Louis Dor, The Independent 9:17 a.m. EDT May 9, 2015
A bookmaker displays the odds on the result of the U.K. general election before the polls.(Photo: Leon Neal, AFP/Getty Images)
A man who made $297,000 by successfully betting on the outcome of the Scottish referendum is thought to have made the biggest ever loss on a political bet with a failed venture on the U.K. general election.
The anonymous man previously bet $1,386,000 on the outcome of September's Scottish referendum, winning $297,000.
This year he placed a $308,000 bet at 2/9 on a hung parliament and then added a further $8,500, wiping out the profits from his previous bet, and more.
A spokesman from bookmaker William Hill said: "For the majority of the night we were convinced he was on to a winner but things then spiraled against him.
"This is the biggest ever loss on a political bet but I have spoken to the man and he will live to fight another day. He is going to take a low profile for a while.
"He was more concerned that his analysis of the election didn't work out, more than losing the bet.
"It has been a remarkable series of bets," Hill added. "Although he lost, many of our clients have flourished. It has been quite an expensive night for us."
Elsewhere a gambler from the Midlands put $4,000 on a Conservative majority four days ago in Betfred and won $71,000, while Paddy Power's biggest win was a customer who won $38,500 by betting David Cameron would continue as prime minister.
This story originally appeared in The Independent. The content was created separately from USA TODAY.
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Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/05/09/gambler-loses-general-election/27034669/
