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 games, is expected to produce a record weekend for bookmakers.
The Grand National will draw in about ₤ 225m in wagers throughout the wagering industry, William Hill anticipated.
Combined with other sporting fixtures it anticipates to take "the greatest turnover levels on any weekend in history", the bookmaker stated.
Saturday's race is anticipated to be seen by 600 million people worldwide.
"The Grand National is the general public's race and we will see millions of once-a-year punters coming in to wagering shops or downloading the app," William Hill spokesperson Rupert Adams stated.
The race is set to bring in over 35 million bets with the average being worth ₤ 4.41.
William Hill is also expecting another big-priced winner in the Grand National this year. the yohaig code last five races have produced winners at odds of 33/1, 25/1, 25/1 and 33/1.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary owns five of the 40 horses in Saturday's field.
He is hoping to end up being the first owner to win consecutive Nationals with various horses considering that 1954 after Rule the World, ridden by David Mullins, declared victory in 2015.
In 2015, the yohaig code start time for the Grand National was moved by an hour to 17:15 BST. The decision showed to be a boost for turnover and William Hill expects that trend to continue.
New sponsor
"The experiment of moving the start time truly settled and we expect the yohaig code Grand National to smash wagering records this promotion code 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 identify and prevent health problems.
The Northern Ireland-based company was set up in 1982 by Dr Peter FitzGerald - a keen horse racing fan.
Meanwhile, the meeting at Aintree could be impacted by a 24-hour strike including members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North.
Tens of countless people travel by train from central Liverpool to the racecourse.
Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, managing director Merseyrail, stated the operator had devised a timetable focused on transporting as many travelers as regular on Grand National day.
Andy Bell, from Bookies.com, external, stated: "This is a bumper weekend of wagering and the Grand National is typically the event that sees individuals have a flutter for the very first time. the yohaig code new start time suggests individuals are back from their Saturday shopping and activities and it is effectively the start of their Saturday evening celebrations. It's ideal timing."
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