How to Bet on the Grand National

The Grand National 2027 is run at Aintree on Saturday 10 April 2027, the last day of the three-day meeting (8 to 10 April 2027). If you have never had a bet, placing one is quick once you have an account. This is how, step by step, whether you bet online, on a phone or in a shop.

Checked: 23 October 2026. The race is usually mid to late afternoon (it was a 4:00pm start in 2026); the 2027 time is confirmed closer to the day.

• You must be 18 or over. Bookmakers will ask you to prove your age and identity before you can bet.
• Use a licensed bookmaker. A bookmaker serving British customers must hold a UK Gambling Commission licence, with its number in the footer of the website. You can check it on the Commission’s public register.
• Set a budget first. Decide what you can afford to lose and stick to it. Gambling winnings are not taxed for UK players.

1. Choose a bookmaker. Compare the odds and the each-way terms, because they differ between firms (see our guide to extra places and how to compare them).
2. Open an account. You will give your name, address and date of birth, and may need to upload ID. Most firms let you set a deposit limit now: do it.
3. Add some money. Pay in only what you plan to spend.
4. Find the race. Go to horse racing, then Aintree, and choose the Grand National on Saturday. Before race day it is usually shown as an outright market.
5. Pick your horse. Click its odds to add it to your bet slip. The runners are confirmed a few days before the race.
6. Choose win or each way. On the slip, tick the E/W box for each way. An each-way bet is two bets in one, so a £5 each-way bet costs £10.
7. Enter your stake and check the slip. The slip shows the potential return. Check the horse, the odds and whether the stake covers one bet or two.
8. Confirm the bet. Press place bet and keep the confirmation. You can follow the race on the bookmaker’s site or on TV.

Fill in a betting slip: write the horse’s name, the race (Grand National, Aintree), the stake and tick whether it is a win or an each-way bet. Hand the slip and the money to the cashier, and keep the receipt. You need it to collect any winnings.

Betting on the phone is possible with some firms. You will need an account first.

With up to 34 runners, many of the horses are priced at 20/1 or longer, and many people choose each way. A win bet pays only if your horse finishes first. An each-way bet adds a place part, which pays a fraction of the odds if the horse finishes in one of the paid places.

Here is a made-up example, not a tip. £5 each way on a horse at 20/1, with four places paid at a quarter of the odds: if it wins, the win part returns £105 and the place part returns £30, £135 in all for a £10 outlay. If it finishes second, third or fourth, only the place part pays, £30 back. If it finishes fifth or worse, you lose the £10. The full terms and how extra places change the maths are in Grand National each-way terms.

• Early (ante-post): prices can be bigger, but if your horse does not run you lose the stake, unless the bookmaker offers non-runner no bet.
• On the day: the runners are known, and a non-runner means your stake is returned. Look for Best Odds Guaranteed, which pays the starting price if it is bigger than the price you took (see our BOG guide).

• Betting on a horse because of its name, then forgetting to check it is running.
• Not checking the each-way terms. Four places at a quarter is the standard; offers with more places often use a smaller fraction.
• Chasing a loss with a bigger stake on the next race.
• Betting more than you planned. If it stops being fun, speak to GamCare.

Want a short list of how we think about a National horse? Read the Grand National betting guide, and see today’s NAP, next best and each-way pick on the racing tips page.

• Grand National 2027 betting guide
• Grand National each-way terms: places and fractions
• Grand National extra places: how to compare bookmakers
• Each-way betting explained

18+ only. Tips are our opinion, not a promise: racing is unpredictable and losing runs happen. Stake only what you can afford to lose. Free, confidential help: BeGambleAware or GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

How do I place a bet on the Grand National?

Open an account with a UK-licensed bookmaker, prove your age and identity, add money, find the Grand National market, click the odds of the horse you want and enter a stake. Tick E/W if you want an each-way bet, then confirm. In a shop, fill in a slip and hand it to the cashier with your money.

How do I put a bet on the Grand National?

You put a bet on by choosing the horse and the bet type, win or each way, and paying the stake, either on the bookmaker’s website or app, or by handing a completed slip to the cashier in a betting shop. You must be 18 or over.

Can I make a bet online for the Grand National?

Yes. Most UK bookmakers take bets on the Grand National online and on their apps. You need an account, which is checked against your age and identity, and you can set a deposit limit when you sign up.

Can I place a Grand National bet in a shop?

Yes. Write the horse, the race and your stake on a betting slip, tick whether it is a win or each-way bet, and give it to the cashier. Keep your receipt to collect any winnings.

How much does an each-way bet cost?

Twice your stake, because it is two bets: a win bet and a place bet. A £5 each-way bet costs £10.