on horse racing and its blend of traditional with modern betting innovations, Tote has become a well-known and trusted name in the sports betting world over the years. By providing a seamless overall betting experience, compatible odds and a number of exclusive bonuses that can’t be found anywhere else, there is a whole series of elements that have defined Tote and given it the reputation it has today. To understand what exactly these are and how they work, Racing TV has taken a deep dive into this sports betting platform, uncovering all of the components that make up their esteemed betting experience. 

Tote has been a cornerstone of betting for a while now, with its roots dating all the way back to 1928 when the brand was in its infancy. With them being around for so long, Tote has established a rich heritage, most notably in horse racing. This operator was actually the first one to pioneer the pool betting system, which gained them much attention from other sites as well as bettors. This bookmaker has stayed true to its horse racing origins, building a loyal customer base thanks to their deep connection to the sport. 

If you're looking to sign up with Tote, you will be glad to hear that getting started is a straightforward and quick process. This can be done by following the simple steps below and creating your account.

Once you have registered to Tote, you will be able to log in to the site and access all this platform has to offer. In addition to this, note the extra verification steps that may be required upon making any bets or deposits. Like most sites, this may require you to provide proof of address or simply just a form of personal identification that matches the information used to create your account. 

One area in which Tote truly shines is its horse racing betting markets, with its variety of options being a staple of the platform as a whole. Tote clearly outlines all races for the day into dedicated sections, often by either racecourse or region, with full racecards here having their runners clearly outlined. As for the markets specifically, there are your usual win, place and each-way bets, all of which have their own odds determined by various factors as well as expert horse racing tips. 

However, these are just a small portion of the horse racing betting markets at Tote, with a whole plethora of alternative options such as exacta, trifecta, swinger, and quinella available to users, too. This is all without touching upon the multi-legs bets as well, which contain options such as placepot, quadpot, and jackpot, all of which are exclusive to this site. These all tie into the unique Tote Placepot mechanic, which allows bettors to wager on multiple races within a single bet.

However, it is worth noting that certain markets, such as forecast and tricast, are only available for certain events and may be limited outside of the major races each day. Despite these potential limitations, though, there are more than enough horse racing betting markets at Tote to provide a well-rounded experience for horse racing enthusiasts.

Across all major horse racing events, Tote manages to deliver competitive odds that not only focus on value for their users but also accuracy of probabilities at the same time. If you're someone who likes to watch horse racing and bet in real-time, you will be glad to hear that all odds update in real-time, ensuring they reflect market trends.  At the same time, Tote also allows its users to customise the way in which all odds are presented to them, allowing them to select between fractional, decimal, and American formats in the settings menu. Thanks to this ability, Tote's convenience and overall user experience can be tailored to different preferences.

Tote actually provides a couple of bonuses and horse-racing free bets designed to enhance the overall experience their platform presents to users. Their sign-up bonus exclusive for new users is one of the main bonuses they offer, with this potentially seeing users able to claim up to £30 in free bets. This can be done by signing up and placing a minimum of a £10 stake on one of their racing pools. Once this has settled, users could receive £20 in racing free bets as well as an additional £10 free bet token to use on other sports. What’s more, this bonus also comes hand in hand with 20 free spins that can be used on the casino portion of their site, something we have yet to even mention!

Tote also has bonuses for existing customers, which are related to their loyalty programme. This is referred to as the “Stayers Club”, with this potentially rewarding users with free bets and other bonus funds should they place 6 or more qualifying stakes throughout the period of a week. 

✔ Good value sign-up bonus up to £30 that has no wagering requirements.

✘ Only a 7-day period of use for bonus funds, with the loyalty programme requiring multiple bets to qualify for bonuses.

In terms of their betting features, Tote has a number of standout ones, with the “Tote Guarantee” being one that is worth noting. This is essentially an odds guarantee on all their races, ensuring that they always pay at least the starting price on any horse racing results. 

However, it is the placepot feature that Tote has on its site that really stands out. Various races selected throughout the day are given prize pools, almost like jackpot prizes, with users potentially claiming these if they manage to pick a placing horse in the first 6 races of a day. The number of places for the eligible races differs; however, this all depends on the number of participating runners.

In addition to these nuanced features, Tote also allows users to watch all horse races if they are logged into their account. Even if they haven’t placed any stakes, users can watch horse races unfold in real-time, which helps elevate the experience of this platform. What's more, Tote also allows cash-out options for a majority of their races, allowing bettors to decide when they wish to cash out their bets.

One of the areas in which Tote is particularly lacking in though is the payment method department. Regardless of whether you are making withdrawals or deposits, users are restricted to only using debit cards, whether they are Visa, Mastercard, or any other type. The absence of e-wallet, ApplePay, PayPal, and bank transfer options here is glaring when putting Tote alongside other sportsbooks; however, all payments are pretty much instant, which is a benefit. 

As for the minimum requirements for deposit, users must at least add £5 with each transaction. The same goes for making withdrawals at Tote too, with the minimum withdrawal amount also being set at £5, something which is relatively standard in regards to the sports betting industry.

Making up for the slight shortage in payment methods at Tote, though, is the myriad of customer support tools you have at your disposal should you require any assistance or run into any potential issues when using the platform. By accessing the menu, players can find a live chat in which they can get in touch with a member of the help desk who can quickly address any queries they may have. There is also a “Contact Us” tab located on the same menu, with this housing information such as the phone number, postal address and email of Tote’s customer care.

Should you be looking for any questions to be answered quickly, Tote also has a dedicated FAQs section, which contains the answers to some of the most common queries about the site and betting in general. On top of all these customer support options, there are a number of safer gambling tools located on a singular page, containing information

about responsible betting practices as well as details relating to deposit, loss and time limits, amongst many other safety implementations. 

If you are looking for a sportsbook that places a strong emphasis on horse racing, Tote stands out as a reliable sportsbook that meets these criteria exactly. Excelling in its range of betting markets, especially the pool mechanics that it pioneered, as well as having competitive odds and an easy-to-navigate platform, all of these overshadow the lack of payment options and the narrower range of sports available on site.

✔ A focus on horse racing, offering a diverse range of markets and races across the globe.

✔ Placepot mechanic is a defining feature.

✔ Competitive odds that are accurate and aligned with market averages. 

✔ Tote Guarantee pays out at least the starting price of each winner.

✔ Good value welcome bonus with up to £30 in free bets.

✘ Only debit payment methods are currently available.

✘ Narrow range of sports compared to other sportsbooks.