Experience the Thrill of the Grand National
How to Get Your Grand National Bets On
The Grand National is one of the highlights of the sporting calendar in the UK. It’s a truly epic horse race, with 34 horses competing to win one of the most famous prizes in world sport.
And there’s no better place to experience the fun of the race than at Bally Casino. We’ve got everything you need to know before the horses start galloping towards the first fence, so you can kick back and take your shot at predicting the Grand National winner with us.
Keep reading to find out how to get your wagers on. We’ve even thrown in some interesting facts about the history of the event just for you.
What is the Grand National?
The Grand National is iconic British sporting heritage. It takes place at Aintree racecourse in Liverpool, with its rich history dating back almost two centuries to the first running in 1839 – that's even older than us.
Horses must jump 30 fences on the path to glory, with almost two complete circuits of the course. As you’d expect, there’s a huge prize fund of £1million at stake for winning connections, with the owner, trainer, jockey among those who get a slice of the pie.
With big thrills, comes big fans. And the Grand National has plenty of both. The Grand National is the most-watched horse race in the world, with over 600 million people tuning in to see the action unfold over a trip that lasts four miles and two-and-a-half furlongs.
It’s the most wagered-on sporting event on this side of the pond. Almost 20% of Brits¹ had a stake on the race in 2024, either as a bet or in a sweepstake.
Missed out last time around? You’ll want to be in it to win it this year.
What date is the Grand National in 2025?
Mark those calendars, folks! April 5 is the day of the big race this year, with the official Grand National time pencilled in for 4pm GMT.
Think there’s only one day’s racing to look forward to? Nuh-uh. The Grand National Festival kicks off on April 3, giving y’all two days of awesome action to bet on and pick horses to win.
Seven Grade 1 races are in store over the first two days, with another three scheduled for the big day, meaning this festival packs more action than a Hollywood blockbuster. In fact, the Cheltenham Festival is the only place that comes close to matching the quality on offer at Aintree.
How to place a bet on the Grand National online
Now you know what the Grand National is, let’s get down to business. It’s the day of the race and it’s time to place a bet.
First things first, you need to become a member of Bally Casino. This part’s easy. Just hit that ‘JOIN NOW’ button sitting on your screen to step through our virtual casino doors.
Account created, all that’s left to do is log in and make a deposit. Then, head on over to our online sports betting site, click Horse Racing, and find the race in the list of the day’s meetings.
Go through the full list of Grand National runners and add the horse you think has the best chance of winning to your bet slip. Choose to back the runner win or each way - more on that coming right up - and enter a stake.
Hit ‘Place Bet’, and it’s on! Kick back and wait for the runners to head down to the post and find out who’ll win the Grand National.
Which bets can I place on the Grand National?
There are more markets than ever before, and we’ve got a bunch of ways for you to bet on Grand National horses with us.
Here’s a quick peek at some of our most popular markets:
- Win only - Place a bet on the outright winner of the Grand National. A £10 wager on a horse at 10/1 would return £110, for example.
- Each way - Made up of two wagers; one win only, and one place only, so there’s a chance to profit if your pick isn’t first past the post. Place terms pay out at 1/5 of the odds, so £5 each way at 20/1 would return £25 if the horse finishes in the top places.
- Top finish - A place only bet. Back a horse to finish in the top positions, and as there’s no win part of the wager the price is smaller.
- Betting without - Don’t want to take on one of the fancied runners? You can back a reduced price on your back, with the specified horse removed from the market.
- Forecast - Choose the first two runners home in the correct order.
- Tricast - Feeling more confident? Bet on the exact order the first three horses will finish.
How do Grand National odds work?
Pick between three odds settings at Bally Casino - fractional, decimal or American. Obviously you know our favourite, but we’ll leave the choice up to you. To find out more about the different odds available in sports betting, check out our Ultimate Bally Sports Betting Guide.
Grand National odds show each horse’s chance of winning the race. The smaller the price, the more likely they are to win. Don’t expect too much from the outsiders in general, but in the Grand National there’s always hope - just ask Mon Mome, who was the champ of the race in 2009 and rewarded backers at a huge price of 100/1!
Grand National tips
Do a little research on previous Grand National results, and you’ll pick up trends in no time. But the beauty of the race is that almost any horse can win.
For those who are looking to get involved in jump racing’s biggest event for the first time, here’s a few things to keep in mind:
- Take note of the form – it’s always better siding with red-hot performers rather than those who’ve gone a little cold. Read up on the latest outings of the horse, jockey and trainer to get a full picture.
- Get a second opinion – there's no such thing as too much information. Check out what some top tipsters think about the race and see if you’re on the same lines.
- The more you see, the more you’ll know – start watching more horse racing to pick up some extra knowledge.
The best horse racing betting tip for any race is to wager responsibly and only bet what you can afford to lose.
Check out Bally Casino’s awesome responsible gambling tool kit, which can help you stay safe and have fun when playing online. Set deposit limits, session reminders and more - we’ve got you covered.
Head over to the Bally Casino blog to get clued up on our ultimate guide to betting on horses - especially useful for rookies.
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