BGC: 40 MPs to support Grand National charity bet initiative

The Betting and Gaming Council will repeat its campaign, which gives each MP £50 to bet on a horse.

UK.- The industry lobby group, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), has announced that it expects at least 40 MPs to take part in this year’s edition of its Grand National charity bet initiative. It said MPs from several parties will take part.

The initiative sees the BGC give MPs £50 to bet on a horse in the Grand National via Paddy Power, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred or an independent betting shop in their constituency. Any winnings go to a charity of the MP’s choice. If the bet doesn’t win, BGC members still make a £250 donation to the MP’s nominated charity.

Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison, shadow DCMS minister Alex Davies-Jones, minister for enterprise Kevin Hollinrake and COP26 president Alok Sharma are among the MPs the BGC says will take part. Shadow defence secretary John Healey, former Labour cabinet minister John Spellar, former DCMS minister Caroline Dinenage and shadow apprenticeships minister Toby Perkins will also join in.

The BGC said that last year’s Grand National charity bet drive raised just under £11,000 for a range of charities. 

Held at Aintree Racecourse, the Grand National is the world’s most popular horse race. It takes place on Saturday (April 15), with around 600 million people expected to watch in 140 countries. 

According to industry research conducted by the Betting and Gaming Council, an estimated 13 million adults in the UK will place a bet on the race, together staking £250m on the main event. It says the Grand National is expected to generate £3m in tax revenues for the Treasury and £2m in horse racing levy to support the sport.

Michael Dugher, chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “Millions of people, from all different backgrounds, will be coming together to watch the Grand National and place a bet on the world’s most famous horserace.

“Betting shops support tens of thousands of jobs, bring vital revenue to the UK’s hard-pressed high streets and support the national and local economies through tax and business rates. They also provide community to millions of betting and gaming fans.

“I also want to say a huge thanks to the MPs who have made the time and effort to meet with their local constituents working in high street shops, for backing so many good causes and local charities, and for promoting the Grand National which remains one of Britain’s biggest and best cultural and sporting events seen around the world.”

It added that when visiting betting shops, MPs heard from staff about the range of safer gambling measures available to customers. It noted that independent analysis carried out by Serve Legal found UK betting shops have better age verification checks than convenience stores, supermarkets and petrol forecourts.

The BGC says that betting shops support 42,000 jobs on UK high streets, contribute £800m a year in tax to the Treasury and another £60m in business rates to local councils. A study by ESA Retail found that 89 per cent of betting shop customers combine their trips to the bookies with visits to other local businesses.