Yorkshire men and women are known for being canny, but it’s still some surprise to see that they are the top spread betting region in the UK. Or more precisely Leeds is becoming the spread betting capital of the UK.

The betting company Capital Spreads has put out a report showing the range and change in spread betting across the UK Spread betting has grown rapidly across the country, increasing by a third. However in Leeds it has increased by more than half.

Leeds has become the financial centre of Yorkshire and is rivaling Manchester and Newcastle for the title of financial centre of the North of England. The growth of spread betting is good evidence of Leeds’ financial acumen and so is should be an excellent indicator of the growth that Leeds is likely to see in its general status as a financial centre.

The other thing that is interesting about the report is that Leeds consumers are also not big risk takers either, as you may expect from a rapidly growing market, but one of the more measured across the country. This is not just a testament to the caution with money that can be seen as a trait of Yorkshire men and women, but also an indication that the best way to deal with spread bets, or for that matter contracts for difference, is to use them cautiously and in a measured way rather than betting the house on them.