there is no recorded case of a bookie taking a bet on someone losing their job being responsible for someone losing their job
Perhaps no hard evidence.... but I can tell you, if the public sees headlines like "Airline XXXX tipped by leading bookmaker as the next airline to go bust", the forward bookings WILL fall. The general public are nervous of giving their hard earned dosh, and entrusting their family holidays, to companies that are being splashed across the red tops as the next to hit the wall.
I did wonder whether it would be fun to get all the airline CEOs in the UK to place substantial bets on Paddy Power being the next bookmaker to fail, and see them publish that. I'm in!
Well done to all that got this odious trend stopped.
TA