Punter bets £400,000 on Scotland voting No
A punter has placed a £400,000 bet on a No vote in the Scottish independence referendum in what is believed to be the largest political bet ever staked, bookmaker William Hill revealed.
A middle-aged man from Surrey made the wager at odds of 1/4 when he visited a betting shop in south-west London today to place the bet via a banker's draft.
The man, who the bookmaker said did not have a Scottish accent, stands to make a profit of £100,000.
William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said: "As far as we can ascertain, this is the biggest political bet ever struck.
"The previous record was a £200,000 bet also struck on a No vote in the Scottish referendum earlier in the campaign, and the same amount was gambled by a customer who backed David Cameron to become Tory leader."
The bookmaker has now shortened its odds on a No vote to 1/5 and is offering 10/3 on a Yes vote.