Whilst the industry itself wouldn’t like to make the connection, it cannot be denied that many people who head to the racecourse to watch their share of horse races like to have a drink or two as the day goes on. The result of this can sometimes be that people wake up the morning after a day at the races with pockets stuffed with betting slips, some of which might well turn out to be winners. Even those that haven’t had a drink might struggle to get paid out on their winners, such is the eagerness with which bookies pack up after the final race.
Just because the bookmaker that you’ve placed your bet with is no longer to be found at the pitch that you saw them at when they took your wager doesn’t mean that you are stuck with a worthless slip of paper, however. There are numerous options open to you in terms of claiming your winnings, so you don’t need to panic if you are stood on the terrace and see your bookie of choice packing up their gear and heading home for the day. Collecting your winnings on the day of the race is always preferable, but all is not lost if you don’t.
Getting Paid By The Bookie
Let us be clear, the absolute best way of ensuring that you’re paid out on your winning betting slips is by taking them to the bookmaker that you placed your bet with as soon as the race is over. Yes, they will often be busy taking new bets on the upcoming races but that doesn’t mean that they won’t find time to payout to winners. In fact, they’re legally obliged to do so, provided your betting slip is valid and there’s nothing about it that they can dispute. You entered a contract with them when placing the wager and they need to hold up their end of it.
Of course, just because that is the best and most sensible way of approaching things doesn’t always mean that it is one that it’s possible for people to stick to. It is not unheard of for bookmakers to begin the process of packing down their gear as the final race gets underway, shutting up shop and leaving not long after it has been concluded. With the best will in the world, therefore, you might be unable to exchange your winning slip for money. On top of that, the very nature of having to stand in a bustling crowd might not be on the top of some people’s to-do list, so the chance can pass you by.
Turning To The Administration of Gambling on Tracks
There are numerous reasons why we might leave a racecourse at the end of a good day’s racing and not have had a chance to collect our winnings. Whether we’ve forgotten, got too drunk to remember which bookie we placed the bets with or simply wanted to wait until a different time before claiming the money we’re owed, we can all think of a time when we failed to be paid out the money that is rightfully ours after a successful day at the races. The good news is that you don’t have to panic if you find yourself in that position.
Instead, you can turn to the Administration of Gambling on Tracks, which is an organisation that works with bookmakers to allow people to claim their winnings after the fact. You’ll need to write to the AGT and send them your original betting slip, with the organisation then getting in touch with the relevant bookmaker. The bookie in question will check their own records and see if they’ve got a record of the outstanding bet, which they’ll pay out on in cases where their record matches your claim. It is that simply.
Or is it? The official line of the AGT and the associated bookmakers is that you have a month in which to claim a payout. If you get in touch with the organisation after the month has passed then it is at the discretion of the bookmaker whether to pay you your winnings or not. Whilst most bookies will make the payout, provided there’s nothing suspicious about your betting slip and their records match, it is worth bearing in mind that if they refuse to pay you then that is their right and you’ll have little claim to the contrary. In other words, make the claim as soon as you realise.
It’s Different For The Tote
Things are slightly different if you placed your bet with the Tote, which is currently run by Britbet. The organisation gives punters 53 weeks from the date of the race to collect winnings, meaning that you’ve got a year rather than a month to get the money that your winning betting slip suggests you’re owed.
Not only that, but you can claim your winnings at any Tote window on any of the 55 racecourses that the organisation has a presence at. Should this not be good enough for you, perhaps because you’re not planning on going to another racecourse with a Tote within a year, you can write to them at the following address:
Britbet, 4th Floor, Alaska House, Atlantic Park, Dunnings Bridge Road, Liverpool, L30 4AB
If you choose to do this then you will need to send them your original betting slip as well as your contact details and your bank information for payment. Britbet makes payment via BACS transfer, so you’ll have to allow them between seven and ten days for the payment to be completed. The same is true if you placed your wager at a Britbet betting shop on the course rather than the Tote, up to and including the 53 weeks that you’ve got to make your claim. Given the fact that there are 19 Britbet betting shops around the country, that is handy information to know.