While gamblers staking money on the outcome of the EU referendum will either be scouring for their winning tickets or tearing the worthless betting slip into several pieces, one punter in particular will have double cause for celebration when he collects his winnings.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage, who helped steer Leave campaigners to an unlikely victory, also won £2,500 after placing a £1,000 bet on a Brexit verdict earlier in the month.

And bookies said they will be trying to identify how they got the odds so wrong - backing a Remain vote right up until the close of voting on Thursday, with odds of 3/10.

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A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "Naturally there will be far more important implications of this referendum than those affecting the political betting community. But those of us who do this for a living have to face up to some tough questions today.

"A Remain verdict was rated about a 90% certainty as the polls closed."

Ladbrokes said the majority of players in the market were backing Leave.

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As polls closed, Betfair put the odds of staying at 2/13, or 86%, while William Hill said Remain was its 2/9 favourite, equating to an 81% chance.

Bookies said they expect the EU referendum to be the most gambled upon political event in British betting history - beating the record set by the Scottish independence referendum.

William Hill spokesman Graeme Sharpe said there was a long history of betting on the referendum, dating back three years.

But he also said one customer bet in the early hours of Friday - moments before the result was announced - to win £1 off a £100 stake.

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And there were also some big losers on the night. Mr Sharpe said one Remain punter lost £100,000, while others lost figures of £60,000, £40,000, £25,000 and £20,000.

Mr Sharpe said the oldest client to bet was an online customer aged 101 who bet £10 at 11/4 and won £27.50.