Scottish independence: £2m of bets placed on vote

PUNTERS in Britain have placed more bets on the outcome of the independence referendum than on any other political event, according to bookmakers.

Voting has started in the referendum

William Hill said the volume of betting hit a record £2 million with the placing of a £100 bet for a Yes vote in a Fife bookies.

The bookmaker now expects the betting turnover to exceed that of both the 2010 UK general election and the 2012 US presidential election combined.

Spokesman Graham Sharpe said: “The volume of betting has taken us completely by surprise and a turnover in excess of £2 million was not anticipated when we began betting on the outcome. At the moment we are seeing over 80 per cent of the bets we are taking being placed on a Yes vote.”

On the Betfair Exchange, the price for Yes has come in significantly, going from 15/2 to 3/1 in the past week.

Betfair said it had taken just under £3m in total.

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• Get the latest referendum news, opinion and analysis from across Scotland and beyond on our new Scottish Independence website