
Here at Betting.co.uk, we understand the importance of finding the right bookmaker for you, especially if you’re serious about your sports betting. This is why our expert team crafts reviews like this.
For this review, we are looking at Tote UK. We found that their history in horse racing shines through with a market-leading horse racing offering, as well as a range of casino games - all backed up by some strong bonuses that all add to their value. Keep reading to find out more about Tote!
Bonus offers, such as Red Zone Sports reviews, are popular across the betting industry as they can add serious amounts of value to a sportsbook’s offering. They can also bring in new customers and even help keep a bettor using their services. Welcome bonuses can take multiple forms, including free bets, matched deposits, or more.
They do tend to be conditional and will typically come with credit that keeps you within their product, rather than being cash rewards.
Tote’s welcome offer is a bonus and free spins type. The headline figure is that if you bet £10, you will receive £40 in bonuses. You will also receive 50 extra free spins on top. There are a few extra details, though, that you need to know beyond that.
Only the very first Tote racing pool bet you place will be eligible for the promotion, and that bet must have a minimum stake of £10 on the single bet placed. The value cannot be combined across several bets. This also means if you choose an each-way bet, only the ‘to win’ part of that bet will be eligible to qualify. It doesn’t matter if your bet wins or loses, as long as the bet is placed, it qualifies.
Should you happen to place two equivalent bets at the same time, which would both qualify individually, the first bet put onto your betting slip will be the bet chosen to qualify. There is no maximum to what you can actually choose to wager.
The £40 is awarded to your account as a bonus, and it comes with its own set of rules and regulations. A bonus is basically a stake that the sportsbook covers for you. You get to place a bet without spending your own cash. But it’s not money you can withdraw—it’s more like a voucher. To use it, you’ll need to follow the rules tied to the offer, which usually means placing a qualifying bet. Be sure to read the terms before getting started.
Bonuses can only be used on racing bets and not their virtual offering. They expire after seven days, with the count starting from the day it is credited to your account. Any bets placed using bonuses will not be eligible for any other promotions offered.
On a more positive note, whilst bonuses themselves can’t be withdrawn, any winnings earned through them are available to be withdrawn in line with Tote’s other withdrawal limits.
Tote’s website is a tale of two halves that can mainly be split down the middle between newcomers and those who have used their website for a while. When you first see the Tote UK site, it can be quite overwhelming, especially due to how Tote works. There is a wealth of information on their website. Due to its pool betting model rather than the traditional model offered by some of the best UK bookmakers, there is more to learn and understand, and that can be where the difficulties come in.
However, once you’ve found the relevant guide or if you are experienced in placing pool-type bets, then the website becomes a lot more natural, which benefits Tote’s rating. Worldwide racecards for today and tomorrow are available, and the racecards include all the information a bettor could need, including form, jockey, and trainer information, and also a guide on expected returns.
Placing a bet is pretty clear and simple with an easy-to-read and understand betting slip, with racecards easy to find. Personal information is also easy to find with the account page permanently in the top right of the page and a very clear add funds button to make deposits.
Away from finding the details, the aesthetic side of the website is nice to see. The site is packed full of colour with a bright red theme throughout the site, with their bonuses standing out and some clear contrasts to make reading comfortable.
One downside, however, is that some of the extra details are buried within menus, which can sometimes limit its intuitiveness. But overall, this site is easy to use.
Tote UK currently only accepts debit cards, with VISA and MasterCard cards accepted for deposits. Tote’s terms and conditions mention the possible use of an eWallet; however, that option doesn’t seem to be available for selection.
The minimum deposit for Tote is £3 or €3 for bettors within Ireland. It is worth noting that any payment methods used must have the same name and address as the account details entered when setting up the account.
Withdrawals follow similar limitations in terms of the banking methods that funds can be withdrawn into. One of the standout features is that withdrawals from Tote are completely fee-free.
The minimum amount you can withdraw at any one time is £5, whilst there is also a maximum limit of £9,000 that can be withdrawn in one day, based on the calendar rather than a 24-hour period.
Withdrawals tend to take 3-5 working days to process, with that period starting at the end of the working day on which the withdrawal request is made.
Tote’s customer service options are user-friendly for all bettors. They offer a dedicated customer service team available to be contacted almost every day of the year, with Christmas Day being the only exception. Whilst the team isn’t available 24/7, they are available for most of the day, with the team being contactable from 8 am until midnight.
They can be reached through a number of different ways, with a live chat feature, an email address, customercare@tote.co.uk, as well as a UK and overseas phone number available. The post is an option; however, it is primarily for sending verification documents.
However, it is worth noting that there are a few negative reviews about their customer service team posted around the internet, which may suggest that whilst their customer service department is easily contactable, it may not be the most helpful customer service department out there compared to what we found in our BetDukes review.
We understand that asking, "Is Tote reliable?" is a key question for bettors. Tote is a secure website with a valid SSL certificate and encryption for personal data. In terms of financial information, Tote is secured through its enrollment in the Secure Code program, creating a unique code instead of using a card number, giving you an extra layer of security.
They are also accredited by several organisations that aim to help promote responsible gambling. The main group they are signed up to is GamStop, which allows a bettor to choose to have their access to all products licensed by the Gambling Commission revoked.
Tote UK does not have a loyalty program with the sportsbook. Instead, the Tote Recharge Club is offered. The way this works is that if a bettor bets a certain amount during the qualifying period, they then receive a certain amount of free Tote Credit. It is a weekly scheme with the period resetting at 23:59 every Sunday.
There are three tiers available within Recharge, beginning at £2 and building up to £10 worth of Tote Credit. To qualify, you have to place a minimum of six pool bets throughout the week. How the tiers work is if you place your six bets at £2 per bet, then you receive a £2 free credit. The second tier works the same, but with £5 per bet and £5 credit, whilst the top tier is the same again but with £10. The scheme must be opted into before qualifying.
The limit is £10 per week, meaning you can’t qualify more than once a week. Even if you only qualify at the £5 level, that doesn’t mean you can qualify twice; six bets are the minimum needed. Once you’ve hit the six, you’re qualified for the week; you can’t stack them. Your free credit will be credited to your account on the Monday after the qualifying period ends.
Tote UK is relatively restrictive with the markets it offers compared to 2kBet UK. They are a horse racing specialist with football being the only other sport they offer; however, football is very much a sideshow, with just a limited offering available.
Within horse racing, though, they have a pretty strong claim to be the industry leader, particularly for pool betting. They offer horse racing markets from around the world, including European and Asian racecards.
The way Tote UK works makes their odds hard to compare across other sportsbooks; they don’t offer any odds, as you aren’t betting against the bookie, unlike with Rhino Bet UK. Instead, it is pool betting, meaning you are actually betting against other punters.
This means rather than a bookie setting odds and you taking their bets, you instead wager into a pool, and if it is a winning bet, everyone who backed that horse shares part of that pooled money, with the share won being dependent on the wager placed.
There is no maximum limit on the amount that can be won or wagered through Tote; this is in part due to their nature as a pooled betting system. As all the winnings can only come from what is put in by bettors, it provides more of a natural betting limit.
Whilst there is no limit to what can be won, you are limited to withdrawing £9,000 per day, which means a particularly big win could be awkward to withdraw quickly and efficiently.
Live streaming is one of the key pillars of what Tote offers; there are a large number of races available to live stream.
Unlike some of the other UK bookmakers, you don’t have to bet on a specific race to be able to watch it live through their service. Instead, all it requires is money to be in your account.
Sports betting and, in particular, horse racing are Tote’s main products and have been ever since its founding in the early 20th century and it shows in its offering today. Their offerings are well-honed with worldwide markets, innovative bet types and also plenty of live streaming.
There are several software providers available on Tote UK, with some providing slot games, some doing scratch cards and their instant win games, too. These providers are Pragmatic, Blueprint, Ruby Play, Inspired and Pariplay. Pariplay provides all of Tote’s scratchcards as well as some of its games.
Their games load quickly and are fairly well laid out in a grid pattern with clear tiles for each game. A search function is a nice addition; however, the actual layout of the games doesn’t appear to have much logic to it.
There is a wide variety of games available, with around 50 slot games with numerous different themes. These can include Irish themes, sporting themes, and some pop culture themes like Rick and Morty, Beavis and Butthead, and Ted.
There are plenty of table games available as well, including roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. This includes some variations as well, like American blackjack, Space Invaders roulette, and 20p roulette.
There is no live casino offered by Tote UK. The closest you get to any live casino offerings are their table games however instead of being a typical live table, they are far more in line with a game format.
Whilst there may be no maximum win on the sports betting side of Tote’s offering, that isn’t the same for the casino side of it. Tote has a maximum winnings limit of £100,000 for bettors within the UK and the same limit in euros for Tote’s Irish customers.
It is also worth noting that whilst the limit for withdrawals per day is worked out based on calendar days, their winning limit is based on 24-hour periods instead.
The casino product offered by Tote UK is not their main product, with the site's main focus on their horse racing betting. However, that doesn’t take away from a casino product that has a strong variety of games available, card game options, and a wide range of game providers.
Since its birth in 1928, Tote has been part of the furniture in UK horse racing. Today, they have expanded their offering with more live streaming and innovative betting options.
Tote offers a wide range of bonuses, including horse racing and a casino. They add value and make them a leading betting website. To find out more about the welcome bonus Tote UK is offering, check out Betting.co.uk to find out more.
Tote began purely for horse racing when it was first founded. Since then, it has slowly expanded, adding more and more to its offering. This has included innovative betting types, live streaming options, bonuses, and more. Find out more by reading the review at Betting.co.uk.
If you’re looking for a completely well-rounded sportsbook, then Tote may not be for you. However, if you are mainly looking for horse racing betting, then there are very few equivalent options on the market.
Tote has strong bonus offers, especially well-tailored to horse racing. And the fact that they are combined with the nature of pool betting means you aren’t having to battle with a bookie. This potentially adds great value, which adds to Tote’s rating.
When you factor in their live streaming and unlimited potential for returns, it makes them a very strong option.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.