Grand National Betting Guide

The tradition of betting is as old as the sport of horse racing itself. With the exception of the Cheltenham Festival, there’s arguably no horse race where betting is as popular as it is at the Grand National.

In fact, the Grand National itself (4pm on Saturday 13th April), is the single most popular horse racing event for betting in the UK, and industry insiders believe that up to £250 million in bets will be staked on the Grand National in 2024.

Interested in placing your own bets? We’ve put together this in-depth Grand National betting guide that will teach you everything you need to know. From online betting on the Grand National to on-course options and all the different types of bets available, we’ve left no stone unturned.

There are lots of different ways that you can bet on the Grand National. From visiting your favourite bookie to betting via an app or on the Tote, placing your chosen bet is simple. Here’s how to bet on the race, both at the course and online.

Online Betting on the Grand National

The Grand National is one of the most popular horse racing events in the world and is shown live on ITV in the UK. As a result, the majority of the people who are betting on the Grand National do so from home.

If you fancy betting on the race but aren’t attending Aintree, then here are the best options you have:

High Street Bookmakers

For many punters, visiting a high street bookmaker and placing a Grand National bet in person is the best and most traditional form of betting.

When you enter the shop, you’ll find a full list of runners and prices. You’ll then just need to fill in a bet slip and hand it to the cashier. They’ll then provide you with a print out that confirms your selected horse, your stake and your potential winnings. If your horse wins the race (or places depending on the bet type you choose), you’ll simply need to return to that shop with your bet slip to collect your winnings.

Betting Online or via an App

Nowadays, betting online or an app is incredibly popular because it’s very convenient and you can place your Grand National bet without leaving the sofa.

Plus, as the Grand National is such a big betting event, the majority of bookmakers will offer sign-up incentives such as free bets or money back offers.

We have a full list of the best bookmaker offers right here:

So, now we know how to bet on the Grand National. But, what kind of bets can you place? Here are the most popular options:

Win-Only Bets

Win-only bets are the most popular way of betting on the Grand National. With this type of betting, you’re placing a bet that your chosen horse will win the race outright. So, if your horse crosses the finishing line first, you win.

Each-Way Bets

An each-way bet is effectively two bets: one for your horse to win the race and one for it to be placed. The number of places differs depending on the number of horses entered into the race (the more horses, the more places). Each bookmaker will display the terms on which they accept each-way bets on the top of their board. Generally speaking, many bookmakers will offer 4-5 places on the Grand National for each-way bets.

As an each-way bet involves placing two bets, your stake also doubles. So, a £5 each-way bet on a horse will cost £10 (£5 on the horse to win and £5 on the horse to place).

No Runner, No Bet

No runner, no bet (often referred to as NRNB) is a form of ante-post bet. With this type of bet, you need to make your selections before the final declarations for the race are made. As you’re betting in advance, your stake will be returned if your horse doesn't run.

Just remember that NRNB bets are different to pure ante-post bets. These (which are no longer available for the 2024 Grand National) offer heightened odds but you do not receive your money back if your horse doesn’t run.
You can see the full list of non-runners for the Grand National here.

Exacta

An exacta bet is slightly more exotic. With this type of bet, you’re selecting the first two finishers of the Grand National (first place and second place). The horses must also finish the race in the correct order.

Trifecta

A trifecta takes this even further. With a trifecta bet on the Grand National, you need to select which horses will finish the race in first, second and third… in that exact order.

Reverse Forecast

A reverse forecast is slightly different to an exacta. With this type of bet, you still select the horses that you believe will finish the Grand National in first place and second place. However, unlike an exacta, these horses can finish in either order.

Accumulators

Accumulators are incredibly common in horse racing. However, they’re not as common when it comes to the Grand National.

With an accumulator, you bundle a number of bets together into one betslip. So, you may bet on which horse will win the Gold Cup, which will win the Grand National and which will win the Welsh Grand National on the same betslip (you could even include selections from other sports, like the Grand National winner, the Premier League winner and the NBA Champions). With an accumulator, all selections must win in order for the bet to be successful.

An accumulator with two selections is known as a double, while an accumulator with three selections is known as a treble.