BGC Grand National charity bet campaign raises £13,500

More than 40 MPs placed bets as part of the charity bet campaign.

UK.- The British gambling industry lobby group, the Betting and Gaming Council, has reported that its 2023 Grand National Charity Bet campaign raised £13,500 for good causes. It says that more than 40 MPs placed a charity bet on Saturday’s race after it gave them £50 each to back a horse of their choice.

The Grand National’s winner was 8/1 favourite Corach Rambler, ridden by Derek Fox for Scottish trainer Lucinda Russell, six years after they teamed up to win with One For Arthur. Several MPs backed the winner: Labour shadow DCMS minister Alex Davies-Jones, the SNP’s Pete Wishart, Caroline Nokes and Philip Davies and the Conservative MSP Miles Briggs.

Mark Pawsey, Dr James Davies, Mark Tami, Dame Caroline Dinenage, Nigel Evans and Alex Stafford MP won on each-way bets. Their winnings will be donated to the charity of their choice. Meanwhile, BGC members will also give £250 to the charities supported by MPs who didn’t win their bets.

Good causes included Guide Dogs for the Blind, Age UK and various regional foodbanks.

Other MPs that took part included levelling up minister Dehenna Davison MP, minister for enterprise Kevin Hollinrake, former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson, COP26 president Alok Sharma, shadow defence secretary John Healey MP, opposition chief whip Sir Alan Campbell MP, shadow DCMS minister Steph Peacock MP, former Labour cabinet minister John Spellar and shadow apprenticeships minister Toby Perkins MP.

Michael Dugher, the BGC’s chief executive, said: “600 million people from all over the world turned in to watch the Grand National – including 7.5 million in the UK on ITV – with an estimated 13 million people in the UK enjoying a bet on the National.

“I want to pay tribute to all the thousands of people who work in betting shops to help support hard-pressed high streets and local economies, it was great to see MPs from across the political divide – more MPs than ever before – visiting bookies across the country supporting more good causes than ever before.”

See also: BGC clarifies stance on proposals for mandatory gambling levy