The late, great Pat Whelan once paid me £525 instead of £375 over a bet of £150 at 6/4 in the opener at Sedgefield. I handed back the excess £150.

"You, sir, are a gentleman," he loudly announced.

Couldn't back a winner for the rest of the afternoon, and ended up doing the best part of a grand to him.

On the other hand, I phoned up Hills to have £90 tax paid on a 100/30 shot at Cartmel about 30 years ago. It won, but when the cheque arrived, it was for three grand. The bet had been settled at 100/3. No way was I handing that back. It would have just meant some poor sod who'd been rushed off their feet on a Bank Holiday getting into trouble.

The only thing I'm a bit ashamed of was my first thought when I realised the error: "Oh bugger. Why did I only have 90 quid on it?"

all those £100k bets he's laying, wouldn't have thought £3k was that big a deal

unless those £100k lays are to Walter Mitty ...

According to the RP report they'd laid a grand as well as the ton at 11/4 and when the ton punter arrived "he said something about being paid £3,750".  Maybe he'd overheard the larger bet being struck and took his chance?  Or maybe it was a scam where the punter held both tickets, tried it on, then handed over the one for the lower bet as the cash was being counted?  Or maybe the clerk is trying to fudge over his error?  We may never know, but it gives a slightly different angle to the story.

It's a split second decision really, someone readily handing you over £3K. It's never happened to me, I would like to think I would do the right thing but who knows if it's literally in your hands (assuming not an organised scam). It's not like it's just two tenners stuck together. Ultimately it is theft but he has reached for the aggressive stance too quickly in my view, should have just noted what happened and asked for the funds to be returned initially. Bit quick to run for the feds straight away when it was your own team at fault, imv.

It's in the RP but reading between the lines it's complacency on the staff's part. I'm assuming it's barcode automated but sounds like the employee just too the punters word for it instead of scanning the ticket. Which doesn't sound all that plausible, but possible if it was a regular customer. But of it was a regular, they would have more of an idea about who it was. And it's a pretty decent chunk to weigh out on the nod. One senses the whole story is not out there, but who knows.

me mam telt me wen i waz 6 weeks old..son,bleeve fck all you're told,fck all you read,and everything ewe sea.

me mam isnt daft.

The scum-bag who walked away with the ill-gotten windfall isn't principled enough to have handed it back, that's evident.
He has committed an offence, and hopefully he is made to pay it back, not for the sake of the waycist Banksie but for the poor chap who has been in the game for many a year and is probably beating himself up since the event occured.

WAC

I imagine that on course bookies must collect sleepers too. But obviously, quite unlikely they'll see the punter ever again. I mean less likely for obvious reasons than a shop, but it would still happen. Would be curious to know what happens to the funds.

Unclaimed or Lost Betting Tickets
Unclaimed Betting Tickets
If you are in possession of an unclaimed winning ticket you should write to RBC enclosing the original ticket and your name and address (or pop into our office if you are passing by). This must NOT be a photocopy of the ticket although it is advisable to take a photocopy or a picture on your phone before sending it to RBC.

RBC will then write to the bookmaker informing him/her of details of the claim. The bookmaker will check his/her records for an outstanding bet.

If the bookmaker has an outstanding bet that matches the details given, s/he will forward payment to RBC. On receipt of this, RBC will then forward it to you and return the original ticket to the bookmaker.

Tickets are valid for one month from the date of issue. Beyond this time the payment of an unclaimed ticket is at the bookmaker's discretion, although payment is normally made without a problem if the ticket is in its original condition and there are no unusual circumstances relating to the bet.

Lost Betting Tickets
If you have lost your ticket and you have not contacted the Betting Ring Manager on duty on the raceday, then we are unable to process your claim. With so many different bookmakers processing such a large volume of bets at each race meeting (around 30 million bets are placed with on-course bookmakers each year), lost tickets cannot be processed if they are not brought to the attention of the Betting Ring Manager on the day. Payment will be made only if you are in possession of your ticket, as explained above.
https://www.rbc-uk.com/racegoers/unclaimed-and-lost-tickets

One imagines the implicated amounts across all on course bookies over the years is not inconsiderable.

So you have scenarios whereby the punter argues their case for receiving an incorrectly issued ticket for a horse they didn't want to back (they wanted to back the winner) but would they just accept their fate?

They received a ticket for a horse that won but they are of the mind that what they wanted to back has lost so binned it in disgust.

In both instances the bookie has come out on top but do you deem it to be the 'bookie's money or the punter's money?

Recommend the cognac butter from F&M, the missus will literally lap it up. Apply generously.

I have had many bets with Geoff Banks on his various rails pitches and always been polite and I think his clerk has been with him for many years. So sorry to read this story.

The main reason I would bet with Geoff rather than another firm offering the same price is because should the horse I back drift out to a better price and that becomes the  official starting price that is the price I would be paid.

With regards to lost betting tickets many years ago I had £600 at Kempton on boxing day with Clarkson a bookmaker who lived very close to me and I knew him from Hove dogs where he had a pitch.

(Mr Clarkson only had one leg and used to sit on a chair and his daughter was the person who ran the joint )

I told Mr Clarkson I had lost my betting slip and he told me he was obliged to pay out to anyone who presented to him my lost betting ticket he said he knew me from Hove dogs and he had only taken one £600 bet on the race and he knew it was my bet.

The betting ring manager was informed and he said I could go into his office and take my time to go through every pocket to try and find the lost ticket. I told him I could not find the betting ticket and I was given the address of the Southern Bookmakers Protection at the time I think was on the Old Kent Road in London and was told write name of bookmaker the horse and the stake and I was advised it could take a couple of months for a reply.

However within a fortnight I received a cheque in the post from Mr Clarkson

Once had a bookie at thirsk pull my ticket from my hand and push my notes back in my hand when the very short price fav got badly left coming out the stalls in a sprint.

Regardless of anyone’s opinion the money should never have been taken from the pitch in the first place,the person knew fine well it was the wrong amount….

Dreadful behaviour.

ISIS claims responsability

This was the article from Caan:

https://caanberry.com/bookmaker-complains-i-feel-violated/

'Calling exchange users sickening tax-dodgers'

A choice quote from above. Do you all feel like you are that, according to Geoff?

I asked for the dictaphone recording for a nice Cheltenham winner I had, went to collect, the clerk had pressed the wrong number, no recording apparently, surprise surprise.