OVER recent years, there has been a shift towards online betting from all the major high street bookmakers. In part, this is a result of the technological development we have seen in every aspect of life. But it is also to keep up with the explosion of new online bookies that have entered the market over the past decade.

Yet even online betting itself is evolving quickly. For most, it no longer means logging on to a PC or laptop – today’s internet is mobile-first and the majority of our online activity is now via a smartphone.

There’s an app for everything

It is almost 10 years since the iPhone advertising campaign that centred around the catchphrase there’s an app for that. Today, it rings more true than ever, and there are hundreds of apps that are connected with every aspect of horse racing. The Gambling App Store reviews and assesses the best horse racing apps on the market to keep you informed about the runners and riders in forthcoming races, and offers guidance on where to place a wager. Here, we take a look at some of the best racing apps around.

Horse Race Betting Calculator

This app could be the best 69p you ever spend. It is not a betting app, but for those who like to place complicated bets and accumulators, it is invaluable. It allows you to place multiple bets on multiple selections and will present you with the odds instantly, keeping track of everything and saving you hours in note taking and calculations. It’s perfect for a day at the races when you want to be enjoying the action rather than carrying out complex arithmetic.

The Irish Field News

Not only will you find all The Irish Field’s newspaper content on the app but you’ll also see daily updates from the racing, bloodstock and equestrian worlds. It also contains all today's racecards and results plus tips for every race. It's free to download and there are always plenty of ‘free’ articles to read. It only takes a minute to register so you can read five Field+ articles at no charge.

Click here to download from iTunes for Apple devices

Click here to download for Android devices

Bet 365

Founded at the turn of the millennium, Bet 365 is one of the new generation of online companies.  It has taken on the traditional bookies and become one of the best-known names in sports betting worldwide. The Bet 365 app consistently gets top user reviews for being quick to install and easy to use. The fact that this bookmaker typically offers some of the most tempting bonuses for new users also plays strongly in its favour.

Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes is one of those companies that has had to move from the high street to the online world, and it has done so effectively with its latest app. This is the ideal app for those whose sporting interests extend beyond horse racing, as it has up to the minute news and even live streaming of a whole range of sports, including football, motor racing, tennis and more.

Earlier this year the betting industry and Horse Racing Ireland came together to promote responsible betting with a week of dedicated messaging in print and online.

The problem of gambling addiction, and tips on how to deal with it, was tackled in a recent article by Leo Powell in The Irish Field.