(Bloomberg) --
Tiger Roll won the last two Grand Nationals. This year, it's a roll of the dice.
Britain's highest-profile horse race over fences -- one that used to be a TV highlight for households across the land and made heroes of horses such as Red Rum and Aldaniti -- is going virtual.
ITV Plc is broadcasting the “Virtual Grand National” on Saturday, a random number-generated event with prices fixed for each of the 40 entrants proportionate to that horse's chance. The public can bet on it, though wagers are limited to 10 pounds ($12.25), and all profits will be donated to the NHS Charities Together Appeal.
Tiger Roll, owned by Ryanair Holdings Plc boss Michael O'Leary, is the current favorite at 5/1, according to Ladbrokes. It finished second at Cheltenham on March 11, a week before Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people to stay home and asked pubs, restaurants and sporting venues to close.
The coronavirus outbreak has infected more than a million people worldwide and led to the postponement or cancellation of sports events from the Tokyo Olympics to Wimbledon. With billions of people around the world confined to their homes most of the time, broadcasters are looking to fill their schedules and betting companies are scrambling for revenue.
Flutter Entertainment Plc, which owns Irish bookmaker Paddy Power and Betfair, said last month that the virus presents an unprecedented challenge. In 2019, it generated about 78% of its revenues through bets on global sporting events.
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Paddy Power, no stranger to promoting off-beat bets even when times are good, held a World Cup of Dublin Pubs and is currently taking wagers on everything from the city's daily temperature to future casting of “The Crown” on Netflix. And in the U.S., bookies are accepting bets on who'll be cast in a future movie based on Netflix's surprise hit “Tiger King.”
In addition to the Virtual Grand National, Ladbrokes is also accepting bets on amateur volleyball between Malaysia and Indonesia, snooker in Armenia, table tennis and ESports on Friday.
Professional cyclists who were supposed to compete in the Tour of Flanders will have to work a little harder for sporting glory. On Sunday, 13 pros will ride the last 32 kilometers (20 miles) of the race -- but on their home trainers against each other on the Bkool platform.
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