Premier League Bets Cost U.K. Bookmakers At Least $33M In Payouts Last Weekend

Bookmakers "are reeling from an unprecedented set of English Premier League results" that the industry estimates cost it at least £20M ($33M) in payouts, according to Roger Blitz of the FINANCIAL TIMES. Betting service Coral tweeted that the weekend proved to be “one of the worst in our 88-year history,” and described Saturday as the “best ever day” for football punters. One punter won £40,000 ($66,000) on a £2 ($3.29) bet. Ladbrokes said one customer made £30,000 ($49,000) from a £20 ($32.90) accumulator while another profited to the tune of £18,000 ($30,000) from a £5 ($8.22) bet. Bookmakers said that "it was unheard of" to find a Premier League weekend when none of the top seven teams played each other. William Hill said, “This will rank highly on the list of ‘battered bookmaker’ days,” likening it to the day jockey Frankie Dettori cost the industry a small fortune in '96 by winning every race on the card at a September meeting in Ascot (FT, 1/14).