Poll results: Switch off betting on pre-recorded TV shows
Majority of respondents to this week's poll believe the practice should be stamped out
Betting on pre-recorded television shows should be banned to help uphold the gambling industry’s integrity, according to respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll.
Great Britain’s Gambling Commission recently warned UK-facing operators that licences could be placed under review following reports of suspicious betting around pre-recorded TV shows such as the Great British Bake Off.
In a letter to operators, the Commission said it had seen “repeated instances” of operators offering markets on such programmes and then highlighted suspicious betting activity to media outlets.
And more than 60% believe this type of gambling should be banned altogether in a bid to keep the industry’s integrity intact.
Some argue there is little harm in betting on pre-recorded TV shows as long as the stakes are low, but just under 40% agreed this is the case.
Last year, The Sun ran a front page story indicating employees at the BBC had opened betting accounts to back the eventual winner of the pre-recorded Great British Bake Off, which is screened by the broadcaster.
Ladbrokes said it had launched a full-scale probe after it saw 42 new accounts place bets on the winner, costing the firm thousands of pounds.
The eventual winner had been backed in from 8/1 to 5/6 within the space of a few hours before a number of operators suspended betting.