The Grand National Tops 2024’s Betting Volume List
International sports betting and gambling giant Entain releases data showing the Grand National is the world’s most popular betting event.
I Am Maximums wins the 2024’s most popular betting event, the Grand National. © Getty Images
Key Facts:
- The Grand National was 2024’s biggest betting event
- Euro 2024 matches provided the most betting highlights
- The Vegas Super Bowl was second-best in betting volume stakes
- Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul was a top-50 betting hit
According to figures recently released by Entain plc, the parent company of Ladbrokes, Coral, BetMGM and bwin, the iconic Grand National generated the highest number of bets placed across all sporting events in 2024.
The Grand National, won by 7/1 joint-favourite I Am Maximus, maintained its position as the world’s most popular betting event despite 2024 being a big year for football. England reached the finals of the Euro, and Spain took the title.
Last year, the Grand National garnered a staggering 700% more bets than its closest horse racing rival, the Cheltenham Gold Cup. However, a whopping 82% of cash bets placed on the Grand National at Entain’s online betting sites were for £5 or less.
Underling the Grand National’s status as ‘the people’s race’, less than 1% of bets placed on the Aintree marathon were for more than £20 and 50% of Grand National turnover originated from bets of £5 or less.
In the aftermath of last year’s race, Entain said: “The Grand National serves as a gateway for newcomers to the world of sports betting, with 30% of participants either making their first sports bet, depositing for the first time, or returning after a break since the previous year’s race. It’s a testament to the race’s ability to engage and attract a fresh audience.”
Golf and NFL Top-10, but Football Is Big Winner
The Super Bowl, featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs and played in Las Vegas, claimed the second spot on Entain’s list. Another US sporting event, Golf’s Masters, ranked sixth.
The remaining seven positions are filled with Euro 2024 football matches. Unsurprisingly, the Spain versus England final ranked third in overall betting volume and various England matches throughout the competition feature prominently in the rankings.
An eye-watering 60% of the top 50 betting events were matches played at the Euros. Meanwhile, NFL fixtures (including the Super Bowl) accounted for 22%. The Cheltenham Gold Cup – outscored by a ratio of seven-bets-to-one by the Grand National – still took 16th position on Entain’s list.
The high-profile boxing bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul was more than a money spinner for the two contenders. The volume of bets it attracted placed it in 36th position in the year-ending ‘betting volume’ list produced by Entain’s number crunchers.
Intense Grand National Betting Is Underway
The 2025 Grand National will take place on Saturday, April 5, at Aintree in Liverpool. Understandably, the best online bookmakers have ante-post betting markets open on the outcome of the four-mile two-furlong marathon.
I Am Maximus, victorious in the big race last season, is the current 14/1 ante-post favourite. The defending champion made his seasonal re-appearance over Christmas, where he was pulled-up in a hot Grade-1 Leopardstown chase won by dual Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs.
Second favourite, Intense Raffles (16/1), made a similarly inauspicious start to his 2024/25 campaign when well beaten in a three-mile handicap hurdle. However, a perfect three-from-three last season, when winning the Irish Grand National as a novice chaser, means the eight-year-old has enormous potential.
