Police look into claim of betting scam on reality TV shows

A betting ring is under investigation in response to fears it raked in tens of thousands of pounds by getting early tip-offs about the winners of reality TV shows such as The X Factor. Detectives are investigating five men for alleged involvement in the scam.

The online betting company Betfair alerted police after spotting a pattern of winning bets stretching back to the 2004 BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

The gang is believed to have won £105,000 on a string of wagers on TV shows - £30,000 alone on ITV's X Factor talent competition. A bank account containing £45,000 has been frozen, but £60,000 had already been withdrawn.

Stephen Burn, head of media at Betfair, said: "We became suspicious, not just because of the amounts of money but the pattern of betting very late in the show, just before results were announced."

Betfair, which takes bets worldwide for all big sporting events as well as reality TV, believes that all sorts of shows, including Strictly Come Dancing, and I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!, have been targeted. BT, which operated phone lines for the shows, said it was "urgently investigating" suggestions that an employee might have tipped off the scammers about voting figures.

Mr Burn said the alleged gang, all said to be in their early 30s, started with "below the radar" wagers on sporting events. But Betfair became suspicious after spotting a consistent pattern of larger winning bets, all placed late, and coming from the same group of computers.

He added: "We think it has been going on for about a year. We take integrity of betting on our markets very seriously. We have no hesitation in contacting police when we suspect people may be betting fraudulently."

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