How to Bet on The Grand National 2023

The Grand National is the biggest betting event of the year in racing across all of the best betting sites and the 2023 edition of the legendary steeplechase promises to be more popular with punters than ever.

In this article, you'll find out how to bet on the Grand National effectively, with detailed information on the types of bets available, as well as expert advice on what to look for when choosing a runner.

How to Bet on The Grand National: Finding a Bookie

No individual horse race has the reach and audience of the Grand National so finding the right bookmaker is important. 

We do the hard work by listing the best regulated and licensed bookies in the game, so punters can bet with confidence. Luckily for you, our recommended betting sites have a host of free bets and other promotions to capitalise on. 

Established 2008

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How to Put a Bet on The Grand National Online – Step-by-Step Guide

Signing up with an established bookie, or registering an account with one of the top new betting sites is a fairly generic process that differs only marginally from site to site.

Opening a new account doesn’t take very long and you should be able to put a bet on the Grand National within 10-15 minutes of registration!

 Sign Up With a Betting Site in 5 Steps

1. Click on the visit site button next to the welcome bonus that appeals most.
2. Click the button to register a new account. This might also say sign up or create an account.
3. Fill in the personal details requested by the betting site, including verifying you are over 18 years old.
4. Choose your deposit method, making sure you deposit and/or bet the correct amount to trigger the sign-up offer.
5. Once your account is funded you are ready to place your Grand National wager! Find out how to place a bet on the Grand National below.

Finding Grand National Markets

Grand National betting markets are easy to find on most betting apps and betting sites, and often you will be able to save sports or markets as ‘favourites’, making them even easier to navigate to.

• Go to the horse racing tab on your app.
• Look for a menu titled ante-post racing or future racing.
• This section will often be split between flat and jumps. Select jumps racing.
• Grand National odds should be near the top of this section.
• There will often be a number of markets around the Grand National, but the win market is the main one.

Filling Out an Online Bet Slip

Once you have located the market, you will want to put a bet on Grand National. It’s as simple as this:

• Scroll up and down the list of Grand National runners and click on your selection - this will automatically populate your betting slip.
• There will be a check box that needs to be ticked if you want to bet on your selection each-way. If not, this box needs to remain unticked.
• It’s time to enter your stake. Remember, if you have checked the each-way box, then the stake is multiplied by two (one for the win part of the bet, the other for the place part).
• Once you are happy with your selection and stake, it’s time to place the bet by clicking on the place bet or confirm button.
• Once placed, you will see a confirmation message that normally contains a bet ID for future reference.

Pro Tip: Claim Grand National free bets to maximise your chances of success

Withdrawing Winnings (if Successful) in 5 Steps

If your Grand National wager is successful, chances are you'll want to withdraw your winnings immediately. Here’s what to do:

1. Once the balance of your account has been updated with your Grand National winnings, go to the account section.
2. From there, you will either need to select the banking option or just head straight to the withdraw button.
3. Once in, you need to select the amount you wish to withdraw and the destination of the funds, which is usually your registered card.
4. Once you are happy that these details are correct, select withdraw funds.
5. Withdrawal times range from instant to five days, so be sure to check out withdrawal times on your betting site.

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How to Bet on The Grand National in Person

Horse racing betting sites are hugely popular with Grand National punters, but so is betting on the Aintree showpiece in person - either at a betting shop or on-course.

Betting shops are usually hotbeds of activity on the morning of the race as punters flock to put a bet on the Grand National. If you like the idea of picking up your winnings in cash, a betting shop wager is the right move. Simply locate a betting slip and pen, fill out the race time and course name, along with your selection and stake, and hand it over the counter to a member of staff.

If you're in a rush and want to avoid the queue, it's likely quicker to place your Grand National bet at one of the fixed odds betting terminals located in the shop. Simply select horse racing, then the Aintree meeting, and the correct race time to find the market you are looking for. These machines take cash and winnings can be collected over the counter.

If you are going to Aintree for the big day, you have a number of options when it comes to putting a bet on Grand National. If you want to bet cash, betting with one of the on-course bookmakers is easy. You simply name the horse you want to back and your stake, and they print off a receipt with the bet details, including potential winnings.

There will also be an on-course betting shop and a tote facility, which enables you to bet in the tote pools. Instead of taking fixed odds, tote bets are paid out as dividends based on pool sizes. Tote bets can often pay out more than the SP of a bookmaker but it’s by no means guaranteed.

Grand National Betting Strategy

There have only been three single-figure priced Grand National winners this century and six of the last ten winners have been 25/1 or bigger (2022 winner Noble Yeats was a 50/1 chance). So, finding the winner of the world’s most famous steeplechase can be a lucrative exercise and one that rewards those who shy away from the more obvious contenders that populate the top of the market.

Focusing on bigger-priced contenders has to be one of the main strategies if you want to put a bet on the Grand National. It is often said that focusing on horses with Grand National experience – i.e. horses that have run in the race before, is a good strategy, however, 12 of the last 14 winners were first-time runners.

Punters should focus on runners that stay well (i.e. horses that have already won over three miles or further and are proven to be sound jumpers). Horses that have a forward-going running style should also be considered. 

Horses that race prominently (i.e. nearer the front than the back) tend to do well in the Grand National nowadays. It has become a race in which it's devilishly difficult for hold-up horses to make an impact at the business end.

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Grand National Bet Types

Here are the most popular types of Grand National wagers:

• Win bet: This is a straightforward single bet in the win market. A £10 win bet at 14/1 on the Grand National winner returns £150.
• Each-way bet: You are backing your selection to win OR be placed. A £10 each-way bet costs £20 in total (£10 on the win part of the bet and £10 on the place part). If your selection wins, you will receive win and place returns, and if it is placed, you will just receive the place return on the bet. Betting each-way on the Grand National is usually a good way to play because most firms extend their place terms as a special offer.
• Place only bet: A single place-only bet on the Grand National would generally be calculated at a ¼ odds of the win price. If the selection wins, you still only get the place returns.
• Forecast bet: A forecast is two selections that need to fill the first two places in the race. A straight forecast (SFC) wager means the selections have to finish in the correct order, while in a reverse forecast (RFC), which costs x2, selections must fill the first two places but in either order.
• Tricast bet: Tricast is one step up from a forecast in that you are betting three selections. This can be in the form of a single stake tricast, which means the three selections must finish in the correct order. If you want the option of doing a tricast in which the three selections can come home in any order, then the best costs x6 initial stake.