US Election 2016: London gambler bets £200,000 on Donald Trump win

Ladbrokes estimates 35 bets a minute will be placed on the US election result as Britons stay up into the early hours of Wednesday morning to hear the result

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump eats a pork chop on a stick and gives a thumbs up sign to fairgoers at the Iowa State Fair (Getty Images)

A London gambler has bet £200,000 on Donald Trump becoming the next president of the United States.

The man, who has not been named, stands to win £500,000 on top of the original sum, if the Republican candidate defeats Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s election.

The enormous gamble comes after bookies announced the 2016 US presidential election had smashed betting records, with more wagers expected to be placed on the outcome than on the Euro 2016 final, the EU referendum, or the Derby.

Bookies slashed their odds on Mr Trump winning on Friday after a customer from Nottingham placed £37,000 on a Republican victory.

Since then, gamblers across Britain have placed several six-figure bets on both candidates winning the race to White House.

The £200,000 bet was made on online betting site Spreadex.

Connor Campbell, a financial analyst at Spreadex, said: “It's official, the US election is now our single biggest betting event ever and we are seeing some huge bets being placed, including one customer who has staked £200,000 on a Trump victory.”

William Hill said its largest bets included a London-based telephone client who staked £150,000 on Hillary Clinton becoming America's first female president, and a Durham woman who put £183,200 on Ms Clinton in a two-part wager.

John Mappin, who owns a castle in Cornwall, could take home £100,000 after putting 30 bets on Mr Trump walking into the White House, the Press Association reported.

William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said: ”The US election campaign has smashed all previous election betting records, with the biggest betting turnover for any political event, with £20m riding on the outcome industry-wide.

“William Hill alone are about to exceed a £4m turnover for the first time on any political event, and with the result still too close to call we anticipate a political bets bonanza in the closing hours of the election campaign.”

Meanwhile, a Ladbrokes customer who staked £100,000 on Ms Clinton taking the top spot is set to take away £125,000 if the prediction is correct.

Ladbrokes estimates 35 bets a minute will be placed as Britons stay up into the early hours of Wednesday morning to hear the result.

At the time of writing, the Democrat candidate was the favourite with odds of 2/9 at both William Hill and Ladbrokes, while Mr Trump was offered at 10/3.