Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player
Ahead of the 2025 Grand National, a new OLBG survey conducted by YouGov reveals public sentiment for betting on the Grand National. It includes information on how many Brits plan to bet on the Grand National, how much money they plan to spend, whether bets will be placed online via UK betting sites, high street bookmakers or on-course, how Brits pick their Grand National Runners, whether inflation has impacted betting habits and more.
Key Findings:
Just under one in five (17%) of Brits plan to bet on the 2025 Grand National
Northern Ireland is the UK’s Grand National betting hotspot (21%)
One in two (51%) of Brits planning to bet on the Grand National choose their horse(s) by its name
Of those who plan to bet on the Grand National, 77% say betting on the Grand National is a part of British culture
30% of Brits who plan to bet on the Grand National say they’ll be betting less due to inflation and rising energy prices
17% of Brits plan to bet on the 2025 Grand National🐎
The survey reveals 17% of UK adults (just under one in five) plan to bet on the 2025 Grand National.
Of those who plan on placing a bet, men are most likely. The data shows 19% of men plan to place a bet on the Grand National, compared to only 14% of women. Furthermore, adults aged between 35 to 54 are most likely to place a bet (21%), compared to 18 to 24 year olds, where only 10% are likely to place a bet on the Grand National.
When comparing these results to our 2023 Grand National betting survey, the data reveals a 5% decrease in UK adults planning to bet on the Grand National over the last two years (from 2023 to 2025).
Northern Ireland is the UK’s Grand National Betting Hotspot☘️
Data shows 21% of Northern Irish respondents plan to bet on the 2025 Grand National, which is the highest of all UK regions.
Following this, 20% of Scottish and 20% of people in the North West of England are likely to bet on the 2025 Grand National.
The percentage of people planning to place a bet in other UK regions is as follows: North East (15%), Yorkshire and the Humber (17%), East Midlands (16%), West Midlands (19%), East of England (14%), London (15%), South East (16%), South West (15%), Wales (15%).
43% of Brits plan to bet less than £10 on the Grand National💰
Amongst those who plan to bet on the Grand National, 43% plan to bet less than £10.
Following this, 35% plan to bet between £10-50; 7% plan to bet between £51-100; 3% plan to bet between £101-500 and only 1% of respondents plan on placing a bet over £501.
When asked, ‘what is the maximum amount of money they’d be comfortable losing on the Grand National,’ 44% of Brits said less than £10; 35% said £10-50; 6% said £51-100; 4% said £101-500 and only 2% said over £501.
51% of Brits who plan to bet on the Grand National choose their horse by its name🐴
Amongst those who plan to bet on the Grand National 43% choose their Grand National horse based on betting odds; 26% based on jockey/trainer reputation; 51% based on the horse’s name; 14% based on its colour; 36% based on a gut feeling and 19% based on a recommendation from others.
When comparing men's and women's betting patterns, we can see that 54% of men choose a horse based on betting odds, compared to only 31% of women; 32% of men choose a horse based on jockey/trainer reputation compared to only 19% of women and 60% of women choose a horse based on its name, compared to only 43% of men.
Most Brits will be betting online💻
Data reveals 62% of Brits plan to bet on the Grand National online, compared to only 28% of Brits who plan to bet on the Grand National in a high-street bookmaker.
Even fewer respondents (9%) plan to bet on the Grand National on-course at Aintree.
25% of Brits would rather buy a drink in the pub than bet on the Grand National🍻
Our survey reveals that 25% of Brits would rather have a trip to the cinema; 25% of Brits would rather buy two drinks in the pub; 17% of Brits would rather pay for a month of Netflix; 11% of Brits would rather buy flowers for their partner and 14% of Brits would rather bet on a football match than bet on the Grand National.
Inflation & energy prices = betting less📈
Whilst 57% of respondents said that inflation and rising energy prices have no impact on their decision to bet on the Grand National, 16% of Brits said they’ll bet slightly less due to inflation and rising energy costs and 14% say they’ll bet a lot less due to inflation and rising energy costs.
Further findings from the survey revealed:
Amongst Brits who plan to bet on the Grand National…
41% say £85 for a Grand National ticket isn’t good value for money
52% say they’re in favour of the races becoming less challenging for the horses
48% say they don’t research horses before placing a bet
43% say they don’t trust AI algorithm-generated tips to pick a winning horse
77% say betting on the Grand National is a part of British culture
63% say they’ll be watching the Grand National live this year
Richard Moffat, CEO at OLBG and Gambling Industry Expert comments: “It’s interesting to see that 17% of UK adults plan to bet on the Grand National (which is just under one in five), however, it’s not surprising as the Grand National is one of, if not the most popular sports betting event in the UK as proven by our recent betting trends survey.
“We know the Irish love horse racing and it’s interesting to see this reflected in betting patterns, with 21% of Irish respondents planning to bet on the Grand National, which is the highest in all of the UK.
“Unlike other popular racing festivals, the Grand National appeals to ‘once-a-year’ punters, which highlights why 51% of UK adults who are planning to bet on the Grand National say they pick their horse by name, 36% by gut feeling and 14% by colour.
“As the decline in high street bookmakers continues, our study reveals 62% of UK adults plan to bet on the Grand National online, 28% in a high street bookmaker and only 9% on-course at Aintree, showcasing how real-life trends are reflected in our survey results”.
Methodology
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2212 adults (total sample size of those that said they are planning to bet or don’t know totals 493 adults). Fieldwork was undertaken between 17th - 18th March 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
