The Tote review

Previously known as Totesport, the Tote has been owned by the UK Tote Group since 2019, who purchased it from Betfred and renamed it.

The Tote has retail outlets on the majority of the UK’s 60 racecourses, as well as it’s web presence.

The Tote is licensed and regulated in Great Britain by the Gambling Commission and is also registered with the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS), which adjudicates in cases of betting disputes.

The Tote’s sign-up offer is on a par with those of other leading UK bookmakers. It’s offering new customers a bet £5 get £20 offer rewarded as £10 redeemable against racing bets only, £10 redeemable against UK & Irish placepot bets only.

The Tote can’t compare with the likes of Betfred or Paddy Power when it comes to on-going specials and promotions. However, it does offer some value with its Stayers Club which gives you the chance to get rewarded each week.

Visually, The Tote has improved its site over the years. The site layout is straightforward and not as cluttered as most bookmakers, with easy access to markets from the home page.

The Tote’s focus on horse racing is clear from the outset, with one tabbed page dedicated to racing and another for football.

The Tote provides good racing information, stats and form information, courtesy of The Racingpost. Its football information is however more limited.

The Tote’s site also offers fantasy racing, virtual sports and a games lobby, all of which are only accessible between 8am and midnight daily.

It’s also worth noting that the site itself is only accessible by UK and Irish customers.

The Tote offers a mobile app for iPhone on the Apple App store and one for Android devices on the Google Play store. Both apps have positive review scores and are well maintained.

The apps give you access to mobile tote betting and streaming of races. Both apps are only available to customers in the UK and Ireland.

The Tote’s main competitors provide 24-hour customer service, 7 days a week. The Tote however, only provides customer service between 8 a.m. and midnight. You can contact customer service via e-mail, live chat or phone – and service is available only in English. Once you do get through, the Tote’s agents are courteous and efficient.

One area where Totesport really falls down is its accepted payment methods. These days, even fairly small online bookmakers tend to offer their customers a wide range of alternatives. With The Tote, however, you can deposit and withdraw funds only using Visa and Mastercards. Withdrawals will usally also take 3-5 working days to clear.