How to Bet on the Grand National Online: A Step-by-Step Guide for 2026
Every April, roughly a third of the British adult population places a bet on the Grand National. For millions of those people, it is the only bet they will make all year — your first flutter on the biggest race in the calendar, placed from the sofa with a cup of tea and a borrowed opinion about which horse has the best name. The process has never been easier, but if you have never actually done it, the sheer number of bookmaker apps, verification screens and payment options can feel like a lot of admin for what should be a bit of fun.
This guide walks you through the entire process, from choosing a bookmaker to collecting your winnings the morning after. It assumes you are starting from scratch — no existing betting account, no particular loyalty to any sportsbook, and no prior experience of navigating the betting slip. According to Entain sportsbook data, 30% of people who bet on the Grand National are either making their first deposit or returning after a gap of a year or more. If that description fits you, you are in good company, and there is nothing here that requires any specialist knowledge.
The steps are straightforward: pick a licensed bookmaker, set up and verify your account, deposit funds, find the Grand National market, build your bet slip and confirm your wager. After the race, any returns are credited to your account and can be withdrawn to your bank. Each of those steps has a few details worth knowing, and that is what the sections below cover — one step at a time, with no jargon left unexplained.
Choosing a Licensed Bookmaker for the Grand National
The first decision — and arguably the most important one — is where to bet. The UK has a well-regulated gambling market overseen by the UK Gambling Commission, and any bookmaker legally operating in Britain holds a UKGC licence. That licence is not just a badge; it means the operator is required to hold customer funds securely, offer responsible gambling tools, process withdrawals within a reasonable timeframe, and submit to regular compliance audits. Betting with a licensed operator is not optional. It is the floor.
Why does this matter for the Grand National specifically? Because the race attracts an enormous surge of first-time customers, and not all of them know what to look for. The Betting and Gaming Council estimated that £9.4 million was wagered illegally on the 2026 Grand National through unlicensed operators — sites that offer no consumer protection, no recourse if a payout is refused, and no compliance with UK responsible gambling requirements. Avoiding that corner of the market starts with one simple check: look for the UKGC licence number, which every licensed bookmaker is required to display on its website, usually in the footer.
What to Look for Beyond the Licence
Once you have confirmed the bookmaker is licensed, a handful of practical factors will shape your experience on Grand National day.
Grand National coverage. All major UK bookmakers cover the race extensively, but the quality of coverage varies. Look for early ante-post markets, a dedicated Grand National section with runner profiles and odds, and clearly stated each-way place terms. If the bookmaker makes it easy to find their Grand National page, they are probably going to make it easy to place the bet.
Deposit and withdrawal methods. Check that the bookmaker accepts your preferred payment method — debit card, bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay or another e-wallet. Credit card deposits are banned in the UK for gambling, so do not expect that option. Also check the minimum deposit: most bookmakers set it at £5 or £10, which is perfectly reasonable for a once-a-year bet.
New customer offers. Most bookmakers offer a sign-up promotion for new accounts. These typically take the form of a free bet matched to your first deposit or first bet. The terms and conditions vary — some require you to place a qualifying bet at minimum odds before the free bet is released, and most have wagering requirements attached to any winnings from the free bet. Read the terms. They are not long, and they will save you from surprises.
Reputation and track record. The household names — bet365, William Hill, Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfair, Sky Bet, Betfred — have been processing Grand National bets for years and can handle the volume. Smaller bookmakers may offer sharper odds or more generous promotions, but check reviews and confirm the UKGC licence before opening an account. If you are placing your first bet ever, sticking with a well-known brand reduces the friction.
Responsible gambling tools. Every licensed bookmaker must offer deposit limits, loss limits, session time limits, cooling-off periods and self-exclusion options. These should be accessible from your account settings, not buried in a sub-menu. If you are betting for the first time, setting a deposit limit before you start is a sensible habit to build from day one.
Setting Up Your Account and Passing Verification
Opening a betting account in the UK takes about five minutes, but it involves a verification step that catches some people off guard if they leave it to the last minute. Here is what the process looks like from start to finish.
Registration
Navigate to the bookmaker’s website or download their app. The “Join” or “Register” button is usually prominent — bookmakers spend a great deal of money making sure you can find it. You will be asked to provide your full name, date of birth, home address, email address and a mobile phone number. You will also need to create a username and password, or in some cases just an email-and-password combination.
The date of birth is not decorative. UK law requires all bettors to be 18 or over, and the bookmaker is legally obliged to verify your age before allowing you to place a bet or withdraw winnings. Entering false information will result in your account being suspended and any pending bets voided.
Identity Verification
After registration, the bookmaker will attempt to verify your identity electronically. This typically involves cross-referencing the details you provided against credit reference agency databases and the electoral roll. In most cases, this check happens instantly and you will not need to do anything further — according to data cited from the UK Gambling Commission’s pilot programme, 95% of financial checks on gambling accounts are completed without the customer needing to take any action at all.
If the electronic check cannot verify your identity — which happens more often than you might expect if you have recently moved house, are not on the electoral roll at your current address, or have a common name — the bookmaker will ask you to upload documents manually. This usually means a photo of your passport or driving licence, and sometimes a recent utility bill or bank statement to confirm your address. Upload quality matters: make sure the photo is clear, all four corners of the document are visible, and the text is legible. Blurry uploads are the single biggest cause of verification delays.
Timing
Electronic verification is usually instant. Manual verification can take anywhere from a few hours to 48 hours, depending on the bookmaker’s processing speed and whether they need to request additional documents. The practical takeaway is clear: do not leave account setup until the morning of the Grand National. Open your account at least a week before the race. If verification goes smoothly, you are ready to go. If it does not, you have time to sort it out without watching the race slip by while your documents are being reviewed.
Some bookmakers allow you to deposit funds and browse markets while verification is pending, but they will not let you place a bet or withdraw until the process is complete. Others block the account entirely until you are verified. Either way, early registration removes the time pressure.
Affordability Checks
You may encounter an affordability check, particularly if your deposits cross certain thresholds. These checks are a regulatory requirement introduced by the Gambling Commission to ensure that customers are not betting beyond their means. For the vast majority of Grand National punters staking modest amounts, the check will not be noticeable. If it is triggered, the bookmaker may ask you to confirm your source of funds or provide a payslip or bank statement. This is not a reflection on you personally — it is a compliance process that applies to all customers above certain deposit levels.
Depositing Funds: Payment Methods and Minimums
Once your account is open and verified, you need to add money before you can place a bet. The process is straightforward, but there are a few UK-specific rules worth knowing.
Accepted Payment Methods
Debit card is the most common method. Visa and Mastercard debit cards are accepted by all UK bookmakers. The deposit is usually instant. Note that credit cards cannot be used for gambling in the UK — this has been the law since April 2020, and no licensed bookmaker will accept one.
Bank transfer is an option at most bookmakers, though it can take longer to process — anywhere from a few hours to two working days. Not ideal if you are depositing on the morning of the race.
E-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller are widely accepted and process instantly. PayPal in particular is popular with first-time bettors because it adds a layer of separation between your bank account and the bookmaker. Apple Pay and Google Pay are increasingly common for mobile deposits and offer the same instant processing.
Prepaid cards and vouchers like Paysafecard are available at some bookmakers and allow you to deposit without sharing bank details at all. You buy a voucher for a set amount, enter the code, and the funds appear in your betting account.
Minimum Deposits
Most major bookmakers set a minimum deposit of £5 or £10. A few allow deposits as low as £1, though this is uncommon. For a once-a-year Grand National bet, a £10 deposit is more than enough to cover a £5 each-way wager — remember, that costs £10 total — with nothing left sitting idle in the account afterwards.
A Note on Fees
UK bookmakers generally do not charge fees on deposits via debit card or PayPal. Some charge a small fee for deposits via certain e-wallets or international payment methods, so check the cashier page before confirming. Withdrawal fees are also rare for standard methods, but bank transfers and some e-wallet withdrawals may carry a charge at certain operators.
If you are depositing specifically for the Grand National and do not plan to bet regularly, deposit only what you intend to stake. There is no benefit to having idle funds in a betting account, and withdrawing unused balances later — while straightforward — is an extra step you can avoid by depositing the right amount in the first place.
Placing Your Grand National Bet: From Slip to Confirmation
You have picked your bookmaker, opened an account, passed verification and deposited funds. Now comes the part you actually signed up for: placing the bet. The process is the same whether you are using a desktop browser or a mobile app, though the layout will differ slightly.
Finding the Grand National Market
In the weeks leading up to the race, every bookmaker will have a prominent Grand National section on their homepage or within their horse racing tab. You will typically find it under “Horse Racing,” then “Aintree,” then “Grand National” — though many bookmakers create a dedicated landing page that is one click from the homepage. If you cannot find it, use the site’s search bar and type “Grand National.”
The market page will list all confirmed runners along with their current odds. Odds may be displayed in fractional format (e.g. 20/1) or decimal format (e.g. 21.0), depending on your account settings. You can usually toggle between the two in your preferences.
Building Your Bet Slip
Click or tap on the odds next to the horse you want to back. This adds the selection to your bet slip — a panel that appears on the right side of the screen (desktop) or at the bottom (mobile). The bet slip is where you choose your bet type and enter your stake.
For a standard each-way bet, look for the “Each-Way” toggle or checkbox on the bet slip. Activating it splits your stake into two equal parts: win and place. Enter your unit stake — say, £5 — and the bet slip should display the total cost as £10 (£5 × 2). It should also show the applicable place terms: how many places are being paid and at what fraction of the odds.
If you want a win-only bet instead, leave the each-way toggle off and simply enter your stake. The bet slip will show the potential return based on the current odds.
Double-check three things before confirming: the horse name (it sounds obvious, but on a page listing 34 runners, a misclick is easy), the stake and total cost, and the bet type (win-only or each-way). The scale of Grand National betting is staggering — Entain processes over 15,000 bets per minute at peak moments during the race — and in that volume, individual errors tend to go unnoticed until it is too late.
Confirming the Bet
Once you are satisfied, press “Place Bet” or “Confirm.” Most bookmakers will show a confirmation screen with a bet reference number. Screenshot this or note it down. If anything goes wrong — a disputed settlement, a technical glitch — that reference number is your receipt.
“Watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, the Grand National’s popularity and ability to capture the attention of casual bettors remains undisputed,” Greg Ferris, Managing Director of Sports at Entain, told Gambling Insider. That attention translates into intense traffic on bookmaker platforms on race day, particularly in the thirty minutes before the off. If the app feels slow or a bet takes longer than usual to confirm, do not press the button repeatedly — you may end up with duplicate bets. Wait for the confirmation or error message before trying again.
Odds at the Time of Bet vs Starting Price
When you place an ante-post bet or a bet before the day of the race, the odds you see at the time of placement are the odds your bet is settled at, unless the bookmaker offers Best Odds Guaranteed — in which case you receive whichever is higher: your original price or the Starting Price. If you bet on race day, you may have the option to take the current price or opt for Starting Price. Taking the price locks in your odds; taking SP means you receive whatever the market settles at when the race begins. For the Grand National, where odds can shift significantly in the final minutes before the off, there are arguments for both approaches.
Betting on Your Phone: Apps, Mobile Sites and In-Play
The vast majority of Grand National bets placed online now come from mobile devices. Every major UK bookmaker has a dedicated iOS and Android app, and most also offer a mobile-optimised website that works in any phone browser without requiring a download. The functionality is identical to the desktop version — you can register, deposit, place bets, watch live streams (where available) and withdraw from your phone.
App vs Mobile Browser
Bookmaker apps tend to be slightly faster and more polished than mobile websites, and they support push notifications — useful for knowing when your bet has been settled or when odds on your selected horse have changed. If you are only betting on the Grand National once a year, downloading the app might feel like overkill, in which case the mobile site works perfectly well. If you think you might check back in for Royal Ascot or the Cheltenham Festival, the app is worth the thirty seconds it takes to install.
Placing a Bet on Mobile
The bet-building process is the same as on desktop: find the Grand National market, tap the odds on your chosen horse, adjust the bet slip, toggle each-way if desired, enter your stake and confirm. One mobile-specific tip: make sure your payment method is already saved in the app before race day. Trying to add a new debit card while the race is ten minutes away and the app is under heavy load is a recipe for frustration.
Live Streaming and Following the Race
Several bookmakers — bet365, Paddy Power, William Hill and Betfair among them — offer live streaming of UK horse racing through their apps. In most cases, you need to have a funded account or to have placed a bet on the race to access the stream. The Grand National is broadcast free-to-air on ITV in the UK, so you do not strictly need the bookmaker’s stream to watch, but having the race playing in the same app where your bet sits is convenient. You can follow the commentary, check in-play odds (if offered) and see your bet settle, all without switching between apps.
In-Play Betting on the Grand National
Some bookmakers offer in-play or in-running betting on the Grand National, allowing you to place bets after the race has started. The odds update in real time based on what is happening on the course — a horse that falls at Becher’s Brook will see its odds disappear instantly, while a horse running prominently will shorten. In-play betting is fast, volatile and not recommended for first-time punters. The prices move quickly, the race unfolds across four miles, and making an informed decision while thirty-four horses are jumping enormous fences at speed is difficult even for experienced traders. If you are here for your first flutter, place your bet before the off and enjoy watching the race without the added pressure of live decision-making.
After the Race: Payouts, Withdrawals and What Happens Next
The Grand National has been run, the horses have crossed the line — or not — and you are staring at your phone wondering what happens to your money. Here is the sequence.
Bet Settlement
Bookmakers settle Grand National bets within minutes of the official result being confirmed. The official result includes any stewards’ enquiry, which can occasionally delay things. Once the “weighed in” announcement is made — confirming that the placed jockeys have weighed out correctly and no disqualifications apply — the result is final and settlements begin.
If your bet has won (or placed, in the case of each-way), your returns will appear in your betting account balance almost immediately. The bookmaker does not need to send you a cheque or initiate a transfer — the winnings are credited to your online account automatically.
Withdrawing Your Winnings
To move your winnings from the betting account to your bank account, navigate to the “Withdraw” or “Cashier” section. Select your preferred withdrawal method — typically the same method you used to deposit, though some bookmakers offer additional options. Enter the amount you wish to withdraw and confirm.
Withdrawal processing times vary by method. Debit card withdrawals usually take one to three working days, though some bookmakers now offer faster processing. PayPal and other e-wallet withdrawals are often completed within a few hours. Bank transfers tend to take the longest — up to five working days in some cases.
If you deposited via debit card, most bookmakers are required by their payment processor to return winnings to the same card up to the value of the deposit. Any excess above the deposit amount can be withdrawn by bank transfer or e-wallet. This is an anti-money-laundering measure and is standard across the industry.
What If You Think Your Bet Was Settled Incorrectly?
Settlement disputes are rare but not unheard of, particularly around each-way bets where the number of places paid may differ from what the customer expected. If you believe your bet has been settled incorrectly, contact the bookmaker’s customer support immediately — live chat is usually the fastest route. Have your bet reference number ready. If the bookmaker cannot resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you can escalate to the Independent Betting Adjudication Service (IBAS), the UK’s official dispute resolution body for gambling.
Closing Your Account
If you opened the account solely for the Grand National and do not intend to bet again, you have two options. You can simply withdraw your balance and leave the account dormant — most bookmakers do not charge inactivity fees, though some may close dormant accounts after a period of twelve to twenty-four months and return the balance to your last known payment method. Alternatively, you can request account closure through the bookmaker’s responsible gambling settings or customer support. Closing the account removes the temptation to dip in between now and next year’s National, which is a perfectly reasonable approach if you genuinely only want to bet once a year.
And if your horse did not win or place? You log out, put the phone down, and mark the first Saturday in April 2027 in your calendar. There is always next year — and now you know exactly how to make your first flutter count.