Wanna bet? British man bets $1.5M on Scottish referendum

Wanna bet? British man bets $1.5M on Scottish referendum

A British businessman is betting nearly $1.5 million (£900,000) that Scotland will vote "no" to independence on Thursday.

In June, the unidentified Londoner placed a $654,000 wager (£400,000) at one-to-four odds on Scotland remaining part of the Union, and three additional bets (at 1/5 and 1/6) over the summer, the Telegraph reports making it the biggest amount ever gambled on the outcome of a political event in the U.K.

He stands to collect about $1.8 million (£1,093,333), a profit of about $316,000 (£193,333), if Scotland votes "no."

The “responsible gambler” is "confident, if not entirely convinced, that his gamble will pay off," a spokesman for bookmaker William Hill, told the newspaper. "In fact, he has called it an ‘investment.'”

[Full coverage: Scottish referendum vote and results]

According to Oddschecker.com, a site that tracks online betting sites, most gamblers believe Scotland will vote "yes" to the referendum, with 58 percent taking nine-to-two odds for that outcome. The rest (42 percent) are getting one-to-five odds on the union remaining intact.

Latest polling shows a tight race, with 52 percent of Scots voting "no" to independence, and 48 percent voting "yes."

Earlier this month, Matthew Shaddick, head of political betting for Ladbrokes, predicted the referendum would "be the biggest political betting event ever."

"It's been huge," Shaddick told Yahoo News U.K. "It's been way, way bigger than we anticipated. We're talking millions. Across the whole market we're talking tens of millions. It's been ginormous."

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