From The Herald Sun:

Idol bungle traps internet punters
By Danny Buttler

PUNTERS have cleaned up on Australian Idol after Queensland gamblers watching a delayed interstate telecast continued to bet for an hour after the winner was declared. Punters on controversial British internet betting exchange Betfair could not believe their luck when fellow gamblers placed thousands of dollars on Anthony Callea after he had already lost to Casey Donovan. It is believed the bets came mainly from Queenslanders who, despite being an hour behind other eastern states, thought their telecast was live. Betfair, which allows punters to act as bookmakers by offering odds to other online gamblers, did not close wagering on the event for several hours after it had finished.

"Basil", a Melbourne punter who did not want to be named, said he could hardly believe it when money continued to be placed on Callea after Sunday's 10.20pm announcement. The punter, who made several hundred dollars by accepting late-night interstate bets, said he felt uncomfortable about accepting the bets, but could not resist the "money for nothing". "I just thought it was too easy," he said. "I thought for sure that the bets would be voided."

But it was not just "past-the-post" punters who cleaned up. Several big last-minute bets created suspicions of a leak. Basil said he watched as 16-year-old Casey was backed from $4 outsider to favourite. One gambler offered even money on Anthony, collecting $50,000 after punters swooped on the odds. "I think someone had leaked it out," Basil said.

Messages posted on Betfair's internet forum on Sunday night showed the anger of those left out of pocket. "This is ridiculous. If they want to keep the integrity of the exchange, then why didn't they suspend betting once the lines had closed?" one message said. "Somebody on the inside knows something," said another message.

Centrebet, which was the only other bookmaker to bet on Idol, said such shows were a risk. Manager Gerard Daffy said Centrebet closed its books on all TV competitions three days before results were known. "I'm assuming someone works for those companies (which collate votes); hence, it wouldn't be hard to go and have a look (at the result)," he said. "That's why we take the precaution of turning that off three days before the event."

Mr Daffy said Betfair should have been monitoring the event and closed betting before the winner was announced. A Channel 10 spokeswoman dismissed suggestions the winner could have been leaked before the live announcement. She said only a handful of people at the station and Legion Interactive, which controls the polls for both Australian Idol and Big Brother, knew the result before the announcement. Legion Interactive and Betfair could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Herald Sun



[ This Message was edited by: sportznut on 2004-11-25 08:12 ]