The 2025 Grand National promises to be one of the most competitive renewals in recent memory, with defending champion I Am Maximus looking to join the elite club of back-to-back winners. But whether you're backing the favorite or hunting for value further down the field, selecting the right bookmaker can be as crucial as picking the right horse.
The 2025 Grand National promises to be one of the most competitive renewals in recent memory, with defending champion I Am Maximus looking to join the elite club of back-to-back winners. But whether you're backing the favorite or hunting for value further down the field, selecting the right bookmaker can be as crucial as picking the right horse.
William Hill's sign up offer for the 2025 Grand National
William Hill has established a competitive “Bet £10 and Get £10” promotion for new customers looking to wager on this year's Grand National. This offer combines sports betting value with additional gaming incentives.
| William Hill Sign-up Offer | Details |
|---|---|
| Bonus Title | Bet £10 and Get £10 in Sports Free Bets |
| Bonus Code | Not required |
| Minimum Deposit | £10 |
| How It Works | 18+. Play Safe. 18+. Play Safe. From 14:00 (UK time) on 04.04.25 until 16:00 (UK time) on 05.04.25. New customers signing up online only. Minimum £10/€10 stake on The Randox Grand National Steeple Chase race racecard market only. 1 x £10/€10 free bet. Free bet credited to account on 06.04.25. Free bet expires on 6 May 2025. 18+. UK and Ireland residents only. Further terms apply. www.gambleaware.org #ad |
| Free Bets | £10 |
| Availability | New UK customers only |
What makes this offer particularly appealing for Grand National betting is the generous £40 in sports free bets from a simple £10 qualifying bet. These free bets are divided into four separate £10 tokens, giving you flexibility to spread your selections across different races during the Aintree Festival or to back multiple contenders in the Grand National itself.
The free bets cannot be withdrawn as cash, but any winnings from them (excluding the stake) become withdrawable funds. They expire after 7 days, giving you ample time to use them throughout the Grand National Festival weekend.
For those interested in the Vegas bonus component, there is a 30x wagering requirement that must be completed within 72 hours. While this aspect of the offer won't appeal to pure racing enthusiasts, the sports betting element stands strong independently.
How many places are William Hill paying for Grand National 2025?
As shown in the image, William Hill is offering enhanced each-way terms for the 2025 Grand National with 5 places paid at 1/5 odds. This is a competitive offering that matches the industry standard for this particular race.
The each-way terms are displayed prominently as “E/W: 1/5 Odds 5 Places” on their race card, confirming that if your horse finishes in the top five positions, you'll receive a payout on the place portion of your each-way bet at one-fifth of the odds.
For a race as unpredictable as the Grand National with its 40 runners and challenging fences, having five places paid provides valuable insurance for bettors. While some bookmakers occasionally push to 6 or even 7 places for promotional purposes, 5 places at 1/5 odds represents the standard benchmark that serious racing bettors expect for this event.
William Hill’s top betting features for Grand National 2025
Non-Runner Money Back
William Hill's Non-Runner Money Back guarantee is active for the 2025 Grand National, as clearly shown in the image where the race is labeled “Non Runner Money Back.” This crucial promotion has been available since March 18th, 2025, and will remain in place until the race goes off at 16:00 on April 5th.
This protection ensures that if your selected horse withdraws from the race before the off, your stake will be fully refunded in cash—not as a free bet. This is particularly valuable for the Grand National, where the final field isn't confirmed until close to race day and late withdrawals are common.
The policy applies to both single and multiple bets, with the affected selection simply being voided in multiples. For ante-post bettors who like to secure potentially better odds weeks in advance, this guarantee removes one of the major risks associated with early betting.
Best Odds Guaranteed
William Hill offers Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) on all UK and Irish horse racing, including the Grand National. This promotion ensures you'll always receive the higher payout between the price you took when placing your bet and the Starting Price (SP).
Available from 8:00 AM on race day, this feature is particularly valuable for Grand National betting, where market movements can be significant due to the huge public interest. If you back a horse at 20/1 in the morning and it drifts to 25/1 by the off, you'll be paid at the more generous 25/1 odds should your selection win.
There is a daily cap of £25,000 on the additional benefit received from Best Odds Guaranteed per customer, which applies only to the extra benefit (the difference between your original odds and the higher SP) rather than your entire winnings. This limit is unlikely to affect most recreational bettors.
To qualify for BOG, you must opt in via the “Best Odds Guaranteed – Opt-In” feature within the race card. Once opted in, the promotion applies indefinitely until cancelled by William Hill, or you're excluded from the promotion.
Pick Your Places
William Hill's innovative “Pick Your Places” feature gives you unprecedented control over the each-way terms of your horse racing bets. Available from 10 AM on race day for all UK and Irish racing, this tool allows you to choose more places than the standard each-way terms, with the odds adjusted accordingly.
For the Grand National, this could mean opting for 6, 7, or even 8 places instead of the standard 5, accepting shorter odds in exchange for the additional place coverage. This creates an opportunity to tailor your betting strategy to your risk appetite—perfect for a race as unpredictable as the Grand National, where finishing positions can be wildly volatile.
The feature is available for singles only (not multiples) and is a promotional variation of standard each-way betting. In the event of non-runners affecting standard place terms, the Pick Your Places terms will adjust accordingly.
Lengthen Your Odds
For bettors seeking enhanced returns on their Grand National selections, William Hill's “Lengthen Your Odds” feature offers an intriguing alternative to standard win betting. Available from 10 AM on race day for all UK racing, this tool allows you to specify a winning margin for your selection, with odds increasing based on the margin specified.
For example, rather than simply backing a horse to win the Grand National, you could back it to win by more than a length or more than three lengths, receiving significantly enhanced odds for these more specific outcomes. This creates opportunities for additional value if you have strong convictions about how dominantly a particular horse might win.
Like Pick Your Places, this feature is available for singles only and isn't eligible for other promotions like Best Odds Guaranteed. It's particularly well-suited to the Grand National, where the winning distances can vary dramatically depending on how the race unfolds.
Final assessment of William Hill for Grand National betting
Having analysed William Hill's offering for the 2025 Grand National in detail, here's my assessment of their strengths and limitations:
Strengths:
- Generous Welcome Offer: The £40 in free bets from a £10 qualifying stake represents excellent value, especially with the flexibility of four separate £10 tokens.
- Comprehensive Race Protection: The combination of Non-Runner Money Back and Best Odds Guaranteed provides all the essential insurances serious Grand National bettors look for.
- Innovative Betting Tools: Pick Your Places and Lengthen Your Odds deliver customization options that allow for more tailored betting strategies than standard fixed-odds wagering.
- Clear Betting Interface: As shown in the image, William Hill's race card clearly displays the each-way terms and the Non-Runner Money Back status, making it easy to understand exactly what you're getting.
- Competitive Each-Way Terms: The standard 5 places at 1/5 odds matches what most major bookmakers offer for the Grand National.
Limitations:
- Vegas Component in Welcome Offer: The £20 Vegas bonus with its 30x wagering requirement may not appeal to pure racing enthusiasts, though it doesn't diminish the sports betting value.
- Standard Place Terms: While 5 places at 1/5 odds meets industry standards, some competitors occasionally push to 6 or 7 places for promotional purposes.
- Daily BOG Cap: The £25,000 daily cap on additional BOG benefits, while generous, could potentially affect high-stakes bettors with multiple selections benefiting from price drifts.
Grand National betting strategy with William Hill
To improve your Grand National betting experience with William Hill, consider these strategic approaches:
- Leverage the Welcome Offer Strategically: If you're a new customer, use your qualifying £10 bet on a solid selection in one of the Grade 1 races earlier in the festival, then deploy your four £10 free bets across multiple Grand National contenders to spread your risk.
- Combine BOG with Morning Prices: Take advantage of morning prices (after 8 AM) with BOG protection to secure potentially attractive odds while maintaining the upside of any favorable drift in the market.
- Customise Your Each-Way Approach: Use Pick Your Places to tailor your each-way terms based on your confidence level. If you're backing an outsider with place potential, consider accepting shorter odds for additional place coverage.
- Exploit Winning Margin Value: For horses you believe could win convincingly, explore the Lengthen Your Odds feature to potentially secure significantly enhanced returns.
- Back Ante-Post with Confidence: With Non-Runner Money Back protection active since March 18th, you can secure potentially better early odds without the risk of losing your stake to withdrawals.
The Grand National remains one of the most challenging races for both horses and bettors, but with William Hill's comprehensive betting toolkit, you'll have all the options needed to craft a betting strategy that aligns with your risk appetite and preferred approach to this magnificent sporting spectacle.
Whether you're backing last year's champion I Am Maximus, one of JP McManus's powerful string of contenders, or a long-shot outsider hoping to emulate 100/1 winners of the past, William Hill offers a robust platform that combines traditional betting protections with innovative customization tools to enhance your Grand National betting experience.
