Horse racing betting sites in France

Horse racing, or "Turf" as it is called often in France, always have been part of the French identity. There are 5 legal horse racing betting sites in France and only one of them are available in English. Historically, PMU has been the largest and oldest site but in recent years, 4 new operators arrived in the market. In order to help you chose the best french horse racing betting site, we compare them here by language, features, apps and offers.

List of all horse racing betting sites in France

Amongst the 5 legal horses racing betting sites in France, one of them are available in English which could make them more appealing for you. The other 4 are only available in French.

Horse racing betting site available in English

  1. Zeturf : the specialist, which, unlike the other four, focuses solely on horse racing. It offers a first deposit doubled in free bets, up to €100.

Horse racing betting sites available in French only

  1. PMU : the historical site in France. It is well-known and well-established in the minds of the French. It offers €100 in free bets upon registration.
  2. Genybet : the site originally created for horse racing (that also do sports now), and this is reflected in its extensive expertise: up to €200 offered in freebets.
  3. Unibet: the most comprehensive choice of all horse racing events as well as the most attractive welcome offer on the market with €20 refunded in cash if the first bet loses.
  4. Betclic : the perfect site for beginner punters with its quick and easy to use application and €100 free bets offered if the first bet is lost.

French horse racing betting sites compared

Categories Zeturf PMU Genybet Unibet Betclic
Available in English
iOS & Android app
Livestream
Horse racing expertise
Freebets upon registration€100€100€20
Freebets after losing 1st bet€100
Cash after losing 1st bet€20
Website

Until a few years ago, PMU was the only legal horse race betting site in France. Today, it is a market open to competition, and that is rather good news. Why is this plurality of sites a good thing for players? In a competitive market, operators must offer you preferential offers in order to stand out. This means: welcome bonuses and regular promotions. In addition, this allows the horse racing world to become more democratic for a wider audience. There is no longer any need to spend your time at the racetrack or at your tobacconist to bet, today, you can do everything with your phone. These 5 operators are the only ones approved by the ANJ, and therefore legal in France.

Do you want to know more about each of the bookmakers?

Best apps to bet on horse racing

Bookmaker Google Play Store Users reviews
PMU Turf bonus
PMU Turf bonus
PMU Turf
4.5/5

4.5 / 5
(on more than 87k reviews)
Users reviews
Francis Coqueley
"The app is quite easy to use. However, the winnings on the races that have just been completed only appear randomly (?)... You have to go further into your account to get the information, and in a less user-friendly way (in table form). And there is missing information when you search for the horses' previous races (de-shoeing in harness racing or weight in galloping, for example)""

Unibet Turf bonus
Unibet Turf bonus
Unibet Turf
4.5/5

4.4 / 5
(on more than 32k reviews)
Users reviews
Bob Geldoff
"It's a shame that the app fills the entire screen of the smartphone, we would have liked to be able to see our toolbar without playing with the keys each time, moreover if we take too long to validate a single or combined bet that is in the betslip, it disappears after a few minutes if we are disconnected or no longer have a network etc..."

Betclic Turf bonus
Betclic Turf bonus
Betclic Turf
4.2/5

4.6 / 5
(on more than 2k reviews)
Users reviews
Julien BUISSON
"Good but needs improvement. As a player on a betting app, I'm completely disoriented. But after a few days, everything is fine. You just need to be able to add your horses to your favorites, and a summary of the predictions could also be useful. Saving the sorting status seems like a good point that shouldn't be overlooked (odds, number). Overall, nothing to report, it does the job. "

Genybet Turf bonus
Genybet Turf bonus
Genybet Turf
4.1/5

4.3 / 5
(on more than 1.5k reviews)
Users reviews
Kevin HENRY
"The app does the job but there are several points to improve: - history: the app does not always display all the bets, I regularly have bets in progress that do not appear in the app but are clearly visible on the website - when we are on the page of a race, it would be good to see what our current bets are on this race. - when we have bet on a horse that becomes a non-runner, I would like to receive a notification so that I have time to cancel and place a new bet."

Zeturf bonus
Zeturf bonus
Zeturf
4.3/5

4.4 / 5
(on more than 1.5k reviews)
Users reviews
Patrick Saillard
"Still bugs with the fingerprint login, having to re-enter the password every time I log in or almost. I uninstalled and re-installed, nothing works. Otherwise, for betting, nothing to say. The app is great except that there is still a big bug, tired of re-entering the password 4 times a day. I gave it 5 stars, apparently the bug is fixed. I think it's the best app on the market. Too bad you can't play trios with reduced stakes. Otherwise, nothing to say."

The challenge here isn't to know which app works best technically, but rather which one will best meet your needs as a player. To achieve this feat, I asked myself which app players prefer. I compared the app ratings on the App Store and the Google Play Store, and, as you'll see, the ratings are very similar. So how can you differentiate between them and find the right one? You'll need to ask yourself a few questions to help you choose:

  • Do I want the best odds?
  • Do I want to bet with the number 1 horse racing betting site in France?
  • Do I want the best bonus?
  • Do I want advice on how to place my bets?

These are the types of questions that will help you find the right operator. Note that PMU is the most downloaded app in France by players. It still benefits from its very strong anchoring on the national territory and in the minds of players despite an opening to competition made several years ago.

I have also read hundreds of comments, and, for the most part, these 5 applications are very appreciated by their users. Customer services are responsive, applications fluid and the odds are clearer than for sports betting for example.

PMU has many mobile apps


There are 4 PMU applications to bet:

  • PMU.fr - Horse racing betting: bet online on horse races;

  • PMU + - Turf : to bet at physical shop while avoiding queues. It allows you to prepare all your bets on your phone and then validate them using a QR code. This is similar to a terminal at a racetrack;

  • PMU sports : for sports betting;

  • PMU Poker : to play poker.

Offers and promotions for horse racing bets

Now it's time to take a look at the various sign-up offers offered by horse racing betting sites. This is one of the major features highly sought after and eagerly awaited by players. Let's take a look at what our five horse racing betting sites have to offer:

Horse racing welcome bonus available in English

  1. Zeturf : 1st deposit doubled in freebets up to €100 : 50% upon account opening and 50% upon account confirmation. These horse racing freebets are valid for 6 months. Your real money deposits must be wagered at least once before being withdrawn.

Horse racing welcome bonuses available in French only

  1. PMU : €100 in horse racing freebets upon registration : 50% upon account opening and 50% upon account confirmation. These horse racing freebets are valid for 15 days and cannot be split. Please note, however, that it is not possible to combine the horse racing welcome bonus and sports betting.
  2. Unibet : €20 cash refunded if the first bet loses (within 48 hours). There are no minimum odds on the bet, provided it's a single bet (if you place a combined bet, the refund will be made on the first combination). The added bonus: you can benefit from the welcome offer on horse racing, sports betting, and poker.
  3. Betclic : €100 in free races (equivalent to free beets = non-withdrawable game credits) offered if the first bet loses. There are no minimum odds or special conditions, it's safe for any type of bet. Important to note, however, that like PMU, it is not possible to combine the horse racing welcome bonus and sports betting, you will have to choose.
  4. Genybet : Up to €20 in free bets offered after the first deposit and an additional €10 in free bets after account validation (within 15 days of opening the account). Then, you'll have €170 to unlock by betting on races. How? You'll receive 10% of your bets over 60 days (maximum €20 the first week, then €30, €50, and €70 to finish).

NB: As you browse the various sites, you will read and hear about freebets, horse racing freebets or freeraces. Note that these terms refer to the same product: non-withdrawable gaming credits.

Promotions

There isn't a huge catalog of promotions like you might find with sports betting. However, the two bookmakers that stand out with weekly and monthly offers are Genybet and Unibet.

You'll find new offers every week on their sites, such as Unibet's "horse races" which reward top bettors, or Genybet's "challenges" which offer additional winnings on major races.

Learn more about the 5 horse racing betting sites available in France

Zeturf, the horse racing specialist

Available in English

Quick overview : this is the ultimate horse racing specialist. This is all it offers in its catalog, and it's the only one to do so. It offers a complete experience, as close as possible to owners, trainers, and jockeys. It's at the heart of the action all year round, and it has experts on hand to give you the most up-to-date information and guide you in your betting during races.

Welcome offer : 1st deposit doubled in freebets up to €100 : 50% upon account opening and 50% upon account confirmation. These horse racing freebets are valid for 6 months.

The plus : their expertise dedicated to horse racing. They don't spread themselves too thin; they're in horse racing betting and they do it well.

The downside : its lack of diversity if you are a poker and sports betting player.

PMU, the historic player

Available in French only

Quick introduction : as you know, it's the historic player in horse racing in France . It has physical points of sale all over the country. It is the oldest French bookmaker who has taken the digital turn by offering a very functional website and application. The types of bets are all explained by short videos to be sure to find the answer to your questions. PMU has also diversified into poker and sports betting which allows you to have a joint account to play on all fronts.

Welcome bonus
: €100 in freebets upon registration (50% upon opening and 50% upon confirmation of the account). These horse racing freebets are valid for 15 days.

The plus
: choosing PMU means choosing security, quality customer service and an excellent catalog of races.

The downside
: it is not possible to combine the horse racing welcome bonus with poker and sports betting.

Genybet, the best promotions

Available in French only

Quick overview : Like Zeturf, the bookmaker began its career in horse racing. It later branched out into sports betting. However, its core DNA remains horse racing, and it shows. It has established itself as one of the best and most reliable in its field thanks to its real-time content and extensive betting catalog.

Welcome offer : Up to €20 in freebets after your first deposit and an additional €10 in freebets after account validation. You will then receive 10% of your wagers for 60 days.

The plus : its expertise and its bonus which rewards your loyalty.

The downside : the complexity of its welcome bonus, especially when you are a novice.

Unibet, the most comprehensive

Available in French only

Quick overview : The Swedish bookmaker first started in sports betting and established itself among the biggest thanks to a very comprehensive offer on a huge number of sports. It was only once it had mastered its subject that it launched into horse racing. It saw things in a big way by offering the most complete catalog on the market on all the major international prizes .

Welcome offer : €20 cashback if the first bet loses. There is no minimum odds on the bet, provided it is simple (bet on the winning horse).

The plus
: you can benefit from the welcome offer on horse racing, sports betting & poker.

The downside : he wasn't born into the horse racing business, and it shows. He offers betting on races, but nothing else (for example: tips, interviews, etc.).

Betclic, ideal for beginners

Available in French only

A quick introduction : Like Unibet, it came about through sports betting before launching its turf offering. It aims to be less specialized, but much more accessible for beginners by simplifying betting, with fewer parameters and data. It is less comprehensive and specific than the previous four, but it fully embraces this. It is a player that aims to democratize turf to a wider audience while breathing a breath of fresh air into the horse racing world.

Welcome offer : €100 in free bets offered if your first bet loses.

The plus : easy to use when you want to start.

The downside : it is not possible to combine the horse racing and sports betting welcome bonus, you will have to choose.