Bookmakers anticipating 'record turnover' on weekend to savour for sports' fans

Bookmakers are bracing for "record levels of turnover" on a weekend which features a feast of sporting treats headlined by the Randox Grand National (5.15), with William Hill anticipating "one of the busiest periods we've ever had."

Alongside the Aintree showpiece, the first major of the golf season gets under way with the Masters at Augusta on Thursday, with the battle for the green jacket going right through until Sunday evening.

The biggest Premier League game of the season, where leaders Manchester City and Liverpool meet in a Super Sunday showdown at the Etihad with just one point between them, adds further intrigue. Throw in the Australian Grand Prix and sports fans and punters truly are spoilt for choice over where to direct their wagers.

Tony Kenny, a spokesman for William Hill, who expect three million individual bets to be placed on the Grand National alone, said: "The next few days are heaven for sports fans. We're seeing three of the biggest events of the year collide at once."

5.15 Aintree: Randox Grand National racecard and betting

The betting firm anticipates £20 million to be wagered on the Masters across the country while the Premier League title decider could attract the highest number of bets on a single football fixture since the Euro 2020 final between England and Italy.

Kenny added: "We're predicting it to be one of the busiest periods we've ever had at William Hill, with industry turnover for the National alone likely to be heading towards £200m.

"Sit that alongside golf's first Major of the year and one of the biggest domestic football matches of all-time, and we could see a quarter of a billion pounds in turnover across the industry."

The Masters: first major of the year begins on ThursdayCredit: Getty Images

Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes anticipates similar lofty figures and said: "Half the adult population of Ireland and the UK have a bet on the Grand National, throw in the Masters and the Premier League, and we have a mammoth weekend on our hands.

"The Grand National itself is a £150m betting race and with two other major sporting events on at the same time, we could see record levels of turnover."

However, Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield was lukewarm on the potential for stratospheric betting turnover this weekend, given the Grand National, the Masters and Premier League games regularly coincide in April each year.

Binfield said: "I wouldn't say we are looking at an unprecedented level of turnover as there would always be Premier League games on Grand National weekend every year, but there may be a little uplift due to it being such a high profile game."

Michael Shinners from Sky Bet is anticipating the result of the National to impact people's punting plans as they head into the second half of the big betting weekend.

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"With us paying 11 places in the Masters, we would expect to see plenty of interest in the golf," Shinners said. "We were not affected by the high street bookmakers not being open last year, so it will be interesting to see what turnover looks like in the National. If the National is a friendly result for punters, we could see huge interest in the football."

Although Sky Bet operates solely as an online service, so was unaffected by the closure of betting shops as part of Covid-19 protocols, David Stevens is looking forward to the Grand National returning now Coral's high street bookmakers are back open.

Snow Leopardess: subject of a big gamble in the build-up to the Grand NationalCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"While the Grand National will be by far the biggest turnover event of this weekend, there's no doubt the scheduling of the Masters, the huge Premier League clash between Man City and Liverpool, and the Australian Grand Prix alongside the Aintree showpiece, make his a weekend to savour for sports' fans," Stevens said.

"This will give a positive boost to betting interest over the two days. More importantly, betting shops will be re-open following last year’s hiatus, and that factor will see turnover get back to pre-pandemic levels."

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