Bookies battle for share of £270m Grand National pot
Operators wrestle for market share as more than half of UK adults are expected to bet on race
Bookmakers are making final preparations for tomorrow’s Grand National as they look to secure a share of the £270m UK punters are expected to wager on the big race.
A study carried out by online payments company Skrill found that 55% of the UK’s adult population will place a bet on the Aintree showpiece, with bettors staking an average of £10 each as they attempt to pick the winner of the 40-runner horse race.
Men will stake the most money on the race at an average of £14, more than double the £6 average women will risk.
Charlie McCann, BetVictor’s head of communications, said the operator hoped to capture some of this cash with its headline offer of paying six places on each way bets placed right up until the off. Betfred is the only other major bookmaker to offer six places and will do until 5:30pm today (Friday).
“For the third year in a row we are betting six places on the National and have been since Cheltenham and this massive concession is our sole marketing tool such is the magnitude of the offer,” McCann said.
“High Street firms offer four places, some others five, but we are betting six places so each way punters will be kicking themselves if their selection finishes fifth or sixth and they haven’t backed it with BetVictor,” he added.
Coral said the interest generated by the Grand National meant it didn’t need to stimulate demand via special offers and will instead be concentrating on ensuring its IT and telephones systems will be able to process the expected deluge of bets.
However, Simon Clare, Coral PR and broadcast director, did confirm the bookie had planned a major advertising campaign for the morning of the race.
“We will have a significant spread of National press advertising, a Channel 4 Morning Line TV advert between 8am and 9am, and a front page position on the Racing Post proclaiming our odds and betting channels, and all our media partners and affiliates will have a fully coordinated Grand National campaign message,” he said.
According to Skrill’s study, one-fifth (19%) of those placing a bet on tomorrow’s race will be placing their only bet of the year and Coral has come up with a novel way for the inexperienced punter to select their horse.
Asking ‘How do you pick yours?’ the operator has provided its Grand National Horse Generator, which allows punters to select from one of six categories including pot luck, colour and name, and are then faced with a number of questions before a horse matching their answers is suggested.