Sportsbooks to protect bettors from drug cheats during the Olympics

Bookmakers William Hill have acted to safeguard their Olympic customers whose selections are disqualified for drug abuse. Hills have announced that they will refund all stakes on competitors who, prior to the closing ceremony of the Games, are disqualified for drug abuse. Hills have also opened a book on how many track and field athletes will fail a drugs test during the Games, and offer 3/1 that NO athletes will be disqualified for this reason.

"There is nothing worse for a punter than to discover that the athlete, boxer, cyclist or swimmer they have backed has been disqualified for drug abuse, meaning that the bet they placed never had a chance of winning", said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe. "We think that in this situation it is only fair to refund stake money, so we have decided to make this unprecedented promise to our customers, who can now place their bets safe in the knowledge that should the person they back be disqualified for drug abuse, they won't lose out."

WILLIAM HILL ANTI-DRUG CHEAT PLEDGE: NO WILLIAM HILL CUSTOMER BETTING ON AN OLYMPIC COMPETITOR SUBSEQUENTLY DISQUALIFIED FOR BEING A DRUG CHEAT (BEFORE THE CLOSING CEREMONY) WILL SUFFER FINANCIALLY, AS WILLIAM HILL WILL REFUND STAKES.

William Hill: How Many Track and Field Athletes will fail a Drugs Test at the 2008 Olympics?

0 - 3/1
1 - 11/4
2 - 10/3
3+ - 11/8

Rules:
Disqualification must take place before the closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics.

£25M RECORD OLYMPIC GAMBLE

WILLIAM HILL predict that for the first time £25million will be gambled on the Olympic Games. 'Punters throughout the world will be able to bet on their Olympic contestants via the internet and betting interest in an Olympic Games has never been higher.' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe, 'However, we are already predicting that betting turnover for London 2012 will easily exceed £50million.'

**William Hill have shortened the odds for Team GB to end the Games with 11 or fewer Golds, from 11/10 to 5/6, and lengthened them from 4/6 to 5/6 them to gain 12 or more.

**Team GB are 5/6 with Hills to end the Games with 33 or fewer medals; 5/6 to get 34 or more; and Hills make them 1/3 to get 40 or fewer medals, 9/4 to get 41 or more.

**WILLIAM HILL OFFER 13/8 THAT GB WILL GAIN MORE OLYMPIC MEDALS THAN AUSTRALIA, WHO ARE 1/ 2 TO DO VICE VERSA. 'With sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe literally betting his shirt against his Aussie counterpart that GB will outdo them in number of medals won, we have opened a book on the outcome' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.
To win most Olympic medals: 13/8 GB; 1/ 2 Australia; 14/1 Tie.

Published on 08/08/2008