Best Greyhound Betting Sites Ireland of 2023

Here is everything you need to know when it comes to greyhound betting specifically for the Irish market.

Reviews of the Best Greyhound Betting Sites

Boylesports

Boylesports is a big one when it comes to greyhound betting, especially as they sponsor the biggest greyhound racing event in Ireland; Irish Greyhound Derby. Alongside this, Boylesports also have the reputation of being Ireland’s largest independent bookmaker. Boylesports may have limited live streaming events but you will pleased to know this excludes greyhound racing.

Pros	Cons
Live streamSponsors greyhound racing events	English service onlyLoyalty program complicated and limited

Bet365

Bet365 has been seen as one of the best when it comes to greyhound betting sites. One of the most appealing features being the ability to watch live races and bet on them at the same time. The site has been seen to offer great promotions too, such as the chance to place free bets when you bet a certain amount.

In terms of greyhound racing odds, bet365 have been seen to offer strong and consistent odds making them a reliable sportsbook. Bet365 also have additional markets for greyhound betting so more people can participate. They also offer the expected markets such as, win, each way, forecast and players bet.

Another impressive feature is that bet365 offer greyhound stats. They give a rundown of reach dog form in every race. This is helpful and can save time researching while boosting your confidence in placing a bet.

Pros	Cons
Bet and watch live racesGood welcome offerGood greyhound racing oddsFree bets	Can limit accounts

Ladbrokes

Greyhound racing betters will be happy to know Ladbrokes offers live streaming as well as odds guaranteed on races. Ladbrokes also offers the chance to request odds on something specific.  It is also one of 5 betting sites that are offering best odds guaranteed on greyhound racing.

Pros	Cons
Daily eventsLive streaming	Many countries bannedSign up bonus is not the best

BetVictor

When it comes to betting on big events, BetVictor can be a good betting site to go to. They price up races such as the Irish Greyhound Derby and St Leger in advance. They also offer markets on virtual greyhound racing available 24/7.

Pros	Cons
Solid odds for greyhound racing Bonuses available Live steamingVirtual events	Not all countries can receive welcome bonusfFree bets expire in 30 days if not usedNeed to activate account to avoid it getting closed.

How to bet on greyhounds and greyhound betting strategies

Greyhound racing, sometimes referred to as dog racing, is a competitive sport where greyhound dogs race around a track. While the sport sounds straightforward there is a lot more to it than expected, but this article will help break it down for you.

There are two types of greyhound racing, track racing and coursing. Track racing is one we will focus on as coursing is illegal in the Irish market. Track racing is where dogs race around an oval track to track artificial lure.

There are six dogs in a race each with different colours. These are the colours to look out for on the track.

• Trap one: red
• Trap two: blue
• Trap three: white
• Trap four: black
• Trap five: orange
• Trap six: black and white stripe

Types of greyhound races

There are different types of races, these usually differ on the distance. The below table explains the types of races and the terminology used.

Type of race	Explanation
Sprint	2 bends
Standard	4 bends
Stayers	6 bends
Marathons	8 bends
Hurdles	Typically 4 bends with hurdles the dogs must jump over during the track
Handicapping	Less common type of race, this is where dogs of mixed grades compete against each other with the lower graded dogs get a earlier start.

Race tracks

Notably, every track the dogs race on will be different. Certain dogs may perform better on a specific track. Knowing how each track runs can be helpful in placing a well-informed bet.

Most races take place on a sand surface, but depending on the surface and the weather all impacts the ways the dogs will perform. Certain dogs may perform better in wet conditions whereas some tracks and surface may be more prone to becoming waterlogged reducing performance. In comparison, the hot weather could also impact the dog’s race performance. Dogs have been seen to perform better in hot climates when the surface of the track hardens and the dogs’ grips improve.

Greyhound ages

The age of the dog matters as it impacts which race they will take part in. Greyhounds under 24 months must take part in puppy races, those between 21 and 30 months are considered good for sprint races.

Experts have claimed that a greyhound peaks at 30 to 36 months and thus performs at its best. Dogs ages 3-4 who are experiences perform greatest in marathon race.

Evidently, the age of the dog not only impacts what race it will be in but how well it performs. Making it a good thing to research before placing a bet.

Dog positions and traps

Greyhound racing uses a seeding system to help steady the race by putting competing dogs in the traps they perform best in. These positions are called the following:

• Rails (position 1 and 2): these are the inside traps and the shortest distance track.
• Middle (position 3 and 4): inner traps, these positions allow dogs to maintain their peak speed.
• Wide (position 5 and 6): outer tracks, these are often good tracks to race in when conditions are wet.

The starting positions are a good factor to consider when placing a bet, as each dog performs different in each trap. Even though a bet starts in a certain position does not mean they will race in that spot for the whole race, dogs can change tracks throughout.

Grade	Explanation
D	Sprinters
A	Runners
S	Stayers
H	Hurdlers

Grading system

Dogs are graded on a ladder ranking system. This system groups dogs of similar speeds in the same category which helps give them a more fairy chance of winning. The table explains the grades given to the dogs; these are good to learn so you understand which dog you are placing a bet on.

The ranking also has its own sub rankings. For instance, the fastest sprinters in grade D will compete in the race called D1 and second fastest sprinter dogs will race in D2.

Live streaming

Watching the race live can be a huge advantage when placing the bet. This allows you to consider the track and judge the performances before making a bet.

Virtual greyhound racing

With any sport that involves animals, comes with a level of criticism and controversy. A good solution to this has been virtual races. As the name suggests, this is everything like a real race accept it is virtual.

One big advantage of this is that it provides you with the certainty that there will always be a game available.

Betting odds

As always, it is important to search for the best betting odds before placing a bet. This helps ensure your gambling is worthwhile with the chance of the highest pay out.

The odds for greyhound racing are often set before the race. This is set by the track and the reason why you might see starting odds on betting sites rather than just plain odds. If you are looking to find the odds before the race, check around 10 minutes before it starts.

Furthermore, when it comes to greyhound racing, many betting sites offer enhanced odds if you place a bet early. Many bookies also offer best price or best odds guaranteed too, these mean if the starting price is betting than the initial odds you took, they will honour the higher price instead. This provides some security when it comes to placing early odds.

Free bets

Many greyhound betting sites will offer the chance to receive free bets too. This is typical if you recently register, and they may offer a free bet if you deposit a certain amount of money. These are worth keeping an eye out for, particularly if you wish to use them for a riskier gamble with the security of not losing money.

Greyhound betting markets/bet types available

Greyhound betting markets use a lot of terminology that if your new to the sport you may not be too familiar with.

It is good practise to familiarise these terms to avoid feeling confused or overwhelmed. A common phrase used is the term ‘forecast’, this sub-genre of greyhound betting is also explained in the table below, as well other common markets for greyhound betting.

Type of bet	Description
Win bet	A win bet is where you place a bet on which dog you think will win the race. This is likely one of the most straightforward bets to place and thus good for beginners. In greyhound racing there is typically a favourite to win, this is one who the bookies think is most likely to win the race, which can be good to take into consideration but will also be reflected in the odds. On the flip side, you will find the dogs more likely to lose will have the lower odds, meaning if they do win you would get a big pay out for the risk.
Place bets	Place bets are sometimes referred to by each way bet. A place bet is where you bet on a dog to finish first, second or third. This often offers lower odds than a win bet but is still the safer gamble.
A show bet	A show bet is where you select a dog and predict whether it will finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and to win the bet must be correct.
Each way bet	This is a mixed bet, half the bet is on which dog will win and the second half is on the dogs to place e.g. finishing in the top three. This type of bet may vary on bookie to bookie as well as the odds. This type of bet is usually associated with the dogs less likely to win.
Straight forecast	This is a bet where you predict which dog will come first and what dog will come runner up.
Exacta forecast betting	This type of bet is exactly same as the above, straight forecast. The only difference is that there is a £2 minimum stake to bet, and then you place a bet on 1st and 2nd place dog. It is worth noting that with this type of bet the pay out will vary from rave to race as it is based on tote pool divided.
Trifecta forecast betting	This type of bet also carries a £2 minimum stake to bet. A trifecta forecast bet is predicting the 1st, 2nd and 3rd dog in the correct order. While this is a hard bet to place, the pay-out is rewarding.
Reverse forecast bets	A reverse forecast bet is where you bet which dog will finish first second or third but these do not have to finish in the correct order to receive a pay out. So basically, all you must do is predict the top three to get a pay out.
Pick three bets	This type of bet is where you bet on the winner for three of the games played that game. In simple terms, it is picking an outright winner for three different races in a row. Pick three bets is recommend for those who familiar with the greyhound betting markets rather than beginners. It is a difficult bet to place but the pay-outs can be highly rewarding.
Pick six bets	If you thought picking three winning dogs in a throw is hard, pick six is where you bet on the winning dogs for six games in a row.

Accumulator bets

As the case with many other sports, you can place accumulator bets on greyhound racing. This is where you place multiple bets on the same betting slip and to win, all bets must be correct. If one loses, they all lose and they will be no play out.

Since there are many dogs competing in a game, accumulator bets can be quite common, the below table showcases some examples.

Bet name	Description
Double	A bet placed on two dogs, both have to win to receive the pay out.
Treble	A bet placed on three dogs, all have to win to receive the pay out.
Trixie	A placed on three dog combined in three doubles and 1 treble, making this a total of 4 individual bets. What makes this unique though is that you only need two out of the four dogs to win and get the pay out.
A patent	Similar to the above, if placing a bet on three dogs sounds too daunting, a patent is three singular bets where only one needs to win to get the pay out.
Yankee	This a much bigger bet, a total of 11. This includes 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 accumulator but one 2 bets won are needed for the pay out.
Lucky 15	As the name might suggest this is where you place 15 bets but only one win is needed for the pay out.
Super Yankee	This covers a total of 26 bets, this is made from 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four way accumulators and 1 five way accumulator. To win, 2 bets must win.

Some famous Irish greyhound competitions

Irish Greyhound Derby

First held in 1928, this event takes place in September every year with a prize of €125,000. It takes place in Shelbourne Park and is one of the most anticipated greyhound racing event in Ireland.

The popularity of the event also makes it popular with the bookies as one to keep an eye out for, especially the final which consists of the final 6 dogs and a 530m race. Due to being such a major event, there is lots of predictions and debates online offering tips on who might win, while these are not concrete they do act as good research to back up your own predictions. This race is also sponsored by the betting site Boylesports.

The Easter Cup

This is an annual greyhound rave held in Shelbourne park in Dublin. The most recent winner, which was awarded easter 2023 was a greyhound called Swords Rex. Due to this being another major Irish greyhound racing even, it is easy to find with the bookies.

The Champion Stakes

This is another Irish greyhound event held in Shelbourne Park. It is another prestigious race that is one mile and two furlongs long. The event is happening this summer with the final on 8^th July 2023. The prize of this event recently increased in 2022 to £20,000 following new sponsorship.

The Cesarewitch

This is a greyhound race that is held in Mullingar greyhound stadium in Ballinderry. This race has quite an old history, as it used to be one of the classic races in the British racing calendar.

The Laurels

This competition is help in Curraheen Park Greyhound stadium that takes place in September and October. The draw begins in September and the final takes place mid October.

St leger

This race is held in Limerick Greyhound Stadium at Green park in Ireland and is known to be another top greyhound competition. The race track is over 710m and has seen some of the major stayers race here. The draw usually takes place every September.

FAQ on Greyhound Betting:

Below are some frequently asked questions when it comes to greyhound betting sites.