Tote Review
Craig Jones 
Tote Review
A mainstay of the British betting landscape for over 80 years, Tote can be credited to Sir Winston Churchill. Indeed, Tote was run by the UK government as opposed to being a run-of-the-mill bookmaker.
Tote's origins date back to 1928, and Churchill masterminded it. His motivation was to create a safe environment for UK punters. At the time, betting was unregulated. However, by the 1990s, Tote teamed up with notable sports betting operators such as Ladbrokes and William to offer their Tote betting product.
Over the years, numerous attempts were made to sell the UK Tote group, and there was a bid lodged by the banking powerhouse Lloyds.
Betfred was also in contention, and after several failed bids, they eventually got their way. They tabled an offer of £265 million accepted by then Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who later served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Politics aside, Betfred pledged to stump up more money to the British Horseracing industry, and Tote has benefitted. Up until 2018, Tote had access to 60 UK racecourses. While its future remains unclear, it is thought that the Jockey Club and the Arena Racing Company (ARC) are lining up a move to gain full rights to pool betting at its racetracks.
Regulated by the UKGC (United Kingdom Gambling Commission), Tote has several brand ambassadors on its books offering insights on domestic flat and jumps racing.
Compared to Paddy Power, bet365, and BoyleSports, Tote has surpassed many reputable betting sites with the quality of horse racing cards and offers.
Such weekly bet offers like the Stayers Club give players Tote credit when placing six or more wagers in a week, and it has a passing resemblance to the Betway loyalty club.
The Stayers Club makes things worthwhile. Punters can refunded stakes on losing Placepots and multiples, and qualifying bets can be used on exactas, trifectas, and swingers (no, not that kind!). More to follow later.
Unlike some betting sites which focus solely on fixed odds, Tote's pool betting means you aren't betting against the bookmaker. Instead, you are pitting your wits against fellow punters, and the money is split in the prize pot.
It's best to frame pool betting as a betting exchange like Spreadex and Betfair, except at those betting sites, you can place a lay bet which means you are wagering on something not to happen.
Don't worry, Tote isn't just about UK and Irish racing. No, Tote offers an abundance of sports for punters to sink their teeth into. In the following section, I will explore what makes Tote such an appealing option discussing markets and bet types.
User Experience - My Personal View
For my Tote review, user experience is sacrosanct. My early impression of the Tote website is that it looks stylish, and there were no lagging issues.
Wits its red hue, you would be forgiven for thinking it has copied Ladbrokes, but that is where the comparison ends. Ladbrokes has unique features, such as Lucky Dip applied to football and NFL, but Tote is short on customised features.
On closer inspection, while the Tote website plugs markets and is well signposted, however, I felt at times I was clicking on dead links. More specifically, I'm referring to the FAQs section which didn't initially work when I clicked it, but perseverance paid off. That said, there are plenty of guides and resources available for novice bettors to wade through.
The app mirrored many of the same desktop features, and it has garnered great reviews on Google Play and the App Store. Over 2,000 reviews have been posted by Android users, and it averaged 4.5 stars out of 5. Some said it was their preferred bookmaker in what has become a crowded market. The iOS app fared marginally better (4.6 stars), and it's clear some customers value pool betting.
Surprisingly, the app only seemed to promote the Tote horse racing offers, including money back deals for selected meetings. To view the offering of other sports, I had to be logged in or create a Tote account. Sometimes, sticking to the desktop is better than going down the app route.
While betting powerhouses bet365 and BetVictor have honed in on their mobile product, Tote has plenty going for it, and this was a rare instance where the desktop is better than the app despite the positive reviews.
I feel Tote is missing key customized features such as odds boosts and requesting specials which keeps punters engaged. Tote won't want to miss the boat, so it should look to implement similar features moving forward.
Tote Betting Markets & Odds
In terms of sports coverage, Tote offers an abundance of sporting disciplines for which punters can place bets. Tote offers 28 sports, and NASCAR caught my attention, but there are ample outrights advertised. The extent of motorsport coverage at Betfred, for example, was limited to just F1.
In many respects, this is a core strength of Tote as it has tried to broaden its horizons rather than restrict itself to horse racing.
In-play betting at Tote is eye-catching. It has followed in Kwiff's footsteps by providing immersive graphics and a breakdown of stats. With tennis, punters can wager on set or game scores in real-time. There will be a tale of the tape assessing the matchup, and there will be point-by-point coverage, so pretty in-depth in my opinion.
The odds are middle-of-the-road, and while there is Cash Out available, again you need to have a fully registered account, and you can keep tabs on your betting history. I believe it is quite similar to bet365 or Paddy Power where you can cash out stakes in their entirety or partially.
I was very impressed with the bet builder betting feature. This ranks well compared to bet builder supremos BetVictor. At Tote, you can find over 200 markets plugged for football's biggest competitions. Take the Champions League. Ahead of Arsenal vs PSG, you could roll total goals over/under, first or second-half results, and BTTS (Both Teams to Score) into a single wager. Better still, there are great combo bets available, such as a Team to Win & BTTS, so I wasn't stuck for choice!
I would like to add Tote has some unique horse racing bet types. You may have heard of exactas and trifectas, but Swings are novel. I touched on this earlier, but Swingers refers to picking two horses to finish in any of the first three of a race which provides a different dimension. It is available for selected UK horse races, however, I couldn't find this at other betting sites, so it is a USP.
There is live streaming, but disappointingly, that was limited to horse racing. You can stream all races including replays without placing a bet. However, I would like to see Tote expand their coverage despite its inherent racing expertise.
Tote has tried to up its game over the past few years. However, a few more personalised features wouldn't go amiss if it wants to break into the top bracket of bookies.
Tote Betting Bonuses and Promotions
I couldn't curate an in-depth review of Tote without referencing the bonuses and promotions. The flagship offer is A Bet £10 Get £30 in Tote credit. This is broken down into £30 Tote credit for sports and horse racing bets, and 20 free spins are thrown into the mix.
The current raft of promotions are horse racing-oriented, but it is a bit light for general sports promos. Yes, there are seasonal promos such as Champions League placepots, but you won't find much in the way of odds boosts or acca insurance sadly.
Horse racing fans get the better end of the deal with Tote's version of a BOG (Best Odds Guaranteed). At the Stayers Club, you can bet on six races in a week and earn Tote credit. When you open a Tote account, be aware as eligibility restrictions apply.
Tote Welcome Bonus Review
The flagship welcome deal comprises a Bet £10 Get £30 in free bets which is broken down into Tote credit redeemable across all sports, and 20 free spins.
One of the key benefits of Tote credit are the qualifying tote races available for this deal, including 'Ten to Follow', Toteexacta, and more. Be aware free bets expire within seven days of being credited.
What is the Tote Betting Promo Code?
Often a promo code needs to be inputted during the sign-up process, however, at Tote there was no bonus code connected to the offer.
Tote Payment Details
Unlike most other betting operators, Tote only has one type of betting payment method to speak of (debit cards), but we have highlighted the deposit timeframes and withdrawal amounts.
Deposit Methods
| Payment Method | Minimum Amount | Maximum Amount | Processing Time |
| Debit card (VISA) | £5 | N/A | Instant |
| Debit card (MasterCard | £5 | N/A | Instant |
Withdrawal Methods
| Payment Method | Minimum Amount | Maximum Amount | Processing Time |
| Debit card (VISA) | £5 | £12,000 | 3-5 Days |
| Debit card (MasterCard) | £5 | £12,000 | 3-5 Days |
Customer Service at Tote
Tote exceeds expectations. Customer support is available through a live chat facility, phone, and email which betters most operators that have just live chat and email. Open 7 days a week from 8am-midnight, a member of the Tote customer support team will handle any lingering concerns you may have, and they were very efficient.
The FAQs area was a bit messy as Tote just spewed out general questions. At most other sites such as Ladbrokes and William Hill, questions are split into categories such as promotions and accounts, making it easier to pinpoint issues rather than scrolling up and down the page. This is something Tote needs to address.
Responsible Gambling at Tote
As part of my Tote review summary, I've also inferred to Responsible Gambling. Tote clearly signposts Safe Gambling, and I've highlighted some of the tools available:
- Deposit Limits - Limits can be set for seven days, 24 hours, or even 30 days. Limits range from £25-£1,000, but this is something most top UK betting sites incorporate.
- Reality check - You can have a reality notification set up to warn you if you have spent too long gambling. This is quite handy.
- Net Loss Limits - These are set by Tote, and they help customers play safely. These can be adjusted based on deposits and withdrawals carried out over the past 30 days. You can reach out to the customer support team if you wish to adjust these.
Tote is also connected to gambling charities that can help players get their habits under control, offering free advice. Among the organisations gamblers can speak to, include GambleAware and GamCare.
Meanwhile, as a UKGC-licensed betting operator, Tote takes security very seriously, adhering to all the latest SSL protocols and all transactions are encrypted.
My Verdict
I have to admit there are quite a few aspects of Tote that chime with me, such as the Stayers Club and other promos that are horse racing related. This is one of the cornerstones of the site along with unique betting types, such as Swingers.
Tote has taken steps to try and diversify its product offering in terms of sports coverage, however, the live streaming needs to be more prominent and the FAQs area is a shortcoming in terms of presentation.
Nevertheless, Tote is doing its best to make an impression in a highly competitive environment. If you like pool betting, and particularly horse racing, Tote is a trusted destination.
FAQs
What is pool betting?
Pools betting is a form of betting where every player's stake is combined into a single pot and the winnings will be divided between those who make correct outcomes. Players won't be competing directly against the bookmaker.
How many sports can you bet on at Tote?
Tote has an impressive range of sports to bet on. You can wager on 28 different sports at Tote, including niche ones such as NASCAR.
What is the Tote sign-up offer?
Tote's offer is a Bet £10 Get £30 in Tote credit and there are 20 free spins thrown in too. There isn't a promo code attached to this offer.
What other promotions does Tote have?
Apart from its flagship deal, Tote runs a series of horse-racing-related offers, such as Money Back and multiples, but other sports deals are tournament-based, so these change regularly.
