LONDON – 8th April 2016 – Worldpay, the global leader in payments, is predicting the biggest Grand National ever for online bookmakers, as punters hedge their bets on the biggest race in the British horseracing calendar.
Spending data from the 2015 event revealed that Britain’s bookies saw a phenomenal 84% increase in online betting activity and a 63% spike in total betting value compared with the week before the event.*
In the wake of one of the most successful Cheltenham Festivals ever for punters,** Worldpay expects an even greater surge this weekend, as racing fans feel encouraged by their recent pay-outs. And with so many of these winnings sitting in online betting accounts ready for the next flutter, existing customers are likely to bet more than usual in the hope of winning big. This year’s Grand National is scheduled for its latest start time ever, meaning fans have a better opportunity to watch the race and even more time to place their bets online.
Karl MacGregor, Vice President Gambling, Global eCommerce, at Worldpay said:
“The Grand National is always the most popular betting event in the sporting calendar, and we are expecting even more punters to try their luck this year, after a Cheltenham Festival that saw the bookies take a bit of a beating. We are already seeing huge excitement around this year’s race, as the bookies’ favourite, Many Clouds, has the chance to become the first horse to win back-to-back Grand Nationals since the legendary Red Rum.
“Technology is making it easier than ever to place a bet and watch the race online or via a smartphone. Mobile gambling has made it possible for everybody to get involved in major sporting events, placing a bet from the comfort of the pub or their own sofa. And with the race kicking off an hour later than previous years, you can expect to see people across the country glued to their screens at 5.15 on Saturday.”
* Figures refer to customer transaction data during the week commencing 6th April2015, and are compared to the four previous weeks.
** Source: The Racing Post: Cheltenham Festival: Punters cash in again to leave bookies reeling
About the data:
Figures quoted are according to global eCommerce payment transactional data for Worldpay’s regulated gambling customers during April 2015, which include more than 150 of the biggest names in regulated gambling industry. In 2015, Worldpay processed 13bn transactions for more than 400,000 customers.
About Worldpay
Worldpay is a leading payments company with global reach. We provide an extensive range of technology-led payment products and services to over 400,000 customers, enabling their businesses to grow and prosper. We manage the increasing complexity of the payments landscape for our customers, allowing them to accept the widest range of payment types around the world.
Using our network and technology, we are able to process payments from geographies covering 99% of global GDP, across 146 countries and 126 currencies. We help our customers to accept more than 300 different payment types, by providing an end-to-end service including acquiring, treasury, gateway, alternative payments and risk management, all via a single integration to Worldpay.
Worldpay makes global payments simple for many of the world’s leading organisations.
