MPs to bet on Grand National 2025 winner for BGC charity bet campaign

IMAGO

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has confirmed that they will run the Grand National Charity Bet Campaign again this year. The campaign sees participating MPs and peers given a free £50 bet on the result of the Grand National. 

All wins are given to a charity of the participant’s choosing, and if the bet doesn’t win, the BGC will donate £250 to the chosen charity. The event, which was one of several charity events run by the BGC, raised approximately £15,000 last year, and £11,000 in 2023.

Check out the best UK bookmakers to claim free bets worth up to £850!

The BGC is the industry body and gambling industry lobby group, working on behalf of betting shops, land-based casinos and online operators in Britain. They run several charity events throughout the year, including their Charity Bet initiative. 

Every year for the last five years, the group has sponsored the Britannia Stakes race at Royal Ascot. All group member bookmakers agree to hand over their profits from win and each-way bets to the BGC, who split the money between various good causes. 

In the five years since their launch, the Britannia Stakes initiative has raised more than £3m for charities and is likely to run again at this year’s Royal Ascot. 

The group also arranges a charity football match, which pitches lobby journalists against Members of Parliament. The match is held annually, as part of SportsAid, and last year’s event raised more than £50,000 for the SportsAid initiative. 

And, once again in 2025, the BGC sponsored the Leicester Racecourse’s Veterans’ Raceday. 

The charitable arm has raised around £1m from its sponsorship of the event, with the proceeds going to various Armed Forces charities. According to the BGC website, the group’s members have raised more than £6m for charities, in total.

This year’s Grand National will see the BGC continue their Charity Bet Initiative. The group invites MPs and members of the House of Lords to place free £50 bets on the race. Any winnings are given to the bettor’s chosen charities and, if any bets do not win, the group donates £250. 

Last year, MPs and the BGC raised £15,000 for an assortment of charitable groups and will be hoping to match or exceed that total this year. 

This year’s Grand National takes place on 5 April and, following the withdrawal of recent Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin, Intense Raffles is the current favourite at odds of 7/1 via Coral. 

Inothewayurthinkin was fancied by many to complete a historic double but was withdrawn as trainer Gavin Cromwell and owner JP McManus decided it was too much at such an early stage in the gelding’s career. 

Last year’s winner, I Am Maximus is priced at 8/1 with Stumptown. I Am Maximus would be the first horse since Red Rum to win off top weight. Iroko is the current second favourite: punters can get 7/1. 

This year there will be 34 runners competing. The number of entrants has been reduced from last year’s field of 40, while the course has been shortened, along with the height of some of the course’s infamous fences.

Odds correct at the time of publishing.