Ladbrokes relieved by McGregor loss

THE chief executive of Ladbrokes Coral said a victory by Conor McGregor in his blockbuster boxing match with Floyd Mayweather would have left his firm nursing ‘catastrophic’ losses.

It was one of the most lucrative fights in history and Ladbrokes took around 5m bets.

Days before the event, bookmakers slashed odds on McGregor amid massive hype for the Irish star – with many wondering if the boxing newcomer could actually best Mayweather.

Mayweather was victorious as expected. But yesterday Mullen said: ‘It was the biggest event for us next to the Grand National ... A McGregor win would have been catastrophic for us.’

His comments came as Ladbrokes Coral said revenues grew 3pc in the four months to October 29, with its digital arm clocking a 12pc rise.

It was a better performance than the second quarter, when revenues dipped 2pc.

Shares fell 2.4pc, or 3.3p, to 133.6p yesterday.