Betting on greyhounds is a really great way to win a bit of money at a fun event. There are lots of important tips and strategy that it’s important to be aware of before you get started, though. Knowing how to effectively bet on the greyhounds isn’t always as simple as you might think. Especially if you have never bet on the event before, there can be a lot to learn before you start betting on the greyhounds.

Today, we’re going to look at some of the most important tips for betting on the greyhounds in Ireland.

  1. How to bet

First and foremost, you need to know exactly how you can cast your bet in greyhound racing. There is more than one way to do so. Naturally, the most common way to bet is to bet on a particular dog to win. That dog will have odds, which are the bookmaker’s view of its chances of winning. The longer the odds, the more you will win on a successful bet.

But you can also bet on a dog to place in the race—meaning it must come in first or second place. This gives your bet a higher chance of winning, though the pay-out will be lower.

Both bet types have their advantages, so take some time to consider a way that works for you.

  • Online vs in-person betting

Finally, you should consider whether you want to bet online or in-person—or both. Again, both ways have their advantages. In-person betting gives you the advantage of being able to talk to other bettors directly and learn from them.

There’s also no real substitute for being able to watch the race in person. You can, of course, bet on greyhound races either in betting shops or at bookmakers that operate in and around the tracks themselves.

Sports Bookmakers in Ireland like Top Betting will give you access to a wider choice of markets, as well as a wider choice of bonuses and promotions. Again, both have their advantages, so take some time to consider which would work best for you.

Few events are as fast paced as the greyhound races. It can seem daunting learning to vote on an event like that, but ultimately, it’s no more difficult than any other event. If you follow the basic and fundamental tips we’ve listed here, you’ll be off to a great start with your greyhound betting. As you go on, you’ll only learn more and more, and your betting will get better and better—and the events more and more exciting!

  • Budget

The next most important thing to consider in greyhound betting is your own budget. You need to be really strict with yourself if you are going to consistently make a profit doing it. In Ireland, around €5 billion is spent every year on betting—amounting to around €10,000 per minute. Per capita, the Irish are the third most prolific betters in the world.

It can be easy to lose yourself and become emotional when gambling. For your greyhound betting, set yourself a strict budget of what you can spend—do not gamble more than you can afford to lose.

Don’t chase your losses and quit while you’re ahead.

  • Analysis

Like horse racing, strategic greyhound racing is going to involve a certain amount of knowledge of the sport. Look into the greyhounds involved in the races you are betting on. Look at their past performance, which dog has been the strongest performer, and which the weakest.

If a particular dog has a streak of many wins behind it, chances are its odds will be quite short, but it may have a high chance of winning.

Incorporating this kind of analysis into your betting is really essential for effective wagering. It can take some time to really shore up your knowledge, but it is well worth the time.

  • Bonuses

Greyhound betting is one of the most popular betting events in the world. There are still 17 greyhound racing stadiums in Ireland that are fully operational. Greyhound races are still in receipt of huge government funding—almost €20 million in 2021.

Naturally, there’s a lot of competition from the operators, then. For you, this means huge benefits in the form of bonuses and promotions.

A key tip when you’re getting started is to look out for the most attractive bonuses. The best of these will be the one-off welcome bonuses. The biggest operators will all offer some form of bonus. Often, it will be X amount of free bet funds for your first deposit—for example, €50 of free bets for your first €10 deposit.

Taking advantage of these will give you some free funds to use for your greyhound betting, and can be a huge bonus, especially when you’re first starting out.

Features to look for when choosing a greyhound bookmaker

Greyhound racing is one of the most popular spectator sports across Ireland, with a long history dating back to 1927, when the first registered race was staged at Celtic Park in Belfast. Over the last century, the sport has spread across Ireland like wildfire, and there are now 17 licensed stadiums across the country. The rise of the sport has created a competitive betting scene with a wide range of bookies to choose from. As a punter, it can often be confusing when trying to understand what sets these bookmakers apart from one another. Let’s look at some of the features to look out for when choosing a greyhound bookmaker, so that you can make the right choice and get the most value and fun out of your betting experience.

Pre-race Information

One core feature to look out for is the showcasing of pre-race information on betting sites. This information includes expert opinions on all runners and predictions for the top three places. This is crucial to players in understanding the likely outcomes of the race so they can make an informed choice about which odds are worth taking. Though pre-race information is not always updated in live time, it does give punters the general contextual information they need to understand the race. This is particularly useful if a punter is not aware of the standing of the greyhounds involved in the race. Most big sites such as Bet365, William Hill, and Ladbrokes, all provide pre-race information.

Live Streaming

In most competitive races, greyhounds run at speeds of up to 39 miles per hour, and given that the average race is between 400 and 500 metres, they tend to be over in a heartbeat. This fast-paced action is best enjoyed via live streaming services, which give players an immersive betting experience. Betting without watching the event is simply not the same, and does not provide as much engagement for players. This is why live streaming services have become so popular across betting sites, with many key players such as Paddy Power and William Hill offering live streams for most races across Ireland. 

Forecast and Tricast Bets

Forecast and Tricast bets are typically offered by bookies in relation to greyhound races as well as horse racing. These offers allow punters to bet on a combination of results, for example 1st and 2nd place, or 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. This includes specific bets, such as hound X coming 1st, and hound Y coming in 2nd, or more general bets such as ‘hound X and hound Y both finishing in the top two positions. These types of bets offer customisation opportunities and give players the chance to offer their own individual spin on the outcome of the race. Some players choose to make a tricast bet and a forecast bet simultaneously, which makes the experience more entertaining as there are several favourable outcomes. Tricast bets on three hounds can yield massive returns if predicted correctly.