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Bookmaker Reneges On £23,400 Payout Citing “Human Error”!
By Shane Addinall Nov 12, 2019 OpinionWiliam Hill's "half-asleep" staff member is cited as the reason for reneging on a double-whammy rugby bet that would net two lucky Red Devil fans a massive £23,400 payday! Will the Independent Betting Adjudication Service side with the fans?When rugby-mad mates, Gary Smeaton and Kris Shenton, placed a total of £100 on two outside bets in support of their favourite rugby team they had no idea it would embroil them in a legal battle with William Hill to be paid their £23,400 windfall!
✓Playing The Long Game
In a show of true fandom, Smeaton and Shenton clubbed together £100 more than 9 months before the finals were due to be decided.
The pair backed their beloved Salford Red Devils rugby team to finish top five in the Super League which would payout at 8-1. To really spice things up they included a double bet which was that Jackson Hastings would be named the Super Leagues “Man of Steel” with an additional 25-1 payout.
Smeaton said:
"I never thought Salford would finish top five, but I did have an inkling about Hastings winning the Man of Steel. I am a massive Salford fan.”
As luck would have it the mates were on point the day they placed their £100 accumulator bets as the Red Devils beat Wiggan to make it to the Grand Final, and a panel of judges named Hastings the season’s “Man of Steel”!
✓Weak Excuse Not To Pay
Unfortunately, William Hill was not as pleased about the pairs big win and immediately cancelled the bet claiming human error. William Hill has said:
"As stated in our rules, a related contingency occurs when one or more parts of the bet placed affect the outcome of the bet.”
Their claim is that the accumulator double should not have been offered given that in their opinion the outcome of the first bet, the Devil placing top 5, would have a direct impact on the outcome of the second bet, Hasting being voted Man of Steel.
When questioned directly on why he took the bet, the agent who signed the slip said he “must have been half asleep” on the day. A response that is a shocking indictment of the service levels of the William Hills Swinton branch.
✓No Thank You To Lowball Offer
William Hill has tried to placate the winners with a meagre offering, stating they are “willing” to honour the bets as two £50 wagers not a single accumulator of £100 bet. This would see the men each win £1700.
However, Smeaton has publicly refused the offer, choosing instead to take the case to IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service) in hopes of receiving a positive outcome from the impartial third party.
The basis of their case is that the voting for the “Man of Steel” award is not directly linked to a team’s placement in any given match rather it is based on both point scoring and a secret panel vote.
As of 2019, the player of the season is voted for by a secret panel comprising members of the leagues governing body. To be eligible to be voted in the players need to earn points throughout the season with Man of the Match worth 3 points, Runner-Up worth 2 points and finally Third Best being worth one point for each match played.
This mix of eligibility criteria should negate William Hills stance that winning a match or obtaining a top 5 position would be an unfair advantage in Hastings being voted the seasons top player.
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