Knocking all the fun out of it

It became apparent during the run up to this year’s Brit Awards that something was not quite right. Gambling of any standard or type is a generic and legitimate activity; that is until such behaviour causes suspicion and the necessity to cease all future engagement.

This was the case surrounding Paul Weller and his nomination for Best British Male and as a result of this, bookmakers may now think twice as to whether punters are able to wager their money on The Brit Awards next year or indeed, future years to come.

This really does knock the fun out of what is supposed to be a ‘fun’ bet and now holds consequences for all prospective gamblers who enjoyed betting on the Awards. William Hill deferred all betting on the Brits due a number of dubious wagers placed within a two hour period on 12 February, the majority of which were placed in the Guildford area of Surrey. One guy had placed a £250 bet which aroused immediate suspicion as the normal, average wager would be £5 to £15.

Bookmakers in general claim they have lost somewhere in the region of £20,000 on a bet that was originally a 5/1 long shot. It was obvious to them that ‘someone knew something’ and this was creating a flurry of huge bets and whereas some bookies will consider closing bets earlier next year, William Hill have said they may consider banning these bets altogether.