Best Cheltenham Festival Betting Apps
Finding the best betting apps for the Cheltenham Festival is a crucial part of preparing for the biggest four days in jump racing. With millions wagered across 28 races in March, the difference between a good festival and a great one often comes down to who you are betting with, not just what you are backing.
Cheltenham week brings out the very best, and sometimes the most valuable offers from bookmakers, with enhanced each-way terms, non-runner no bet concessions, money-back specials and free-to-play competitions all competing for your attention. Add in the rise of slick, app-first betting platforms and exchange markets, and punters now have more choice than ever before.
From established industry giants such as bet365, Paddy Power and William Hill, to exchange specialists like Betfair and pool betting via the Tote, each betting app offers something slightly different during the Festival. Some excel in ante-post markets; others come into their own on the day with liquidity, price boosts and standout promotions in the big handicaps.
We’ll assess the best betting apps for Cheltenham, highlighting where each bookmaker really stands out and which types of punter they are best suited to, helping you get fully set up before the tapes go up at Prestbury Park.
Top-rated Cheltenham Festival apps
Best Betting Apps for Cheltenham
bet365
bet365 often offer great value with their ante-post markets in the lead-up to the Cheltenham Festival and they are a go-to bookmaker for punters during the highlight week of jump racing.
They offer best odds guaranteed from 8am on the day of racing and will also price-match the likes of Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power, Coral, Sky Bet and BoyleSports on all races on ITV, which is a big plus.
bet365 also have their 6 Horse Challenge which is free to play. You simply select six horses from six different Cheltenham races and can win up to £250,000.
Additionally, bet365 regularly offer enhanced each-way terms on the hotly contested Cheltenham Festival handicaps, while they also tend to hold their nerve for longer than most when they take one on in the market.
Main pros:
- Great all-rounder
- Important non-runner no bet concessions
- Tend to hold their nerve for longer than most
Betfair
If you are a serious punter then there is no reason not to have an account with Betfair. Even if you struggle to get a meaningful wager via the sportsbook, there are unlikely to be problems on the exchange as post time approaches.
It is a platform where punters essentially compete against each other and the opportunity to get matched at prices that often blow the usual books out of the water – even allowing for Betfair’s commission – is rife.
High-rolling punters often complain about the lack of liquidity on the exchange on quiet Mondays or on the lesser meetings on busy Saturdays. When it comes to the Cheltenham Festival, however, there is simply nowhere better to get on than the Betfair Exchange. Every single event at the Cheltenham Festival generally turns over millions in the day-of-race market.
As we often mention in RP Recommends, the Betfair Sportsbook runs parallel to the main exchange product and is not always among the most-sought after bookmakers to bet with. However, they can come up with decent deals during Cheltenham such as free bets on horseracing multiples, and their each-way place terms are also competitive in the big festival handicaps.
Main pros:
- A must-have for the Cheltenham Festival
- Exchange markets involving great prices with millions bet on the day
- Good sportsbook promotions including free bets on racing multiples
Coral
The free-to-play £50,000 Coral Racing Super Series is a fantastic reason to use Coral with the game being a big hit with punters. The task is simply to select a horse to place in all seven races each day of the festival (not as easy as it sounds) and being free to play is a no-risk proposition; it also works for a bit of fun. They sometimes fall below other leading bookmakers regarding place terms, but the compensation for that is usually superior odds on the winnings side of the bet.
Coral are a strong bookmaker for the week-in, week-out punter. They are not the strongest on promotions and therefore regular Coral punters may want to spread their net a little wider during Cheltenham week.
Main pros:
- A solid horseracing-focused bookie
- Free-to-play Coral Racing Super Series
Ladbrokes
The Ladbrokes prices mirror those of sister company Coral and that means you can split your wagers at the same price on both platforms. That is handy for those who like to play with big stakes, although admittedly getting on is not such a big issue at the Cheltenham Festival.
Ladbrokes also offer best odds guaranteed for the Cheltenham Festival from 8am each day and punters can also use their new bet builder feature where you can combine winning distance and place markets.
Main pros:
- Respected and established bookmaker
- Free bets up for grabs during Cheltenham
Paddy Power
Nobody can compete with Paddy Power’s aggressive marketing and their Cheltenham Festival offers are generally standout too, with generous place terms in the races that merit them.
Their relationship with Betfair is similar to that which Coral and Ladbrokes share, although Paddy Power will typically be a more attractive traditional sportsbook option than the Betfair Sportsbook.
Paddy Power also has a range of special bets (e.g., jockey to win three races across the Cheltenham Festival) and customers can use their free-to-play Eliminator game to win big cash prizes.
Main pros:
- Market-leading offers and promotions
- Generous each-way terms on certain races
- Attractive and popular traditional sportsbook option
Sky Bet
Sky Bet‘s money-back concession in the opening race of the Festival, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, has been an outstanding offer in recent years. We’re yet to learn if Sky Bet are running the same promotion for Cheltenham 2026, at the time of writing.
Their new customer offers for the Cheltenham Festival are competitive though, while their place terms, often among the best in the industry all year round, also excel even during Cheltenham week too.
Main pros:
- Industry-leading money-back offers
- Exceptional each-way betting markets
Tote
Pool betting operates separately from conventional bookmaking, and the Tote’s sizeable Placepot pools at the Cheltenham Festival make it a popular option for punters seeking an interest for a minimal outlay that can deliver significant returns.
At the Festival, guaranteed Placepot pools of £1 million are offered across all four days. With the racing world’s attention firmly on Cheltenham, major dividends can once again be expected from the Tote’s six-race product.
Main pros:
- Home of the Placepot at Cheltenham
- Offer a great range of pool betting markets
Unibet
As sponsors of the Champion Hurdle, the racing traders at Unibet often earn their plaudits ahead of the Cheltenham Festival as they tower above their opposition in terms of the volume of horses priced up in the handicaps.
This can be a frustration when using other firms as sometimes a key runner is missing from your ante-post list and prevents you getting an ante-post accumulator on. When contacting the traders to request a bet regarding a missing horse, you are invariably showing your hand and inviting the bookmaker on the other end to cower behind their bat.
Finding a viable runner in a Cheltenham Festival handicap will not normally be an issue with Unibet, who take ante-post laying more seriously than most – and they even offer ante-post markets nobody else will price up, which is something to bear in mind generally.
Main pros:
- Wide range of ante-post markets including handicaps
- Traders are not afraid to price up a race ante-post
- Money-back offers on certain races
William Hill
In 2024, William Hill was the first major bookmaker to go non-runner no bet on all Cheltenham Festival races in the first week of January and with that came great intrigue. Generally speaking, the earlier the better with NRNB to give you some security on your ante-post selections.
They generally offer generous place terms across the week, while their welcome offers for new customers are strong. Also keep your eyes peeled for on-the-day specials and are prone to some excellent price boost offers.
Main pros:
- Quick to offer non-runner no bet (NRNB) concession
- Popular promotions involving big horses
- Generous place terms available
BoyleSports
BoyleSports are right up there when it comes to place terms in the big handicaps. Perming horses up in these advantageous each-way races at the festival can be a good way to get an edge.
Main pros:
- Excellent place terms, especially on the handicaps
How to sign up with online bookmakers for the 2026 Cheltenham Festival
- Click on the ‘Claim now’ links above for each bookmaker you wish to bet with.
- Select the ‘Join here’ or ‘Sign up’ button once you are on their app or website.
- Enter your details, including an email and password, make a deposit and then start betting.
Why do punters bet on Cheltenham Festival?
The Cheltenham Festival is the biggest and best jumps meeting of the year in Britain. Across the four days in March, the best horses in jump racing will take each other on in some of the most famous races in the sport, including the Cheltenham Gold Cup, with this year’s renewal of the main event set to be a cracker.
How to deposit on Cheltenham Festival betting apps
- Log in to your betting account with whichever bookmaker(s) you have signed up with for the Cheltenham Festival.
- On the app’s main screen, or within a sidebar menu, there will be an option labelled ‘Deposit funds’- select this.
- You will then be able to choose a custom amount, usually subject to a minimum deposit.
- Add your funds and complete the transaction details.
- The money should be credited to your account instantly, allowing you to start betting straight away.
