A GLASGOW pensioner has scooped up the biggest payout of the election – walking away £210,000 richer.
Last week, the “well groomed” anonymous punter placed a £30,000 bet on the Tories winning an overall majority.
The odds at the time were 7/1, with the chance of a hung parliament standing at 10/1.
With the Conservatives’ triumph, the gambler, who is believed to be a former accountant, will have much to celebrate.
He is believed to be the largest election winner and betting firm Ladbrokes have applauded his political forecasting skills.
He first entered the betting shop on Hope Street in Glasgow on April 29 and asked what the odds were on a Tory majority.
After learning they stood at 7/1, he produced £30,000 in crisp £50 notes from his jacket pocket.
According to one cashier, he “looked like he knew what he was doing”, was confident and calm and “just thought it was a great bet”.
A customer who witnessed the bet said the man looked “well-groomed, wealthy and well-informed”.
Following his punt the bookies cut the odds of the Tories to 6/1, with the odds of no party forming a majority reduced to 8/1.
Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “We believe our customer in central Glasgow is the biggest election winner in the entire country, and we tip our hats to his political forecast skills.”
Speaking at the time the bet was made, Mr Donohue said Glasgow was the “last place you’d expect to find a punter prepared to have a record-breaking bet on the Tories”.
He added: “It’s fair to say Cameron & co have been handed a vote of confidence from one of the unlikeliest locations and should they defy the odds, our customer will land a significant windfall.”
The largest election bet was placed at William Hill, with another anonymous punter placing £205,000 on a hung parliament. It was the largest political bet ever made, and if the man had been successful he would have walked away £46,000 richer.
Ladbrokes also took a last-minute £50,000 bet on Labour winning a majority – the largest bet for a single party across the board.
