Every year, for one Saturday afternoon in April, a significant portion of Britain and Ireland stops what it is doing and watches 34 horses tackle the fences at Aintree.
The Grand National is not simply a horse race. It is a national ritual and has always been the one day when people who have never studied a form guide, never visited a racecourse, and could not name a trainer if their lives depended on it, find themselves with a few pounds on a horse they picked because the name made them smile.
That combination of genuine sporting drama and mass popular participation is what makes the Grand National the most remarkable betting event in the world.
The 2026 running takes place on Saturday, April 11, at 4pm at Aintree, the climax of a three-day festival that runs from April 9 to 11.
The race itself covers approximately four miles and 514 yards, with horses jumping 30 fences over two laps. More than 500 million people across 140 countries will watch it. And a very large number of them will have money on it!
So just how much money do we spend on the Grand National?
The Scale of the Market
The numbers attached to Grand National betting are striking. Around £250 million was wagered on the 2025 Grand National alone, with the full three-day Aintree Festival generating over £250 million across all races combined.
With those wages comes a huge selection of promotions that can help maximize your hard-earned cash when you decide to back your favourite National runner. Of course, you can do this in many different ways, from walking into a high street bookmaker to picking an online casino that not only offers trusted online slots, but a healthy sports book as well. The choice is yours.
But, to put the betting value of the Grand National into perspective, it was the number one sports betting event for one international bookmaker in 2025, ahead of the Super Bowl, which ranked second. It held the same position in 2024.
The Cheltenham Gold Cup, itself one of the most celebrated races in the calendar, ranked 14th on that same list. The Grand National generated 700% more bets than the Gold Cup in 2024, according to the data.
Approximately 13 million people bet on the race each year, which is roughly a third of all UK adults, according to figures from Reuters. A YouGov survey found that 19% of Britons placed a bet on the 2024 running, and a 2025 survey by OLBG found 17% of UK adults planned to do the same the following year.
Few global events surpass it in terms of popularity, though it has to be said that 2026 may be the year it is knocked off the top spot as the FIFA World Cup takes center stage.
Why We Love A Flutter
It really is a phenomenon that seems to grab hold of everyday folk who otherwise never bet in their lives. Every year, without fail, a week before the race, my own mother calls me with her selections and proceeds to name four horses she is backing because she likes their names.
On her behalf, I then have to place four £2.50 each-way bets and more often than not, she has defied the experts and picked at least one that placed, more than earning her stake back.
And that is part of what makes the Grand National so commercially powerful – who is betting on it. This is not a race dominated by seasoned punters studying the weights and the going reports. Nearly half of all revenue, close to 50%, comes from people staking £5 or less. A 2025 survey found that 43% of those planning to bet intended to stake less than £10.
The way people choose their horse tells the same story. We did a YouGov survey a few years back, and it turned out that 45% of bettors pick their horse based on its name.
Only 21% base their selection on form. Seventy per cent of parents who bet on the National would let their children choose the horse. These are not the habits of a racing crowd. They are the habits of a public that embraces the Grand National as something closer to a shared national game than a conventional betting market.
That inclusive spirit also shapes how people bet. Fifty-one per cent of those who have bet on the National typically back more than one horse, and 61% place their bet each-way.
The Move Online
The way people place those bets has shifted considerably in recent years. In 2025, 62% of those planning to bet intended to do so online, with 28% using a high street bookmaker and just 9% betting on-course.
That shift matters commercially. Online platforms allow bookmakers to process vast volumes of business quickly, offer a wider range of markets, and reach customers who would never walk into a betting shop.
It has also made the Grand National more accessible than ever to the casual punter who bets once or twice a year.
And because of that, amazing betting offers can be created and tailored to not only attract new customers but also reward loyal customers, no matter how much money they intend to spend.
Making the Most of Bookmaker Offers for 2026
For those planning to have a bet on the 2026 Grand National, several bookmakers have promotional offers worth considering. Right up until the moment the starting tape is dropped, you can scout around and find free bets, cash matches, extended places, cash back offers, and so much more.
Depending on which offer makes the most sense to you, you can pick and choose and make that each-way bet work harder for you.
Worth noting for newer punters is that an each-way bet is effectively two bets in one – one on your horse to win, one on it to finish in a placed position. With 34 runners in the Grand National field, bookmakers typically pay out on the first four places, with many offering five or six places as a timed promotion.
Given the unpredictable nature of the race, the each-way option has genuine merit, which is perhaps why 61% of National punters choose it.
The offers are competitive, the field will be large, and April 11 is not far away.
