Bookies bank on record weekend of sport
ByChris Johnston
Business press reporter, BBC News
A bumper roster of sport consisting of the Grand National, the Masters and Premier League video games, is expected to produce a record weekend for bookmakers.
The Grand National will bring in about ₤ 225m in wagers across the wagering industry, William Hill anticipated.
Combined with other sporting components it expects to take "the highest turnover levels on any weekend in history", the bookie stated.
Saturday's race is anticipated to be seen by 600 million people internationally.
"The Grand National is the general public's race and we will see millions of once-a-year punters coming in to wagering stores or downloading the app," William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said.
The race is set to bring in over 35 million bets with the average being worth ₤ 4.41.
William Hill is likewise wishing for another big-priced winner in the Grand National this year. The last five races have produced winners at chances of 33/1, 25/1, 25/1 and 33/1.
Ryanair president Michael O'Leary owns five of the 40 horses in Saturday's field.
He is wanting to end up being the first owner to win successive Nationals with various horses since 1954 after Rule the World, ridden by David Mullins, declared triumph last year.
Last year, the start time for the Grand National was moved by an hour to 17:15 BST. The choice showed to be a boost for turnover and William Hill expects that pattern to continue.
New sponsor
"The experiment of moving the start time actually settled and we anticipate the Grand National to smash betting records this year," Mr Adams stated.
It is the first year that the race has actually been sponsored by Randox Health, which analyses blood and urine samples to detect and avoid illnesses.
The Northern Ireland-based company was established in 1982 by Dr Peter FitzGerald - an eager horse racing fan.
Meanwhile, the meeting at Aintree could be affected by a 24-hour strike involving members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North.
Tens of countless individuals travel by train from central Liverpool to the yohaig code racecourse.
Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, managing director Merseyrail, stated the operator had developed a timetable focused on transporting as lots of passengers as typical on Grand National day.
Andy Bell, from Bookies.com, external, stated: "this promotion code is a bumper weekend of betting and the Grand National is typically the event that sees people have a flutter for the very first time. The brand-new start time means people are back from their Saturday shopping and activities and it is effectively the yohaig code start of their Saturday evening festivities. It's perfect timing."
Aintree ready for Grand National
Pinstickers' guide to the Grand National
6 April 2017
Family money in 1974 Grand National bet
7 April 2017
