Before getting started
This is the part of the sport that anyone can get in on! Bets start at 100 yen and can be easily obtained at any racetrack. In Japan, you must be at least 20 years old to bet on Boat Race. Please obey the age restrictions and bet responsibly. We wish you good luck and lots of fun!
Betting Method
Fill in the optical mark recognition (OMR) betting card.
1 - Select the racetrack where the race takes place.
There are 24 racetracks around the country, so you must fill in the racetrack number according to where the race you are betting on is taking place.
- 1 - Kiryu (Gunma Prefecture)
- 2 - Toda (Saitama Prefecture)
- 3 - Edogawa (Tokyo)
- 4 - Heiwajima (Tokyo)
- 5 - Tamagawa (Tokyo)
- 6 - Hamanako (Shizuoka Prefecture)
- 7 - Gamagori (Aichi Prefecture)
- 8 - Tokoname (Aichi Prefecture)
- 9 - Tsu (Mie Prefecture)
- 10 - Mikuni (Fukui Prefecture)
- 11 - Biwako (Shiga Prefecture)
- 12 - Suminoe (Osaka Prefecture)
- 13 - Amagasaki (Hyogo Prefecture)
- 14 - Naruto (Tokushima Prefecture)
- 15 - Marugame (Kagawa Prefecture)
- 16 - Kojima (Okayama Prefecture)
- 17 - Miyajima (Hiroshima Prefecture)
- 18 - Tokuyama (Yamaguchi Prefecture)
- 19 - Shimonoseki (Yamaguchi Prefecture)
- 20 - Wakamatsu (Fukuoka Prefecture)
- 21 - Ashiya (Fukuoka Prefecture)
- 22 - Fukuoka (Fukuoka Prefecture)
- 23 - Karatsu (Saga Prefecture)
- 24 - Omura (Nagasaki Prefecture)
2 - Select which race you are betting on.
Of the 12 races held on that day, fill in the number of the race you are betting on. You can only bet on one race per card, but you can make multiple bets on that race on a single card.
3 - Select the type of bet you are placing.
This is the section on the far left side of the card. You can choose two types of bets on the same card: one for the top four rows, and one for the bottom four rows.
Terms and definitions:
For example, if you pick Boats 1 and 2 and these two boats finish first and second, or second and first, you win your bet.
You win your bet if your two selected boats finish first and second, second and third*, or first and third*.
*If two or more boats finish third at the same time, the combinations with the boat that finished third are excluded.
4 - Predict the order of finish (first, second, and third places).
Fill in the numbers for which boats you think will win, in your predicted order of finish.
In a double quinella (Exacta or Place-Show) bet, predict the two boats that finish first
and second, and record their boat numbers in columns 1 and 2.
In a triple quinella (Trifecta or Trio) bet, predict the three boats that finish first, second, and
third by filling in all three columns.
Interested in betting with a deeper understanding of Boat Race? Learn about the race rules here!
5 - Specify the amount of your bet.
The way to express the monetary value of your bet is split into two columns: the Amount (金額) column and the Unit (単位) column.
The first column, with the numbers 20, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, indicates the amount.
You can select one digit, or combine two digits to make higher numbers.
For example, if you fill in “10” and “1,” it means you specify “11.”
6 - Specify the unit of your bet.
The second column indicates the unit of Japanese currency to multiply that amount
by.
For example, if you filled in “1” in the Amount column, then depending on what you select in the Unit
column, your bet will be 100, 1,000, or 10,000 yen.
The units are as follows:
百 = 100
千 = 1,000
万 = 10,000
All payouts are in yen.
To better understand your betting options, please refer to the example betting card above to see the examples marked A to G.
7 - In case of a mistake, cancel your bet.
If you specify any item incorrectly, fill in this mark on the far right side of the row. The information contained in the corresponding row will not be reflected on the bets you purchase.
method
Fill in the optical mark recognition (OMR) betting card.
Purchasing a Boat Race Betting Ticket
After filling out the OMR betting card, bring it to the betting machine, as pictured below. Use the machine to purchase your betting ticket. Be sure to make your purchase before the time for ticket sales for that race ends.
- Step 1 Go to a ticket vending machine and put the money for your bet into the slots for banknotes and coins.
-
Step 2
Insert your OMR card* into the designated slot, and wait
for your betting ticket to be issued.
*If your OMR card is incomplete or has any mistakes, the monitor will tell you where you need to make a correction. -
Step 3
When you get your betting ticket, the purchase is
complete. Make sure to hold on to that ticket!
Now you get to enjoy the race and wait for the results. Good luck!
Regarding Payment
If you won your bet, congratulations! Claiming your winnings is easy. When the race results are confirmed and you win your bet, or if a refund is made due to a false start or other problem, you can simply insert your betting ticket into the betting machine to get your money.
To collect your winnings or refunds:
- Step 1 Insert your betting ticket into the designated slot. You can insert multiple tickets at once.
- Step 2 The screen will display the amount you won, or the amount of your refund. When you see this amount, push the payment button.
- Step 3 The machine will dispense your money. Make sure not to forget to take your cash!
Beginner's Guide
Still not sure how it works? Watch the following videos and learn more about Boat Race and how to make the most of it.