'Large, suspicious' wagers made from FanDuel at several racetracks in US

[The Buzz]

In a prepared statement, FanDuel, the parent company of TVG, announced the closure of one or more accounts on its horse racing wagering platform on Wednesday.

The company has initiated an investigation into suspicious bets placed in various super-exotic pools earlier that afternoon. According to the statement, FanDuel identified "technical issues and potential fraud" in the accounts that were subsequently shut down. These accounts were utilized to place wagers amounting to millions of dollars in superfecta and super high five pools at both Thoroughbred and harness tracks. A review of historical wagering data suggests that several trifecta and exacta pools at some tracks may also have been affected.

The statement in full read:

“Earlier today FanDuel Racing identified technical issues and potential fraud related to wagering pools and took the appropriate steps to stop wagering via its platform. This issue is no longer ongoing and wagering has resumed. The company is undertaking a full review of this matter and will be cooperating with regulatory authorities.”

From Daily Racing Form:

According to officials with knowledge of the incidents, the bets seemed to originate from one account at TVG. At one track, the bets were made in $20 denominations using all the runners in each spot in the wager, and were therefore guaranteed to generate winning tickets.

All account holders at TVG and other account-wagering companies are required to provide detailed personal information to bet through the platforms, raising questions about how the bettor expected to escape notice.

At Churchill Downs, management put a hold on a distribution of a super high five bet in the track’s fourth race on Wednesday after the wager attracted $750,000 in handle. In the third race, the super high five attracted slightly less than $2,000 in bets. As of late afternoon, Churchill officials were still contemplating whether to pay out the wager, according to Darren Rogers, Churchill’s vice president of communications.

The Churchill race had seven entrants, the minimum necessary for hosting a super high five under state regulations. The race was won by the third choice, followed by the favorite, followed by the fourth choice, followed by the second choice, and then filled out by the fifth choice. Two longshots finished sixth and last.

Rogers said that no other pool on the Churchill card had been affected in the same way as the fourth race.

Read more here: https://www.drf.com/news/incredibly-...ral-racetracks