Whatever the outcome of Thursday’s (May 3) local elections - the bookies are likely to clean up – with thousands of pounds gambled on the results in west London.
Online gambling firm Betfair said £8,000 had been wagered on the results in Westminster alone, where Labour has focused its energy.
The odds on the Conservatives retaining the flagship council were 2/9, making them 81% likely to hold onto it, according to Betfair. Labour was at 7/2, or with a 21% chance of winning control.
William Hill put the odds at 1/5 for a Conservative majority, 3/1 for a Labour majority, and odds for no overall control at 20/1.
The current Westminster council leader, Conservative Nickie Aiken, said she always looked at what the bookies were saying, rather than political polling.
In Kensington and Chelsea , the odds were 1/14 for the Conservatives to hold onto the borough, despite the fury at the administration for the way it handled the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower disaster . The odds for Labour winning were 12/1.
So far the betting company had banked £2,000 on the outcome on Thursday night (May 3) but expected to take more before the polls close.
The odds at William Hill were 1/33 for the Conservatives to hold control, 16/1 for a Labour win and 2/1 for no party to have overall control.
The bookies were also predicting Labour would keep hold of Hammersmith and Fulham council .
The odds were 1/20, making it 95% likely for the council to stay red with the Conservatives at 6/1, or 14% likely to wrest control back.