How Many Places Does Betfred Pay in Horse Racing and Sports Betting?

Ever been so certain your outsider would sneak a place at Cheltenham, only to check the results and realize your bookie paid one less spot than expected? Welcome to the maddening world of ‘places paid’ — a detail punters forget about until it stings. With Betfred, it’s even more important to know exactly how many places are paid in each race or event because it can change everything for your bet. Now let's see how this works and how you can actually use it to your advantage before your next flutter.

Understanding Each Way Bets and Betfred’s Place Terms

To start, let’s untangle what ‘places paid’ even means in sports betting — and why it matters so much at Betfred. When you back something each way, your bet is split: half your stake goes on your selection to win and the other half to finish in a place. A ‘place’ can mean second, third, fourth, or even further down the field, depending on the rules set for that event. With Betfred, the number of places paid isn’t set in stone. It changes depending on the sport, the size of the field, and sometimes the promotion of the day.

If you’re betting on horse racing — which is where the whole each way thing is most popular — here’s the basic rule: for races with up to 4 runners, you don’t actually get a place payout; you can only win. For races with 5–7 runners, Betfred pays out on 2 places. Get into bigger fields — 8 runners or more — and now Betfred usually offers 3 places. For those huge handicaps, like a Grand National with 16 or more horses, they bump it up to 4. During high-profile meetings (think Cheltenham, Royal Ascot), Betfred often throws in promotions where the paying field expands further — sometimes 5, 6, or even 7 places. You have to check their promotions page or the race terms which are shown right next to the race name in your Betfred app or website. Missing this line could mean missing out on a payout when your horse noses into an extended place. Don’t wing it — always check the terms for each event before you hit ‘Place Bet’.

Here’s where it gets real: if a horse is withdrawn on the day, which happens a lot, the number of runners drops and Betfred might recalculate the places paid based on the new field size. Bookies have this baked into their terms and Betfred is no different. If you ever wonder why you didn’t get paid when your nag finished fourth, only to realise a late scratch meant only three places were being paid, it’s because the field shrank below the threshold. It’s a real gut punch if you were banking on those extra payout slots, but it’s always there in the small print.

Let’s make this super clear with some simple numbers. See this handy chart for how Betfred typically pays out in UK and Irish horse races:

Remember, this is the default, not the rule for every race! Promotions can extend these numbers, and sometimes Betfred will set different ‘fractions of odds’ for places depending on what day it is or if there’s a festival meeting. Always check the race card for the up-to-date offer.

If you thought this was just for the UK, think again — international races, greyhounds, and even virtual racing all have their own place rules on Betfred. For example, a 10-runner greyhound race could pay just 2 places, while a monster field sprint in Australia could suddenly offer a promo with 5 paid spots. There’s no one-rule-fits-all, so keep your eyes peeled.

Even if you just treat betting as fun, knowing these little details means you’ll have less surprise, more control, and probably fewer swears when you check your account after the race.

How Betfred Place Terms Vary Across Sports and Events

Let’s move past horse racing. What about the other stuff — football, golf, tennis, or those wild novelty bets on reality TV? This is where Betfred’s place terms get even more interesting. In golf, for example, the standard is top 5 for the majors (like The Masters or The Open), usually paid at 1/4 or 1/5 of the player’s odds. But flip over to a regular lower-profile event, and you might only get top 3. But — and it’s a big but — when there’s a major happening, or Betfred is running a boosted offer, you could see them paying out to 7, 8, or even 10 places, especially early in the week or close to tee-off. That’s massive for a sport where just making the cut in the top 6 or 7 can mean a payout running into triple digits at long odds.

With football, each way betting isn’t as common, but you’ll see ‘places paid’ for things like top — scorer or outright betting at tournaments. In the Premier League top scorer market, Betfred usually pays the first 4, sometimes 5 places, with odds at 1/4. But let’s say the Euros come around and Betfred wants to grab attention — boom, suddenly 6 places might be paid instead. That difference can make you profit whether your pick wins or only just makes the leaderboard, so pay attention to the advertised places when betting futures.

Tennis tournaments work similarly for outright bets. If you back someone each way for Wimbledon, Betfred will usually pay for finalists (winner and runner-up; i.e. 2 places), sometimes 4 depending on their offer.

Want a weird one? The Betfred Grand National. This is always the big daddy for extra places. The standard is 4 but over the last 5 years, it’s almost a guarantee Betfred will stretch to 6 or even 7 paid spots with their festival promo. The same applies to Cheltenham, Epsom Derby, big golf majors, or any event where everyone suddenly becomes an expert punter overnight.

This is what really sets Betfred apart from the crowd — they’re one of the first to boost the places when there’s a huge field or a headline event coming up. Bookmakers know punters care about this, and Betfred’s marketing team is no slouch when it comes to putting the promo banner front and center.

Now, here’s the catch you may not spot at first: extended places usually come with slightly smaller place odds. For example, if the normal place odds would be 1/4, but now 6 or 7 places are paid, they might drop it to 1/5 or even 1/6 the odds. That means your payout for a fourth, fifth, or sixth will be smaller in relation to your stake, but many punters accept this for the extra chance of cashing in. It really comes down to what you want — a bigger payout for fewer spots, or a better shot at any payout with slimmer returns.

Even for novelty bets — like next X-Factor winner, politics, or Eurovision — Betfred will sometimes pay out to extra places, especially if there’s a massive field or one super-short favourite. You’ll spot details in the event rules or by clicking the ‘?’ icon next to the market. Don’t assume; always check place terms for each bet, unless you like handing free money to the bookies.

There are live odds trackers who chart how bookies shift their places up and down through the day as money rolls in, or if a rival offers something better. Basically, that means you can shop around for the best value, because Betfred will jump in with extra places at the busiest betting times — often just a few hours before the start. If you’re on the ball, this is one of the simplest ways to get more value from your bets without changing your selections at all.

How to Get the Best out of Betfred’s Place Payouts

If you want those place payouts working harder for you, it’s not rocket science — but it does pay to follow a few street-smart tips I’ve learned over seven years sweating over longshots and dead-heat heartbreakers.

First, never assume the default. Always check the exact place terms before you bet, because the biggest changes come during special promos, headline events, or after non-runner declarations. Betfred is quick to update their app and website, so what you see at the market is what you’ll get. Make it a habit, like locking your door at night — pointless gamble otherwise.

Second, hunt down the extra place races every morning. Especially at festivals, Betfred might single out three or four races where they’ve stretched the places — and it’s always labelled with ‘Extra Place’ or ‘Enhanced Place Terms’. These races offer punters a real shot at nicking a tidy payout with horses just outside the favourites. Jump on these when the odds haven’t been cut too far; every edge matters.

Third, use a results tracker or place calculator. With so many promotions, slips, and late non-runners, it helps to double-check what you’re owed after the race. Several free tools online let you plug in your stake and odds then flag the right payout rule, so you can quickly spot if Betfred goofed or if your memory’s playing tricks. Don’t be shy about contacting customer support either — they’re usually quick to clarify payouts if you point out a potential miss.

Fourth, understand the dead-heat rule. If two or more selections draw for the same place, Betfred splits the payout based on how many tie and the places available. For example, if there’s a dead-heat for third but only three paid spots, your place payout drops to just half or a third depending on how many tie. This rule is universal across bookies, but don’t get blindsided — those dead-heat calculators will save your bacon.

Fifth, weigh up whether to take the short or long odds. Sometimes chasing the bigger place payout at standard terms (say, three spots at 1/4 odds) is better if your gut says your selection can actually win or land in the frame against a weaker field. If you’re on an outsider, or just hoping for a minor miracle (like I often do with a fiver on a 100/1 shot at Cheltenham every year), jump on the races with extra places even with reduced odds. You’re playing for the miracle slice rather than the grand slam.

If you’re a numbers lover, Betfred has paid out on as many as 7 places at the Grand National in recent years, and their enhanced terms during Cheltenham and Royal Ascot have seen payouts on 6 or more in at least a dozen other big handicaps. Statisticians reckon that boosted place terms convert as much as 17% more bets into some form of return, compared to standard payouts. Think about that: over a busy festival, that’s three times as many punters leaving with a smile or a pint.

Finally, always check for Betfred’s latest boosted place offers either in their app “Promotions” tab, on the banners, or (if you’re nostalgic like me) in the window of your local Betfred shop. These can drop with no warning on the morning of the race, especially if the competition heats up. Swoop in quick — like the early seagull getting the chip on Blackpool pier.

To wrap up, knowing exactly how many places does Betfred pay in each bet is one of those details that will turn you from a mug punter into one who shaves the odds and celebrates when nobody else around you is cheering. Get into the habit of checking the terms just before you bet, chase the extra place races at big meetings, keep an eye on dead-heats, and never be shy about grabbing an edge when Betfred offers more than the rest. The difference can easily turn a ‘hard-luck’ story into the best result of your betting week. Next time you’re at the counter or on your mobile, remember: always double-check, because with Betfred, those extra places can mean extra cash in your pocket.