The Grand National is a premium event on the National Hunt horse racing calendar and is held every April at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. Grand National betting is widespread in the UK and Ireland and is particularly popular amongst many people who do not normally watch or bet on horse racing at other times of the year.
Everyone from the hardened punter to the casual observer enjoys a flutter on the Grand National. Competition among online bookmakers is fierce and that's why welcome offers are in plentiful supply around the time of the race
These bonuses usually come in the form of free bets, which usually require you to make a deposit to activate them.
For example, you may get NZ$50 in free bets for signing up to a betting site and depositing NZ$10. Sometimes you can get free bets without putting any money down - but these no-deposit bonuses are extremely rare. You might also be offered money back as cash if your bet loses.
To use these funds as 2023 Grand National free bets you will need to register with the sports betting site running the offer and follow the terms and conditions stated.
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It’s not just new customers that can benefit from generous deals ahead of the Grand National - online bookmakers also run a host of Grand National offers for their existing players too. Here we’ll run you through some of the best existing customer offers from the leading horse racing betting sites.
Each-way betting allows you to cover the possibility of your horse winning and your horse finishing in the top few places - usually including second, third and fourth. It’s often shortened to EW or E/W and essentially creates two separate bets on the same horse, always of equal stakes.
In most handicap horse races with over 16 runners, the industry standard for each-way betting is 1-2-3-4 places at 1/4 odds. But as the Grand National field is always close to or at 40 runners, bookies often offer extra each-way places as a Grand National offer.
Some betting sites will pay up to eight places and each-way betting can even sometimes go as low as 10th place, so it always pays to look around before placing your bets.
Do remember that the odds on each-way bets and extra each-way places are reduced.
Looking at the betting sites that tend to offer extra each-way places, Paddy Power has paid out on the top seven or eight places in the past, while the likes of Unibet and William Hill also run extra place options.
Many leading bookmakers offer their bettors best odds guaranteed on big horse racing events like the Grand National. This means that if you place a bet on a runner at a certain price and the price drifts out, you will receive a payout at the higher rate if your horse wins.
For example, you could place a bet on a horse early in the morning on the day of the Grand National at odds of 10/1, but when you check just an hour before the race starts, the price is now showing 12/1. If the horse goes on to win the race at the starting price of 12/1, you get the best price and the bookie pays you out at the higher odds.
You might find great odds on the top betting sites and sports betting apps in the weeks leading up to the Grand National which are well worth jumping on - but you won’t get best odds guaranteed, because this betting offer is only available on the day of the race.
It might pay to take your chances with good odds offered by bookies before race day, but you may be left frustrated if the odds increase substantially and you aren’t covered. With this in mind, placing your bets on the day may be the most savvy move.
Ladbrokes was one of the first the first firms to offer best odds guaranteed, but now a whole host of other bookies offer this feature - including bet365, Betfair and BetVictor.
Enhanced odds is one of the most popular Grand National betting offers, meaning you can get the runner you want at a better price.
This usually happens in the days leading up to the race and it’s important to read through the terms and conditions as some bookies have different wagering requirements that you must meet in order to qualify for enhanced odds.
Paddy Power regularly offers enhanced odds while the likes of Coral, Betfair and 888sport tend to reserve them for new customers.
Non-runner no bet means that if your horse doesn’t run on the day of the race for whatever reason, your bet will be classed as void and your stake will be returned to you as cash.
As ante-post betting opens well in advance for big races like the Grand National, you can grab great prices months before the big day. But as you won’t know the confirmed runners until two days before the race starts, it pays to bet with bookies that offer non-runner no bet just in case your choice doesn’t make the final lineup.
William Hill and bet365 are among the online bookmakers that have non-runner no bet available as part of their Grand National betting offers.
Commonly offered during the jump racing season, faller insurance means if your horse falls, is brought down, or unseats its jockey during the race, you’ll receive your stake back up to a preset limit.
Given that Aintree has 30 tricky fences and a competitive field of 40 runners, faller insurance is one of the best Grand National offers to avail of. If your horse falls your stake will usually be refunded to your account balance as a free bet.
Be sure to check terms and conditions with each deal and assess the competition, but we know faller insurance from Coral is reliable.
Every bookmaker has its own specific process, but this step-by-step guide will show you how to sign up at a betting site and how to bet on the 2023 Grand National.
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The best online bookmakers will have plenty of different markets for the Grand National, in addition to Grand National offers like extra each-way places, best odds guaranteed and faller insurance as we’ve already mentioned. Here are some markets for the more advanced bettor:
As one of the world's most popular betting sites, bet365 offers features like live streaming and early payouts. bet365 also has a welcome bonus worth up to $100 in bet credits.
For the Grand National, non-runner no bet is offered along with six each-way places at one fifth of the odds. Best odds guaranteed also applies to the Grand National at bet365.
888sport is a great destination for online horse racing betting and runs best odds guaranteed on all UK and Irish racing, with separate tabs for ante-post, virtuals and specials.
888 also has specific casino and poker sites and the 888sport welcome offer gives new players $30 in free bets when you place a $10 bet. You can also grab a $5 free bet every day if you land a winner at 4/1 or bigger on a minimum bet of $10.
We'd ideally like to see extra each-way places paid out more often by this site, but competitive odds, regular free bets and a slick user experience more than makes up for it.
BetVictor - formerly known as Victor Chandler - initially specialised in online sports betting but now incorporates a host of online casino NZ options as well.
The welcome bonus gives Kiwi bettors a matched bet worth up to $100.
Existing customers can utilise the BV Loyalty Club to get a weekly $5 free bet by opting in and placing five sports bets of $5 or more.
BetVictor also has a Run For Your Money promotion which refunds losing bets on horses who refuse or whip around at the start, fail to come out or lose all chance at the stalls.
William Hill is one of the best-known bookmakers in the UK - having been established in 1934 and acquired by American giant Caesars Entertainment in April 2021.
Hills offers an enticing bet $20 get $20 in free bets welcome deal and has live betting options across a wide range of sports and popular events.
You'll also get your money back if the horse you bet on doesn't run, thanks to William Hill's non-runner no bet Grand National promotion.
William Hill offers one of the best betting apps for horse racing as well, making it easy to place bets on the move.
Four of the last five winners of the Grand National have come from Ireland so history could be set to repeat itself in 2022 with another victor from the Emerald Isle.
Below we look deeper at five contenders for this year’s race, with the favourites being Any Second Now and Delta Work.
Last year he was unlucky not to win the race. Despite being hampered early on and falling almost to the rear of the field, he worked his way steadily back to finish an unfortunate third behind Minella Times.
Mark Walsh is set to ride the horse once again and will be looking to repeat his success in the Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase at Fairyhouse.
That win in late February saw the 10-year-old prevail by a nose ahead of Escaria Ten, another frontrunner for this race at Grand National odds of around 14/1.
This time around, Any Second Now has unfinished business over Aintree Racecourse, is the Grand National favourite for a reason and stands a serious chance.
In great form after winning the Cross Country Chase at the Cheltenham Festival this year when he beat Tiger Roll by just under a length.
With a career record of 10 wins from 27 races and having come third in the 2021 Irish Gold Cup, Delta Work has a golden opportunity to show the improvements he’s made over the last year.
There have been doubts over his readiness for the Grand National after winning at Cheltenham, but he looks in top shape.
An interesting choice for the 2022 Grand National, Snow Leopardess heads into this race having won the Becher Chase over the National fences at Aintree in December, as well as both of her other starts this season.
The 10-year-old has enjoyed a break since her most recent outing in Exeter in February and she could perform well on her debut appearance in the Grand National.
Henry De Bromhead’s nine-year-old sparkled in last year’s Grand National and can’t be ruled out again this time around, with Rachael Blackmore expected to be back in the saddle.
Minella Times’ handicap mark of 161 means he has to carry an extra 15lb but that hasn’t put off a lot of ante-post punters from jumping on.
Blackmore and trainer De Bromhead have recent victories under their belts too, in the shape of the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup at Cheltenham, with Honeysuckle and A Plus Tard.
This horse won the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park in January, suggesting that Martin Brassil’s eight-year-old can’t be discounted here despite the long odds.
Brassil trained Numbersixvalverde - the winner of the 2006 Grand National - and knows what it takes for a horse to be victorious in this landmark race.
Check out the best Grand National betting sites listed on this page for our recommended options. To help make your choices, go through our breakdown of welcome offers and any special features and Grand National promotions offered by the top Grand National bookmakers.
It’s hard to name the best betting site for the Grand National, as it depends on what you’re after as a bettor, but some of our top choices include bet365, 888sport, BetVictor and William Hill.
Each-way places vary depending on the bookie, but generally bookies pay out if your horse finishes in the top four. Some Grand National offers include enhanced each-way places, which can sometimes go as low as 10th place. The odds on each extra each-way places are reduced as a result though.
If you placed an each-way bet on a Grand National runner then yes, you will win your bet if your horse comes fourth. But the answer is no if your bet was just on the outright winner market and not each-way.
To bet on the Grand National, decide on the bookmaker you want to use from our list of recommendations and sign up for an account, before claiming a welcome bonus. Select your horse (usually by pressing the odds), enter a stake in the bet slip, sit back, and hope for a winner!
In-play betting, also referred to as in-running or live betting on horse racing, is when you bet on a race while it is being run. It is a feature offered by by the best Grand National betting sites listed on this page.
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