Betfair Fixes Software Flaw

Online betting exchange Betfair has said that it has identified and corrected a software flaw that caused in betting at the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown to be voided.

A flaw allowed the winning horse to have £800,000 staked on her, and at odds of 28-1 would have generated a payout of £23 million. However, the bets were all negated by what Betfair has called a flaw that allowed a bot betting program to make the large wager.

Betfair Spokesman Tony Calvin said the issue is "highly embarrassing and an unacceptable betting experience for people", but also added that "there was a unique set of events that allowed this to happen".

Calvin also said that if betters are dissatisfied with how the issue has been handled, that they should voice their concerns with the Independent Betting Arbitration Service.

A statement by Betfair on Thursday said that "we have identified the issue and replicated it in a test environment last night. A fix was applied overnight, and is now subject to rigorous testing."

The identity of the better who made the rogue wager has not been identified, although speculation is running rampant that the better is an individual, not a bookie looking to hedge bets.

"If you're looking for a £1 million-plus customer, you would be barking up the wrong tree. People think we are protecting the customer, but that is not the case." Calvin said.

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