UK Bookies Dreading England Success at Euro 2016

While the nation will certainly be rooting for Roy Hodgson’s men at the European Championship finals, UK bookmakers have no choice but to hope that England enjoys another disappointing tournament or else they will be in all sorts of problems.

After seeing punters smile all the way to the bank as most favourites at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival lived up to the billing and Leicester City’s Premier League title win triggering payouts at odds of 5,000-1, the leading gaming operators in the UK cannot afford to receive another major blow this summer.

Even though there are still three more weeks before the showpiece tournament kicks off on June 10th, Ladbrokes bosses admit they stand to lose a lot of money if England enjoy success in France.

It is believed they will be around £1 million in the red for each group game the Three Lions win, whereas they cannot even imagine what will happen if Roy Hodgson’s charges lift the coveted trophy.

“For the first half of the tournament we could be significantly in the red,” Ladbrokes CEO Jim Mullen told Bloomberg News.

“Then in the second half, when it comes down to the big eight teams, it gets tougher, and that’s when I try to get my money back. But it’s extremely nerve-racking.”

England Hoping for Successful Euro 2016

England have been placed in a tough group at the tournament finals, alongside Russia, Slovakia and neighbours Wales, meaning it will not be easy for them to progress from the group stage, let alone record all three wins.

The Three Lions are priced at 17/2 to go all the way, but it is believed that hosts France, World Cup holders Germany and Euro 2012 winners Spain all stand much better chances of lifting the trophy.

England have shown a great deal of potential of late, becoming the only side to end the Euro 2016 Qualifying with a perfect record, and they have big hopes ahead of the tournament in France.

Roy Hodgson recently announced his provisional England squad for the Euro 2016 finals, with Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all missing the cut.

Premier League stars Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy are all included, as is Manchester United starlet Marcus Rashford, who has yet to win his first England cap.

The Three Lions kick off their Euro campaign with a clash against Russia on June 11th at Stade Velodrome in Marseille.