Best Melbourne Cup Betting Sites in 2023

Theo Last Update: March 26, 2023

24 horses, 3200m and $8 million in prize money. That is the race that stops a nation in numbers, and you won’t find any better Melbourne Cup betting guides than this one.

Our page has all the info you need on the race format, finding the biggest odds and our Melbourne Cup betting advice might even help you find the winner!  

Top 7 Melbourne Cup Betting Sites in the UK

1

bet365

5/5

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Bet £10 Get £30 in Free Bets

CD365 Offer

Payment methods

24+

Withdrawal time

1-5 days

Minimum Deposit

5

Registration time

5

Licenses

United-kingdom Gibraltar Malta

Accepted Players

United Kingdom

Apps

Bonus Details

Open Account Offer

 

• • Available to new customers only. Make a qualifying deposit of £5* or more and claim the offer within 30 days of registering your account to qualify for 300% of that amount in Bet Credits, up to a maximum of £30* in Bet Credits. Once released your Bet Credits will be held in your account balance and are non-withdrawable
  • To release your Bet Credits for use, you must place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit (capped at £10*) and they must settle within 30 days of claiming the offer. Only qualifying bets settled after claiming the offer will count towards this requirement.
  • Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, paysafecard and all other prepaid credit and debit cards, where available, cannot be used for either your qualifying deposit or any subsequent withdrawal of returns from Bet Credits stakes unless we have successfully verified an accepted form of your Identity Documents and you have entered a Postal Verification Code (PVC), or we have successfully verified two accepted forms of your Identity Documents. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
  • Bets placed must meet certain conditions to count towards the release of your Bet Credits:
    – Must contain at least one selection at odds of 1/5 (1.20) or greater.
    – In market/fixture combinations that only have two or three potential outcomes (for example Soccer Full Time Result), where you have placed bets on more than one potential outcome, either pre-match or In-Play, only the outcome with your highest cumulative stake will count.
    – Where a stake has been partially Cashed Out, only the remaining active stake will count.
    – Where a bet has been edited using our Edit Bet feature, only the new stake on the new bet will count.
    – Fully Cashed Out, Instant Games, Gaming, void bets or In-Play bets which are settled as a push will not count.
  • Your Bet Credits are non-withdrawable, and Bet Credits stakes are not included in any returns. Any returns from Bet Credits placed will be added to your Withdrawable Balance. Bet Credits cannot be used on certain products, offers/promotions and bet types. See full Terms and Conditions for details.
  •  Your Bet Credits will be forfeit and removed if your account is inactive for 90 consecutive days.
  •  The code CD365 doesn’t change the welcome offer.

*or currency equivalent
T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.

#ad

Terms&Conditions

Open account offerNew Customers OnlyBet £10 & Get £30 in free betsSign-up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in free bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settledFree Bets are paid as Bet CreditsMin odds/bet and payment method exclusions applyReturns exclude Bet Credits stakeTime limits and T&Cs apply.18+ begambleaware.org • #ad*or currency equivalent

2

Betfair

5/5

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Get £30 in Free Bets

ZBGC01 Offer

Payment methods

13+

Withdrawal time

1-5 days

Minimum Deposit

10

Registration time

5

Licenses

United-kingdom Gibraltar Malta

Accepted Players

United Kingdom

Apps

Bonus Details

Key Terms:

• • New Customers Only. Must be 18+.
  • Deposit and bet £10 or more to receive a £30 free bet.
  • A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £/$10 placed on any sports markets
  • Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Exchange bets excluded.
  • Free bets credited within 24 hours after qualifying bet settlement and expire after 30 days
  • Free bet stakes not included in returns
  • Bets placed using free bets as the stake (in full or in part) will not qualify.
  • Offer excludes customers who make their first deposit using any method other than Credit/Debit Cards or Applepay.
  • Offer excludes customers who have not verified their phone number by SMS.

,

• The offer excludes the following bet types: Canadian, Goliath, Heinz, Lucky 15, Lucky 31, Lucky 63, Patent, Super Heinz, Trixie & Yankee.
• Full T&C’s apply – Gamble Responsibly .

Terms&Conditions

New Customer offer. Place a min £10 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of min 1/2 (1.5), get £30 in Free Bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly

3

Unibet

5/5

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Money Back as Bonus up to £40 if Your First Bet Loses + £10 Casino Bonus

Offer

Payment methods

17+

Withdrawal time

1-5 days

Minimum Deposit

10

Registration time

5

Licenses

United-kingdom Gibraltar Malta

Accepted Players

Japan Germany Sweden Chile Peru Argentina Bolivia El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Paraguay Dominican Republic Uruguay Nicaragua

Apps

Bonus Details

• £40 Money Back as Bonus on Your First Bet + £10 Casino Bonus.
• The minimum qualifying deposit is £10.
• You must wager your bonus money 3x to make it withdrawable at odds of 2/5 (1.40) in the Sportsbook, 25x for Casino.
• Your first bet is not considered to be a qualifying bet if betting on horse racing, greyhound racing, trotting, and/or virtual sports
• Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus
• The bonus will expire after 7 days of opt-in.
• No deposit required for NI customers
• This offer applies to your first bet only. If you win your first bet the bonus has been used. If you place a system bet only the first settled column of £10 or higher will count towards the bonus.
• New Customers Only. 18+, Further T&Cs Apply.

Terms&Conditions

18+ begambleaware.org. New customers only. Min deposit £10. Money back as bonus if first bet loses. Wagering requirements: sportsbook 3x at min. odds of 1.40 (2/5), casino 35x. Unless forfeited the sportsbook bonus must be wagered before using the casino bonus. Bonus expires 7 days after opt-in. No deposit required for NI customers. Call 08081699314 to claim. Full T&Cs apply.

4

888sport

4.5/5

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100% till 100cad

Offer

Payment methods

20+

Withdrawal time

3-10 days

Minimum Deposit

10

Registration time

5

Licenses

United-kingdom Gibraltar Malta Schleswig-holstein Spanien

Accepted Players

Canada

Apps

Bonus Details

100% of your first deposit up to $200 + $10 Casino Bonus!

• Minimum qualifying deposit: $10
• Maximum bonus amount: $200
• Payment method restrictions: Deposits made with PayPal, Entropay, Neteller, Paysafecard, and Skrill are not eligible for this promotion
• Sports Wagering requirement: 6x bonus amount
• Odds restrictions: 1.50 (1/2)
• Time limit: Wagering requirements must be met within 60 days
• Users must opt-in to this promotion
• Cashed out and voided bets do not contribute to the wagering requirements for this offer
• Once the bonus has been activated, users may not withdraw any funds until the wagering requirements have been completed
• This promotion is only available to users residing in Canada
• 18+, New Customers Only

Terms&Conditions

New Customers only • $10 min deposit • The bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least once with cumulative odds of 1.5 or greater • Wagering must be cleared within 60 days • This offer may not be combined with any other offer • Casino Bonus valid for selected games only • Bonus wins capped at $500, exc. JP wins • To withdraw bonus & related wins, wager 30 x (bonus amount) • Wagering requirements vary by game Full T&C’s apply

5

BetVictor

5/5

Read BetVictor review >

100% till 100cad

Offer

Payment methods

8+

Withdrawal time

5 days

Minimum Deposit

5

Registration time

5

Licenses

United-kingdom Gibraltar

Apps

Bonus Details

100% Matched Free Bet Up To $100

• Max. Bonus Amount: $100
• Min. Odds for Qualifying Bet: 2.00
• Qualifying bet must be placed within 7 days of registering your account
• Restricted Payment Methods: PaySafe, Skrill, Neteller
• Cashed Out or Partially Cashed Out bets are not considered to be qualifying bets
• Void bets, Special Markets, BetBoosts, and Enhanced Accas are not considered to be qualifying bets
• Free Bet Rules
  • Free bets can be used on any sports
  • Your free bet can be used on a whole bet, or a number of smaller bets
  • Profit Limit: Amount of stake
  • Free bets will expire within 7 days
• No Wagering Requirements apply to this promotion
• 18+ New Customers only
• Residents of Canada only
• Full Terms and Conditions apply

Terms&Conditions

New Customers opt in, deposit and bet up to $100 at odds of 2.00 or greater within 7 days of registration, excludes cashed out bets. Matched bonus paid in free bets; 7 day expiry. Offer valid from 09:00GMT on 23/12/2019. Payment cards only. Geo Restrictions. T&Cs Apply See Below. Please Gamble Responsibly. 18+ .

6

William Hill

5/5

Read William Hill review >

Bet £10, Get £30

P30 Offer

Payment methods

40+

Withdrawal time

10 days

Minimum Deposit

10

Registration time

5

Licenses

United-kingdom Gibraltar Malta

Accepted Players

Costa Rica Japan Spain Sweden Mexico Chile Peru Argentina Bolivia Colombia El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Dominican Republic Uruguay Venezuela

Apps

Bonus Details

Key Terms:

• Only available to new William Hill customers in the UK or Ireland;
• Customers must sign up using Promo Code P30;
• Only one ‘new account offer’ per person, household address, email address, debit/credit card number, or IP address is allowed;
• Duplicate accounts will not qualify for this offer;
• This Promotion is not available to new accounts depositing funds with Entropay, Paypal, Neosurf, iDeal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill, ecoPayz, Kalibra/Postpay;
• Offer will run from 00:01 on 12 November 2019 until 23:59 on 31 March 2020;
• Only available for customers who deposit in GBP pounds (£) sterling or Euro (€) currencies;
• Qualifying bet must be placed with a unit stake of £10/€10 or greater;
• For bets placed as an Each Way bet, only the win part for the bet will count towards to offer;
• Qualifying bet must be placed at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater;
• Qualifying bet must be placed on the William Hill Sportsbook site only;
• Qualifying bet must be struck using funds from your main balance;
• Qualifying bet can be pre-match or in-play;
• Cash in my bet is not available for bets placed that trigger a free bet as part of a promotion until at least one selection has been resulted or is In-Play. At this point, Cash in my bet will become available as long as all the other availability conditions are met;
• Free bets will be paid as 2 x £15/€15 denominations;
• Free bets can be used on any sportsbook product (excluding tote, pool, and lottery bets);
• Free bets will be available for 30 days;
• Free Bet is non-refundable and may not be withdrawn;
• Free Bet stake will be excluded from any winnings;
• Free Bet cannot be partially redeemed;
• Cash in my bet will be available for bets placed using a free bet (minus the value of the initial free bet);
• Player, country, currency, Market restrictions and terms apply.

Terms&Conditions

New customers using Promo Code P30 only, min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15 (30 days expiry), free bet/payment method/player/country restrictions apply.

Bet on the Melbourne Cup with Paddy Power

Firmly established as a household name in the UK, Paddy Power is Sportsbetting24’s number one Melbourne Cup betting site. They have live Melbourne Cup streaming available and all you need to do to qualify to watch the race live is place a minimum £1 bet. Paddy Power is also a rock-solid choice if you want to find the best Melbourne Cup odds.

Anyone that is considering having an each-way flutter on the Melbourne Cup should always check out Paddy Power. They are renowned for running lots of Melbourne Cup specials and chances are you’ll be able to get extra places for e/w bets. With an excellent selection of markets available too, Paddy Power have every angle covered for those who want to bet on the Melbourne Cup.

Recommended Melbourne Cup Betting Markets

Anyone interested in Melbourne Cup betting should know what options are available to them. Punters already familiar with horse racing will be aware of the most popular markets like win or each-way, two markets that are good starting points for beginners and novices as you can see in our risk table* below.

Forecasts and tricasts are slightly more complicated and a lot riskier but on the upside, you will have a chance of landing a huge return for a small investment. For example, if you had just £1 on the winning trifecta in the 2019 Melbourne Cup you would have won £2953.40! Other options include Betting without the fav and match betting, both considerably less risky propositions than forecasts or tricasts.

(*risk can be managed, not volatility)

Betting Advice

• The Draw With a field of 24 runners, the draw is particularly important in the Melbourne Cup. Even over such a long distance it is important to get a good racing position early. If your horse gets trapped out wide or meets traffic problems on the inside it will greatly hinder their chances. That is why it often pays to back horses that are drawn in the middle, somewhere between stall 5 and 14 ideally.
• The Ground Another very influential factor to strongly consider when you bet on the Melbourne Cup is the ground. When you look at a horse’s form you’ll be able to see whether they are more effective on dry, quick ground or on wet, soft ground. Many horses are ground dependent and there is no point backing a mud lark on good to firm. So, keep a close eye on the weather forecast and only back horses that are ground versatile ante-post.
• Staying Power The Melbourne Cup is run over a distance of 2 miles, an exceptionally long trip for a flat race. On any ground, but particularly if it is soft, the winner of the Melbourne Cup will need plenty of stamina reserves. A number of the main trials are run over shorter distances so watch out for horses that were staying on at the finish in those races. They will appreciate the longer distance in the big one and you’ll usually get decent odds on horses with that profile too.
• European Raiders One stat that cannot be ignored is the strike rate of horses that are trained (or were trained) in France, Ireland or the UK. Melbourne Cup past winners, including Cross Counter (2018 UK), Rekindling (2017 Ireland), Protectionist (2014 Germany) and Fiorente (2013 UK) were all trained or formerly trained in Europe. So, make sure to look very closely at any horses that have made the long trip to Australia for the Melbourne Cup.

Finding the Best Melbourne Cup Betting Odds

To demonstrate the importance of spending the time on finding the best odds we have included a Melbourne Cup odds comparison table*. This table shows the odds for the 2020 edition and it enables us to easily compare and contrast the prices on offer from three of the best Melbourne Cup betting sites (888Sport, Unibet and Paddy Power).

Horse Name	888Sport	Unibet	Paddy Power
Russian Camelot	7/1 (8.0)	6/1 (7.0)	7/1 (8.0)
Surprise Baby	8/1 (9.0)	8/1 (9.0)	15/2 (8.50)
Tiger Moth	10/1 (11.0)	10/1 (11.0)	10/1 (11.0)
Ashrun	16/1 (17.0)	16/1 (17.0)	16/1 (17.0)
Anthony Van Dyck	20/1 (21.0)	16/1 (17.0)	20/1 (21.0)
Verry Elleegant	20/1 (21.0)	16/1 (17.0)	25/1 (26.0)
Master Of Wine	25/1 (26.0)	14/1 (15.0)	25/1 (26.0)
*Odds For Display Purposes Only

Verry Elleegant provides the perfect example of why shopping around is so important. This mare was 16/1 (17.0) with Unibet, 20/1 (21.0) with 888Sport and 25/1 (26.0) with Paddy Power. If you had £20 win on with Unibet you’d get £340 back if she won, whereas with Paddy Power the return would be £520! 

On this occasion, both 888Sport and Paddy Power had the best Melbourne Cup betting odds for 6 of the 7 horses listed. Unibet fared worst of all and were best price about just 3 of the runners. We strongly recommend checking the odds at all of the bookies that make our top 7 Melbourne Cup betting sites list before you put your hard-earned cash down.

Event Format

The Melbourne Cup is part of the annual Spring Carnival at Flemington Racecourse in Australia. It is the highlight of the 4 day festival and one of the most valuable turf races on the planet with a total prize fund of $8 million. That is a huge pot in comparison to the £1 million on offer for the Aintree Grand National. The race distance is 3200m, which is a shade under 2 miles, and it is a handicap. Other important races held during the Spring Carnival include the Victoria Derby, VRC Oaks and VRC Stakes.

As we highlighted in our Melbourne Cup betting advice there are a number of factors that need to be considered when having a bet, including the draw and the ground. If the horse you fancy starts from a favourable barrier and gets their ideal ground, don’t be afraid to increase your stake. Alternatively, if your horse has a poor draw and is unproven on the ground then proceed with caution and reduce your stakes accordingly.

Past Winners

• Prince Of Penzance pulled off a massive shock win at 100/1 in 2015 when Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup.
• No owner has won the Melbourne Cup more than Lloyd Williams (6) so always watch out for horses racing in his blue and white colours.
• Bart Cummings (12) is the leading trainer in the race while jockeys Bobby Lewis and Harry White have 4 wins each.
• The record winning time in the Melbourne Cup was set by Kingston Rule in 1990 when he scorched to victory in 3m 16.30s.
• Don’t just focus on the favourite in the Melbourne Cup as only 34 have won in the past (23%).

The History of the Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup has a long and rich history. First run in 1861, 17 went to post and Archer was the winner. He became the first multiple winner of the race when he won it again the following year. The Melbourne Cup Spring Carnival was introduced in 1869 and in 1875 the race was held on the first Tuesday in November for the first time. That remains the start date of the race to this day and race-day is a National Holiday in Victoria. The race is currently sponsored by Lexus, who succeeded Emirates as the main sponsors in 2018.

In 1972 the race distance was shortened to 3200m from 3218.6m and there was a shock result with 40/1 shot Piping Lane winning. The first woman to ride in the race was Maree Lyndon in 1987 while the first Northern Hemisphere trained winner was Vintage Crop for Irish trainer Dermot Weld and jockey Mick Kinane. In 2005 Makybe Diva made history when she became the first horse to win the Melbourne Cup for the third time.

The Melbourne Cup Spring Carnival is one of 6 ‘Carnival’ racing festivals held during the year in Australia. It is preceded by the Bendigo Carnival and followed by the Sandown Carnival. The Melbourne Cup official website is worth visiting if you are looking for up to date info on this year’s edition.