LOOK SHARPE: Honesty Is the Bets Policy?

Sports betting PR legend GRAHAM SHARPE brings you his latest ‘LOOK SHARPE’ column…

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AS MOST OF US ARE NOW AWARE, AN ON-COURSE bookie was recently reportedly left four figures out of pocket when a punter was handed rather more winnings than was either appropriate or accurate for his successful wager.

At time of writing, there has been no indication that the money had been returned, and obviously the chances of the bookie ever seeing that customer again had become minimal in the extreme – if that is not a contradiction in terms.

The bookie himself was in no doubt that the punter was at least a rascal and quite possibly a villain of the very worst kind for failing to point out the over-payment at the time, or to later consider what he had done and allow his conscience to persuade him to return and hand the excess dosh back. Which appears not to have happened.

Laid by a long-established on-course presence, the bet was reportedly struck to a cash customer, and was £100 on Tropical Storm at 11-4 in the recent Listed Julia Graves Roses Stakes. This was in addition to the same bookie laying a £1,000 cash bet at the same price on the same horse.

He was quoted as saying: “According to my staff member, when the guy who had £100 on came up to get paid he said something about being paid out £3,750. He said it in a way that suggested he had knowledge that there was a bet that had been placed at that level; whether he was just in front or behind the other person when they made the bet I don’t know.

“Even though we scan the slips, it was a mistake that was made. My member of staff is as honest as the day is long and he’s been crushed by this, as he has been in the industry for years. The most galling thing about it is [the punter] just accepted the money and legally that’s wrong. If you know you have been paid out the wrong amount you have to return it. But more than that, it’s morally wrong.”

The immediate reaction from those I saw or heard commenting online about this event was divided between those who declared that they would never have even considered doing such a thing, and those who just basically believed it was a bookie’s mistake and he’d have to accept the error and move on. I’m sure that the first response is the default one of most genuinely honest people. But how can any of us be 100% sure that we would ‘do the right thing’ if confronted with this situation, and immediately draw the attention of the bookie to the over-payment?

And how can we be completely sure that the customer involved would instinctively have been aware of how much they had to come back on any individual bet? They may, in theory, have been collecting on behalf of someone who hadn’t told them how much the bet had won – unlikely, I know, but that can’t be entirely ruled out – although in that instance, surely the person being handed the ‘winnings’ would know they were receiving a substantial four figure sum over and above what the amount should have been.

This was how some of those on Twitter/X responded:

‘I don’t think anyone would dispute that it is morally wrong. No need to state the blindingly obvious.’

‘Had £10 on a Prescott horse at Sandown about 5 yrs ago at 4/1. Bookie gave me slip and I walked away. It won. Looked at slip and said £100 at 4/1 payout £500. Went to collect and told bookie only had £10 on. He paid me £50 thanked me for honesty and gave extra £10. All good.’

”Bookmaker” and “moral” should never be in the same sentence unless it’s plural and the sentence is “Bookmakers lack morals” ‘

‘I don’t think anyone would dispute that it is morally wrong. No need to state the blindingly obvious.’

‘It is theft. If a bank credits your account wrongly they can demand to take it back. There are many court cases where it has been established that an individual is liable to repay it back. Even if you tell the bank of their mistake and they say they haven’t but later realise……’

I understood the bookie concerned’s grievance. People moan about bookmakers not playing fair & making life hard for people, but it should work both ways. And very occasionally, during my lengthy career in the business, it has done – most memorably in autumn 1992 when I was a little surprised to find a letter containing a £50 note in it – along with an anonymous letter from someone describing themselves as ‘Guilty Conscience’, and explaining:

‘In 1984, I placed a yankee bet in one of your shops in Chelsea. I handed in a £50 note, and to my surprise, instead of getting nine fivers and four pound coins change, I was given nineteen fivers and and four pound coins, and I walked out of the shop.

I have now realised the lady who made that mistake had to answer for that £50. I visited the shop this morning to put my dishonesty right, but the staff had changed. Now all I can do is ask you to accept this £50 and my apologies for my past.’

I donated the fifty to the Injured Jockeys Fund – which, you may be interested to know, was founded in 1964, so is currently celebrating sixty years of existence.

Here’s another interesting instance, this time of a bet which evoked a moral qualm about whether the person concerned deserved to be paid…….judge for yourself. This was the content of a letter I received in 1978:

‘Sir, I placed a bet with you in one of your offices. I’m sorry to say my copy is lost in prison – where I am serving a long sentence. I have been sending out bets by the ‘back door’ over the past sixteen months.

As you will know I’m breaking prison rules and security, (as it happens, I’m not sure I actually DID know that, but doubt that I was too surprised to learn of it!) so I cannot give you my name and address. I have been in prison since 1968 and I’m not due to be released until 1985, so there is no way at present I could go your office to fill in a claims form for my winnings.

I would be grateful if you could let the person whose name and address I will supply, act on my behalf, to receive any winnings if you decide I should receive them.’
I ensured he was paid in full – well, who knew what he might have been in for and when he might decide to pop round for a ‘chat’ in 1985 had I not agreed to pay him?

However, I must admit that this online allegation I came across did concern me:

‘Let’s talk about high street firms, making it a sackable offence to tell a punter who’s a regular that they have (a) winning bet they don’t know about. I worked for a high street firm and one of the everyday regulars had won £1500 on the Irish lottery and nobody was allowed to tell him.’

Genuinely, I cannot, and refuse to, believe that such a scandalous stipulation could be in place, and I suspect this comment has been made by someone wishing to embarrass the bookmaking industry. I have never heard of any such thing taking place – particularly as this was hardly a life-changing amount of money, but substantial enough to have encouraged anyone hearing the winning customer talking about it to try to emulate them by having a similar wager.

It also fails to ring true, as we are told the punter is ‘a regular’ and in my experience the huge majority of regulars in betting shops are very well acquainted with the outcome of their bets, and if not they ask someone behind the counter to confirm whether they had a winner or a losing selection.

So, in conclusion, there are good and bad, honest and dishonest folk on either side of every counter you care to mention, but the overwhelming majority of transactions between punter and bookie are settled without rancour or unpleasantness from either side. When and if you feel you have a gripe, regardless of which side of the counter you may be on, the best approach is to remain calm and polite as you request someone to help solve any problem(s) which may arise.

It is odds-on this will ensure a satisfactory outcome.

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Views of authors do not necessarily represent views of Star Sports Bookmakers.

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