Punters Profit Off of Australian Idol Blunder

AUSTRALIA – As reported by the Sydney Herald Sun: "Punters have cleaned up on Australian Idol after Queensland gamblers watching a delayed interstate telecast continued to bet for an hour after the winner was declared.

"Punters on controversial British internet betting exchange Betfair could not believe their luck when fellow gamblers placed thousands of dollars on Anthony Callea after he had already lost to Casey Donovan. It is believed the bets came mainly from Queenslanders who, despite being an hour behnd other eastern states, thought their telecast was live.

"Betfair, which allows punters to act as bookmakers by offering odds to other online gamblers, did not close wagering on the event for several hours after it had finished.

"…But it was not just 'past-the-post' punters who cleaned up. Several big last-minute bets created suspicions of a leak.

"…Messages posted on Betfair's internet forum on Sunday night showed the anger of those left out of pocket.

"…Centrebet, which was the only other bookmaker to bet on Idol, said such shows were a risk. Manager Gerard Daffy said Centrebet closed its books on all TV competitions three days before results were known…"