Paddy Power Betfair may be hit by Trump traffic

“Anxiety levels are rising” at Paddy Power towers over a potential Donald Trump win in the US election race, according to betting boss Breon Corcoran.

Paddy Power — one half of the newly merged Paddy Power Betfair — has already paid out around $1 million (£800,000) early on a Hillary Clinton victory.

But since the FBI reopened its probe into Clinton’s emails and electrified the race, it’s been “one-way traffic” in the betting market for Trump, whose odds have narrowed to 2/1.

If he does pull it off, the bookie faces a payout of “several million”.

Corcoran has less reason to sweat elsewhere, after completing the £6 billion merger this year.

A combination of a weak pound, faster merger savings and bookie-friendly results saw it lift profit forecasts by £20 million. The shares rose 285p, or 3%, to 8865p,

Ladbrokes and Coral also completed their merger this week. Paddy Power Betfair “has virtually zero room for error in what remains a fiercely competitive market”, Liberum analyst Jason Holden said.