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UK Gambling Commission examining betting patterns
September 22, 2008 (InfoPowa News) — The U.K. newspaper The Guardian reports that the Gambling Commission is investigating betting patterns on a snooker match on August 26 in the Malta Cup in which the former world champion and ninth-listed Peter Ebdon lost 5-0 to the world’s fortieth-listed, Liang Wenbo.
One leading spread betting firm, which did not wish to be named, reported net losses of “a substantial five-figure sum” and refused one punter a bet that would have won him GBP 25,000 for Ebdon to lose 5-0, the newspaper reports.
Another punter wanted to back Ebdon to make no break over 50, an unexpected request given that Ebdon, in 216 frames on the circuit last year, passed the 50 mark 72 times. “He requested far more than he was eventually permitted,” said the firm’s representative. “Had he got all he wanted, losses would have been well into six figures.” Ebdon’s highest break on the night was 32.
Snooker authorities have banned two players, Peter Francisco in 1995 and Quintin Hann in 2003, for five and eight years respectively, following investigations into betting on matches, although there is no formal investigation by the sport’s governing body into the Ebdon-Liang match.
William Hill also took several bets on a 5-0 result in the best-of-nine match, in the second round of the Northern Ireland Trophy on 26 August. In Manchester, six bets of GBP100 were placed on Liang winning 5-0, and another of GBP200, all at 28-1. Some of the Manchester bets were coupled with Newcastle United to beat Coventry City in the Carling Cup on the same day. Newcastle won, but the bets lost because the game went to extra time. Hill’s lost GBP25,000 on Liang’s victory.
Stan James bookmakers told The Guardian that the company took four GBP100 doubles on Liang to win 5-0 and Newcastle, plus two bets of GBP100 at 14-1 on Liang to lead 4-0. As with Hills, all bets were placed in shops, where the identity of the punter need not be disclosed.
“We didn’t have any bets for 5-1. They were all for 5-0,” said a Stan James spokesman Nic O’Hanlon.
