Today I visited William Hill in Malton to place a £50 bet on the 2023 Grand National, with all the winnings going to my chosen charity of Ryedale Special Families. Even if my horse doesn’t come in, BGC members will be making a donation to their nominated charity, ensuring charities don’t miss out. The Betting and Gaming Council, the standards body for the regulated UK betting and gaming industry, invited MPs to visit either a Paddy Power, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred or independent betting shop in their constituency to place their charity bet ahead of the world’s greatest steeplechase.
The Grand National is the most popular horse race in the world and this year takes place on Saturday 15th April. It is watched by an around 600 million people across 140 countries and it is estimated over 13m adults in the UK will be placing a bet on it. It is one of those great sporting moments when the whole nation comes together. I was delighted to visit my local betting shop to meet the staff and customers, take William Hill up on their generous offer of a charity bet and also discuss the incredibly important work they have been doing on safer gambling. Betting shops employ tens of thousands of people on our high streets and support our local economy through business rates contributions and, for regulars, they provide a community.
Michael Dugher, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, stated: "I would like to thank Kevin Hollinrake for taking the time to visit William Hill in Malton and take part in the BGC’s charity bet on the Grand National. “The Grand National is the nation’s punt, one of the few times a year, millions of people from every different backgrounds come together for a flutter and for the first time in three years, bookies will be open and taking customer’s bets. “Betting shops support tens of thousands of jobs, bring vital revenue to the UK’s hard-pressed high streets and support the national and local economies through tax and business rates. They also provide community to millions of betting and gaming fans. We’re delighted Kevin visited their local bookies to hear about how our members are boosting local economies, and hear about their vital work promoting safer play.
