<<< Live Race Commentary52 year old graphic designer Cliff Bryant placed 2 £5.00 accumulators on the white christmas betting markets. A 13 selection acca worth £4,922,800.31, and an 11 selection acca worth £2,233,492.73.
You could place bets whether it will snow on christmas day here in the UK in various locations, as win singles, but cannot double or multiply them according to Ladbrokes spokesman David Williams who said: "We have apologised to the customer for any confusion and for mistakenly accepting an accumulator bet when our own rules state that only single bets are available on a market of this nature. We are happy to void the bets and to pay the customer his winnings on the relevant singles."
Danny Cracknell, adjudication manager at IBAS, quoted a section from the Ladbrokes rulebook which said: "Single bets only are accepted, accumulative bets accepted in error will be settled as singles with the stake equally divided."
Now, you can't multiply up Man Utd to win, Man Utd to win 1-0, and Rooney to score first, and last. That's a connected bet.
An acumulator on whether it snows here or there, Glasgow, London or Plymouth, is a connected bet? I'm not so sure about that. Ladbrokes rules do say special bets are win single only though.
Mr Bryant will be seeking legal advice. I think that's a good idea, because he may have a case for a goodwill gesture settlement out of court, on the grounds the bet was struck in good faith. As a way of apology for the confusion, if you like.
I would usually advise a punter with a betting dispute to go to IBAS, but as the adjudication manager seems to be agreeing with Ladbrokes rules, I wouldn't go there, and he wouldn't win anyway.
I don't think this is a case of a rogue bookmaker welching on a £7million winning bet. I think this is a case of the perils of laying and betting on the weather in the UK. The weather here is not something I'd like to bet on, or price up, and the rules need sorting for the sake of punters and bookies staff alike.
Snow Betting Situation Related Blogs & Discussion
♠ Ladbrokes Caught in Snow Prediction Scandal (gamesandluck.com)
♠ Ladbrokes Fail To Pay Out 7M Snow Bet Discussion
Posted at 14:28, Sunday, 10 January 2010 by the Sandracer
