Tote betting slips allow racegoers to place pool bets at participating racecourses without using the Tote website or app.
The basic process is straightforward: choose the correct slip for your bet, enter the race and horse numbers required, add your stake, check the total cost and take the completed slip to a Tote counter.
The cashier processes the bet and provides a validated receipt. Keep this receipt because you will need it to collect any winnings.
This page explains how Tote betting slips work at racecourses and how the different slips relate to bets such as Win, Place, Exacta, Trifecta, Swinger, Placepot, Quadpot and Jackpot.
For a wider explanation of pool betting, see our main Tote horse racing guide.
How Do Tote Betting Slips Work?
Tote betting slips record the selections and stake you want to place into a particular pool.
Different bets require different information.
A straightforward Win bet needs a horse selection and stake.
An Exacta requires selections for the first two finishing positions.
A Placepot requires selections across six separate races.
The slip provides the structure needed to record these selections clearly before handing the bet to a Tote cashier.
Once processed, your receipt becomes the record of the accepted bet.
How to Fill In a Tote Betting Slip
Start by choosing the correct betting slip.
You then need to enter the relevant horse number or numbers in the boxes provided.
Horse numbers should correspond with the official racecard.
Add your stake in the appropriate section.
If you are creating a combination or multi-race bet, check how many lines your selections create before submitting the slip.
Then:
Check your selections.
Check the horse numbers.
Check your stake.
Check the total cost.
Take the slip to the Tote counter.
Pay for the bet.
Check the validated receipt before leaving the counter.
Keep the receipt safely until the bet has been settled.
Why Horse Numbers Matter
Tote betting slips use racecard numbers to identify your selections.
For example, if your chosen horse is number 7 on the racecard, you enter 7 rather than relying on the horse’s name.
This becomes particularly important with bets involving several selections.
A Placepot containing selections across six races or a Combination Trifecta can become difficult to check if the wrong racecard number has been entered.
Compare the completed slip with the racecard before submitting it.
Check Your Receipt
The validated receipt is important.
Do not simply submit the slip and walk away without checking it.
Make sure the receipt accurately records the bet you intended to place, including your selections and stake.
If something does not look right, raise it with the Tote staff immediately.
The receipt also provides evidence of the accepted bet and should be retained until you know the result.
Various Tote Bet Slips
Here is a collection of Tote bet slips with the famous blue-coloured sportsbook bookies’ pens.
Here is a collection of Tote’s betting slips for horse racing events.
Here is a mix of Tote betting slips, including the Placepot, Jackpot, Scoop 6, Exacta, Quadpot and Tote Win bet types.
Here is a mix of Tote bet slips, including the Placepot, Jackpot, Scoop6, Exacta, Quadpot, and Tote Win bet types.
Tote Placepot Slip
Blank Tote Placepot betting slip.
Placepot bet slip filled in.
If you are looking to wager a Tote placepot online, you can do this by following the step-by-step guide:
- Log in to your Tote Mobile App
- Click on Multibets
- Click Tote Placepot
- Select your horse race meeting
- Mark your picks in legs 1,2,3,4,5,6
- Add your stake to the bet slip
- Click place bet
For more information, check out our guide to Tote Placepot bets or visit the list of best placepot bookmakers.
Tote Placepot Betting Slip
Placepot requires selections across six races.
You need a qualifying placed selection to survive each leg.
A straightforward Placepot might contain one selection in every race.
You can also select multiple horses in individual legs.
For example:
Leg 1: 2 horses
Leg 2: 1 horse
Leg 3: 2 horses
Leg 4: 1 horse
Leg 5: 1 horse
Leg 6: 2 horses
That creates:
2 × 1 × 2 × 1 × 1 × 2 = 8 lines
The physical betting slip therefore needs to record your selections in the correct leg.
Our Tote Placepot guide explains the pool, qualifying places and permutation calculations.
Placepot7 bet slip filled in.
Tote Quadpot Betting Slip
Quadpot is a four-leg place-based pool.
The principle is similar to Placepot, but you need qualifying selections across four nominated races rather than six.
Multiple selections create additional lines.
Our Tote Quadpot guide explains how the bet works.
Quadpot bet slip filled in.
Tote Scoop6
Blank Tote Scoop6 betting slip.
Scoop6 bet slip filled in.
Tote Jackpot Betting Slip
The Tote Jackpot requires you to find the winners of the first six races at the nominated Jackpot meeting.
Unlike Placepot, simply finishing in a qualifying place is not enough.
Your selection needs to win its leg.
You can use one horse in each race or select multiple horses to create permutations.
The number of lines is calculated by multiplying the number of selections used in each of the six races.
This is particularly important when completing a physical betting slip because adding one extra horse in several legs can quickly increase the total cost.
Jackpot bet slip filled in.
Tote Exacta Betting Slip
An Exacta requires you to identify the first two finishers.
A Straight Exacta specifies their finishing order.
For example:
1st: Horse 4
2nd: Horse 7
Horse 4 must win and Horse 7 must finish second for that Straight Exacta to succeed.
Other Exacta structures can cover additional finishing orders.
Our Tote Exacta
Exacta bet slip filled in.
Tote Trifecta Betting Slip
Trifecta extends the same principle to the first three finishing positions.
A Straight Trifecta could specify:
1st: Horse 4
2nd: Horse 7
3rd: Horse 2
All three need to finish in that order.
Combination Trifectas can create substantially more lines, so calculate the permutations and total stake before taking the slip to the counter.
Our Tote Trifecta guide explains the different structures.
Tote Trifecta bet slip filled in.
Tote Win Slip
Tote’s win betting slip is called the ToteWin.
The Totewin betting slip is a win single on the first race at Chester Races.
Tote Place Slip
Tote’s Place betting slip is called the TotePlace.
The TotePlace betting slip is a place single bet on the third race at Naas Races.
Tote Each Way Slip
Tote’s each-way betting slip is called the ToteEachWay.
The ToteEachWay betting slip is an each-way single on the second race at Galway Races.
Tote Win Betting Slip
Tote Win is the simplest Tote pool.
You select the horse you expect to win and enter its racecard number with your stake.
If the horse wins, the bet receives the applicable Win dividend.
Unlike a conventional fixed-odds bet, you are betting into a pool rather than accepting a fixed price.
Tote Place Betting Slip
A Tote Place bet requires your selected horse to finish within the qualifying place positions.
The number of qualifying positions depends on the race conditions and field size.
Enter the racecard number of the horse you want to back and your required stake on the relevant slip.
Place should not be confused with a conventional bookmaker each-way bet. Tote Place operates through its own pool.
Tote Swinger Betting Slip
A Swinger requires two selected horses to finish anywhere within the first three under the applicable pool rules.
Their order does not matter.
Your pair can finish:
1st and 2nd
1st and 3rd
2nd and 3rd
This means a Swinger can succeed even when neither of your selected horses wins.
See our Tote Swinger guide for the full bet structure.
Combination Betting Slips
Combination bets cover several possible outcomes.
Suppose you select three horses in a Combination Exacta.
The horses can fill first and second in six different ordered combinations.
A four-horse Combination Exacta creates 12.
Combination Trifectas increase even faster.
A four-horse full Combination Trifecta creates 24 permutations.
The important point when completing a betting slip is that your unit stake and total stake are not necessarily the same thing.
Check the number of lines before submitting the bet.
Multi-Race Betting Slips
Placepot, Quadpot and Jackpot require selections across several races.
These slips therefore need to identify your selections separately for each leg.
The number of permutations is found by multiplying the selections in every leg.
Suppose a Placepot contains:
2 × 2 × 1 × 3 × 1 × 2
That creates 24 lines.
Adding one horse to a leg can therefore change the total stake substantially.
Common Tote Betting Slip Mistakes
Using the Wrong Horse Number
Always check the official racecard number.
Do not rely solely on remembering the horse’s position on a screen, newspaper page or personal shortlist.
Using the Wrong Slip
Make sure the slip corresponds to the pool you want to enter.
Win, Place, Exacta, Trifecta and multi-race pools have different requirements.
Forgetting a Leg
This matters particularly with Placepot, Quadpot and Jackpot.
Check that every required race contains at least one valid selection.
Miscalculating Permutations
Multiple selections create multiple lines.
Calculate the number of lines before deciding the final unit stake.
Not Checking the Total Stake
The total cost can be considerably higher than the unit stake displayed in your calculations.
Not Checking the Receipt
The validated receipt records the accepted bet.
Compare it with what you intended to place before leaving the counter.
Losing the Receipt
Keep your receipt safe until the bet has been settled and any winnings collected.
What Happens if Your Horse Is a Non-Runner?
Non-runners are treated according to the rules of the individual Tote pool.
The outcome can therefore depend on whether you placed a Win, Place, Exacta, Trifecta, Jackpot or another bet.
Do not assume the same non-runner procedure applies to every Tote product.
The individual guides on British Racecourses explain the relevant bet structures, while current settlement rules should be checked where a withdrawal affects a live bet.
Can Tote Staff Help With a Betting Slip?
Racecourse Tote staff can help if you are unsure how to complete a slip.
It is better to ask before submitting the bet than to guess at the required format.
This is particularly useful for first-time racegoers attempting combination bets or multi-race pools.
You should still check the processed receipt yourself.
Tote Betting Slips vs Betting Online
A physical Tote slip and an online Tote bet can enter the same type of pool, but the method of placing the bet differs.
Online betting calculates combinations and total stakes automatically before confirmation.
A physical slip requires you to record the selections correctly and present the bet to the cashier.
The online route can therefore make complicated permutations easier to review.
Physical slips remain useful for racegoers who prefer betting at the counter or do not want to use their phone during the meeting.
Why Use a Tote Betting Slip at the Racecourse?
Racecourse betting slips provide a simple way to place Tote bets without relying on a mobile device.
That can be useful when:
Mobile data is congested.
Your phone battery is low.
You prefer dealing with a cashier.
You want to keep a physical record of the bet.
You are unfamiliar with the Tote website or app.
For many racegoers, using the Tote counter is simply part of the racecourse experience.
Our guide to UK racecourses covers the wider experience of attending racing around Britain.
Betting Slips and Pool Betting
Completing a physical slip does not turn a Tote bet into a fixed-odds bet.
Your stake still enters the relevant pool.
The eventual dividend is calculated under the rules of that pool.
The betting slip is simply the method used to submit your selections.
This applies to straightforward pools such as Win and Place as well as Tote exotic bets including Exacta, Trifecta, Swinger and multi-race products.
Should You Calculate the Bet Before Completing the Slip?
Yes, particularly with combinations and multi-race bets.
Decide:
Which horses you want to select.
Which selections are bankers.
Where you need additional coverage.
How many permutations the bet creates.
How much you want to stake per line.
Your maximum total stake.
Doing this before approaching the counter reduces the chance of accidentally creating an expensive permutation.
For more complicated conventional bets, our horse racing bet calculator can also help explain how stakes and returns are structured.
Tote Betting Slips FAQs
Can you still use Tote betting slips at racecourses?
Yes. Tote continues to provide on-course betting facilities and betting slips for its racecourse pools.
What do I put on a Tote betting slip?
You need to enter the required racecard number or numbers and stake according to the particular Tote pool.
Do I write the horse’s name on the slip?
Use the official racecard number requested by the betting slip rather than relying on the horse’s name.
What happens after I hand in the slip?
The cashier processes the bet and provides a validated receipt recording the accepted wager.
Should I keep my Tote receipt?
Yes. Keep the receipt safely because it records the bet and is required when claiming applicable winnings at the racecourse.
Can I use a betting slip for a Placepot?
Yes. Tote provides Placepot betting slips for selections across the six relevant races.
Can I use a betting slip for the Jackpot?
Yes. Tote provides Jackpot slips for the six-leg winner pool.
Are there Exacta and Trifecta betting slips?
Yes. Tote currently provides betting slips for Exacta and Trifecta alongside its other main pool products.
Can I place a Swinger using a betting slip?
Yes. Tote currently lists Swinger among the products for which betting slips are available.
Can I select several horses on one Tote slip?
Yes, where the relevant bet allows combinations or multiple selections. Remember that this can create several betting lines and increase the total stake.
How do I calculate a multi-race Tote bet?
Multiply the number of selections in each leg. For example, 2 × 1 × 2 × 1 × 2 × 1 creates eight lines.
What if I complete the Tote slip incorrectly?
Check the slip before handing it over and then check the validated receipt. If you are unsure how to complete the bet, ask Tote staff before submitting it.
Is a Tote betting slip fixed odds?
No. The slip is simply a method of entering a Tote pool. Your eventual return depends on the relevant pool and dividend.
Is it easier to place Tote bets online?
Online betting can make complicated permutations easier because the number of lines and total stake are calculated before confirmation. Some racegoers still prefer using physical slips and Tote counters.
Summary
Tote betting slips provide a practical way to place pool bets while attending a racecourse.
Choose the slip for the pool you want to enter, use the correct racecard numbers, record your selections and stake, check the total cost and submit the completed slip at the Tote counter.
Always check the validated receipt and keep it safely.
Simple bets such as Tote Win require only a straightforward selection, while Exacta, Trifecta and multi-race bets can create several permutations.
Calculating those combinations before completing the slip helps you control the total stake and reduces the chance of errors.
For individual bet rules, use our detailed guides to Tote Place, Tote Exacta, Tote Trifecta, Tote Placepot and Tote Jackpot.
