Leicester City's title win costs English bookmakers £7.7M

by
Reuters

The house doesn't always win.

Listed as 5000-1 underdogs to capture the Premier League crown heading into the 2015-16 campaign, Leicester City's improbable victory is going to cost English bookmakers £7.7 million ($11.4 million), according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.

The Foxes - who were nearly relegated from the top flight last season - were confirmed as champions when Tottenham, the only mathematical challenger for the title, was held to a 2-2 draw against Chelsea on Monday.

Related: Leicester completes Cinderella season, clinches historic Premier League title​

Rovell explains the fallout for a trio of bookmakers:

Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes officials said the 130-year-old betting company took 47 bets on the Foxes up until September, when the team's winning ways changed their odds to 1500-to-1. Ladbrokes will lose $6.6 million, and that's after settling 24 of the 47 bets at cheaper payouts.

William Hill

William Hill officials tallied their losses at around $3.2 million. They had only 25 bets at 5000-to-1 but still aggressively sought to make settlements until the last minute.

BetFred

In a promotional move, Fred Done, owner of BetFred, declared Leicester City bettors winners on April 3 and paid out $1.6 million in winnings.

As a result, at least one of the aforementioned books is making a move to avoid a repeat of this season's events.

The Digest

Everything you need to know about Leicester City's improbable title win

by
Matthew Ashton - AMA / Getty Images Sport / Getty

They did it. They really did it.

Leicester City, a 5000-1 underdog to hoist the Premier League crown coming into the campaign, did exactly that on Monday - a 2-2 draw between Tottenham and Chelsea the deciding result.

Related: Leicester completes Cinderella season, clinches historic Premier League title​

That scoreline at Stamford Bridge was enough for Claudio Ranieri and his band of cast-offs to claim a first-ever title in the club's 132-year history, mathematically eliminating second-place Spurs from contention for the crown.

It's been a wild, wholly improbable ride, and we've reached the apex. Enjoy it, because it's unlikely we'll ever witness a comparable season.

Here's everything you need to know about the greatest upset football has ever seen.

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