How to bet on the Grand National

The Grand National is one of the biggest events on the gambling calendar and is one of the most anticipated sporting events in the UK each and every year.

Every year, the race draws in hundreds of millions of viewers on television and attracts bets from all corners of the globe. 

It has become an integral part of British sporting culture over the years, and typically sees people who don’t normally gamble hedging their bets on the race. 

Everyone from your grandma to your manager at work will have a bet on the National, but what if you don’t know how to get started? Don’t worry, here at BonusBets.com, we’ve got you’ve covered with the following guide. 

The Grand National has taken place annually in the United Kingdom since 1839 and has established itself as one of the most popular horse race in the entire world. 

The event traditionally takes place at the start of April and is ran at the Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. The race normally begins at 5:15 pm local time and takes place on a Saturday.

Win bets: A straight out win bet where you place your stake on one horse to win the race is fairly ill-advised when it comes to the Grand National. 

The race features a total of 40 horses and given the unpredictable nature of the race, it can be extremely difficult to choose a winner. 

That being said, a well-placed singles bet can prove incredibly lucrative, with there many being classic cases of outsiders winning the race over the years. 

Each-Way Bets: Due to the fact that the Grand National is seen as a bit of a lottery, most customers will decide to place their money on each-way bets. 

Each way bets are effectively two bets in one - one bet on your horse to win and one bet for your horse to place. It is worth remembering that your stake for an each way bet will be doubled when you place the bet. A $5 each way bet will come to $10 in total - $5 for the horse to win and $5 for the horse to place. 

Each way bets ensure that you end up with some money back even if your horse doesn’t win. Typically, the placing part of the bet pays out if your horse finishes 2nd, 3rd or 4th, but because of the popularity of The Grand National, some betting sites will also pay out on additional places, further increasing your chances of making some money.

Special bets: Due to the popularity of The Grand National and the fact that it helps to attract so many potential new customers, betting sites are always in competition with one another to provide the best offers. 

This is advantageous to everyone and can be a huge benefit to more experienced gamblers. 

Sportsbooks have increasingly offered insurance style bets which will see your money returned either in full or as a free bet if the result doesn’t come in, offering some risk-free gambles.

Special Grand National bets can include:

With the Grand National being the most popular horse race in the United Kingdom, there is no shortage of betting sites offering odds on the event.

Online betting sites all over the world offer Grand National betting markets. Some sportsbooks also offer special sign up bonuses for the event in the knowledge that there will be a lot of first-time users having a bet on the race. 

This means it is a good opportunity to try out some new sportsbooks and earn some extra money at the same time!

Due to the popularity of the event, most major betting sites will offer odds on the Grand National throughout the year, so keep your eyes open if you receive any early betting tips. 

The Grand National is famously one of the most unpredictable events in the world. Horses with odds as  big as 100/1 have won the race, whereas ‘favourites’ have finished outside of the top 20 or not even finished the race at all. 

In short, there is no clear strategy for choosing a winner at the Aintree National, and while everyone you meet during the National week will have some sort of tip, sometimes it is better to just trust your instinct. 

A lot of people have their own methods for choosing their preferred horse, ranging from simply liking a name to superstitions about colours and numbers. 

That being said, the odds offered on the Grand National are famously very good and as a result, it can be worth putting a few each-ways bets on some of the more fancied horses.