Betting on Irish horse racing: market types, settlement rules and availability

• Win. The selection must finish first.
• Each-way. Two equal bets: one on the win, one on a place. The place terms are stated per race.
• Ante-post. A bet placed before the final declaration of runners, with its own rules on non-runners.

Operators name and group these differently. The exact wording of each is in the operator's rules.

Bottom line: three bet forms cover the racing menu, and the terms sit in each operator's rules.

Three terms matter for settlement: starting price (SP), non-runners and Rule 4.

• Starting price. The price at the off, used when a bet was placed at SP or when the operator's rules say so.
• Non-runner. A selection withdrawn before the race. A single on it is returned.
• Rule 4. A deduction from winning returns when a runner is withdrawn after the market formed. The scale is set in the operator's rules.

Definitions are on the starting price page, the Rule 4 page and the each-way page.

Bottom line: read the SP, non-runner and Rule 4 wording before the race, not after.

Example with invented figures: €5.00 each-way at 9/2 (5.50) costs €10.00. Place terms are one fifth of the odds.

• Win part, if the selection wins: €5.00 × 5.50 = €27.50.
• Place part, at one fifth of 9/2: 0.90 profit per euro, so €5.00 returns €9.50.
• Total if it wins: €37.00. If it places only: €9.50. Otherwise: €0.00.

Bottom line: a winning each-way bet pays on both parts; a placed one pays on the second only.

Operator names are candidates, licence to be confirmed on the GRAI register. A cell stays unverified until the operator's own page is read.

The tote is a separate case. TDCO Limited, trading as “Tote”, is listed on the GRAI register according to our research notes. Its entry is to be confirmed on the register on publication day: GRAI licence register.

Bottom line: no operator's racing menu or rule edition is recorded yet.

Months below are as recorded in our research notes. Dates for 2027 are not verified; the source to use is hri.ie, with event facts rechecked every 7 days.

Bottom line: months are recorded; the 2027 dates are not.

Revenue's betting-duty page lists on-course and tote bets at nil duty. That concerns operators, not customers. See who pays betting duty.

We did not test any bet. We publish no odds. Tax on winnings is not covered on this site.

Before a festival week, check the operator's menu and rules on the day; both can change.

Bottom line: duty is an operator matter; this page claims nothing on tax for customers.

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive – play responsibly.

Festival weeks bring long betting days. Decide a limit before the first race and keep to it.

Free 24/7 support: Gambling Awareness Trust 1800 936 725 · gamblingcare.ie. Tools and other helplines are on the responsible gambling page.

Bottom line: set limits, take breaks, and call the free line if betting stops being a choice.