Entain reports a record-breaking number of bets on Saturday’s Grand National at Aintree, the biggest 10 minutes of the year in the horse racing calendar.

The annual event brings out millions of once-a-year customers who pick a horse they think will stay the extreme race of four miles and 2.5 furlongs, and take the victory against 40 runners in the race.

This year’s event proved to be another great day out for Entain’s customers who got in on the action both in shops and online through its Ladbrokes and Coral brands. It was made extra special as fans were able to both physically attend the annual festival and step inside betting shops to wager on the Grand National for the first time since 2019.

12.75 million bets were taken by its brands across the three-day Grand National period, marking an increase on bets in 2019 – the last time customers could use both retail and digital. On Saturday in particular, Entain reported:

A total of 4.1 million bets and total stakes up 72% compared to 2021.

Over 20,000 bets-per-minute were placed online in the run up to the race, demonstrating the scalability of Entain’s industry-leading platform.

538,000 active customers online, for Ladbrokes and Coral combined.

Customer service agents responded to customers in less than half a minute on average.

The event culminated in a fairy tale Grand National win for 50-1 winner Noble Yeats, ridden by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen. 65,000 bets were placed on Noble Yeats across Entain’s brands.

Dom Grounsell, Deputy Director of Digital at Entain, said: “We were delighted to see the Grand National returning in all its glory with a huge crowd to cheer on the runners and riders. We pulled out all the stops to add to the moments of excitement for our customers across all our brands, apps and shops, and we were the only major operator to provide uninterrupted service from our platform and our customer support teams.

“The magical ending to the race reinforced that there is no event quite like the Grand National to generate passion and interest among our horse racing fans. Whether it’s in-person or online, Entain is committed to transforming horse racing to make the sport even more exciting for our customers.”