Bookies bet on record weekend of sport
ByChris Johnston
Business reporter, BBC News
A bumper roster of sport including the Grand National, the Masters and Premier League games, is expected to produce a record weekend for bookmakers.
The Grand National will bring in about ₤ 225m in wagers throughout the yohaig code wagering market, William Hill anticipated.
Combined with other sporting fixtures it anticipates to take "the greatest 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 public's race and we will see millions of once-a-year punters can be found in to betting stores or downloading the app," William Hill representative Rupert Adams said.
The race is set to draw in over 35 million bets with the average being worth ₤ 4.41.
William Hill is likewise expecting another big-priced winner in the Grand National this year. The last five races have actually produced winners at odds of 33/1, 25/1, 25/1 and 33/1.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary owns 5 of the 40 horses in Saturday's field.
He is wanting to become the very first owner to win successive Nationals with different horses because 1954 after Rule the World, ridden by David Mullins, claimed triumph last year.
Last year, the start time for the Grand National was moved by an hour to 17:15 BST. The decision proved to be an increase for turnover and William Hill anticipates that trend to continue.
New sponsor
"The experiment of moving the start time actually settled and we expect the Grand National to smash betting records this year," Mr Adams said.
It is the first year that the race has been sponsored by Randox Health, which analyses blood and urine samples to detect and prevent diseases.
The Northern Ireland-based firm was established in 1982 by Dr Peter FitzGerald - an eager horse racing fan.
Meanwhile, the meeting at Aintree might be affected by a 24-hour strike including members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Merseyrail and Arriva Trains North.
Tens of countless individuals travel by train from main Liverpool to the racecourse.
Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde, handling director Merseyrail, said the operator had designed a timetable intended at transferring as lots of travelers as normal on Grand National day.
Andy Bell, from Bookies.com, external, stated: "This is a bumper weekend of wagering and the Grand National is often the occasion that sees people have a flutter for the very very first time. the yohaig code brand-new start time implies individuals are back from their Saturday shopping and activities and it is successfully the yohaig code start of their Saturday night festivities. It's ideal timing."
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