Why one man bet £900,000 on the Scottish independence referendum

The anonymous punter who staked £900,000 on a No vote in the Scottish referendum has said that he is not a reckless gambler but an “information nerd” who had made a careful study of the available information.

The data collected and put online by Professor John Curtice of Strathclyde University – who also writes for the i paper - convinced him that his money was safe.

“My main advice would be ‘Don’t try this at home’ – but I’d prefer to call this a reasoned wager. For me it was almost an investment,” he told BBC radio’s Jeremy Vine show.

He placed his bet in instalments, hoping that the odds would improve. He collected a cheque for £1,093,333.33 – meaning that he had made a profit of just over £193,000.

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