Betting on The Apprentice: closed

A leading offshore gaming company for over 10 years, has suspended betting on the hit NBC reality series The Apprentice following an unusual betting pattern on two contestants on the show. Suspicions arose when the company received maximum limit wagers on the same two contestants from newly opened accounts originating in New Hampshire.

Of all the money wagered on The Apprentice to date, 100% originated from new accounts in New Hampshire, and all was placed on the same two contestants - leaving the sportsbook with a liability of $10,000 on each. Company officials discovered that each account was opened within a day of each other and the customers all placed maximum limit wagers of $300 on the same two candidates immediately after opening their accounts. In one instance, a maximum limit bet was placed on one of the contestants even after sportsbook had lowered the candidate's odds from 12/1 to 4/1.

"We have received an abnormal amount of maximum limit wagers backing the same two contestants from new customers in New Hampshire, which has unfortunately forced us to close betting on The Apprentice," said Stuart Doyle, wagering director of this sportsbook. "Whether the by-product of rumor or a leak from someone involved with the show, we've uncovered a highly unusual betting pattern and determined the risk too great to continue offering betting on the show."

This marks the fourth time that the sportsbook has ceased wagering on a reality television show because of unusual betting patterns. In September 2003, sportsbook suspended betting on Survivor: Pearl Islands before the first episode of the show aired after receiving a number of wagers from the Vancouver area on eventual winner Sandra. Earlier that year, the company closed wagering on Survivor: The Amazon when it appeared that CBS employees placed bets on Jenna and Matt, the final two contestants vying for the $1 million grand prize. The first instance of insiders betting on a reality show occurred in November 2002, when sportsbook halted betting on The Bachelor after discovering that a number of new customers from the hometown of bachelor Aaron Buerge had all wagered on eventual winning bachelorette, Helene.