Choose Your Bookmakers Out of Habit
First on our list is picking where to place your bets simply because that’s what you’ve always done. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having preferences. But on the other hand, it does blind you to all of the benefits of other bookmakers you might have reaped – as well as potentially much more favourable odds. At betting.com/gb/horse-racing, you’ll find a long list of the best sites for horse racing, which is a great place to start doing this. Before your next bet, make sure to take a look around and see who’s offering the best odds. Also make sure to pay attention to any deals the different bookmakers might be running, such as free bets, bonuses and other types of promotions. Trust us: It can end up making a huge difference in the size of your prize, should you place a winning bet.
Bet Based on Your Feelings
Next, make sure you’re choosing your bet for the right reasons. Anyone who’s serious about taking home money will take the time to read up on expert comparisons of rivalling horses, look at the numbers to determine the jockeys that are most likely to take the lead, etc. ahead of a match – and base their objective predictions solely on these hard facts. It’s not that you’re not allowed to find a particular horse beautiful, like a certain jockey or find a name funny. You just shouldn’t let it affect your betting decisions and risk losing money on it.
Placing a Bet and Hoping for the Best
Another common rookie mistake in horse racing is, ironically, an unfortunate side effect of our previous point. Because, once you’re certain you’ve researched more than enough and know all the strengths, weaknesses and histories of every single horse and jockey – well, it’s easy to get cocky and just assume your bet will work out. This lulls too many people into a false sense of security, which means they don’t bother to follow the progress of their bets. However, you never really know what could happen once the heat is on, and you should always track your bets regularly, just in case.
Make Bets You Can’t Afford to Lose
Lastly, a piece of advice you’ve no doubt heard many times before: Only bet what you can afford to lose. But even though gamblers hear this all the time, many still seem to underestimate just how much trouble losing a big bet can actually land them in – and how ruinous developing a gambling addiction can be to every single aspect of your life. So, before you bet, make sure you’ve thoroughly budgeted for every possible scenario, and don’t let yourself go over your realistic spending limit. This way, you get to up the stakes when watching your favourite sport without having to worry about your finances.
