Gambling Commission Investigates British Goalie After Pie Eating Prop BetSoccer Player Loses Job Over Investigation Into Possible 'Spot Fixing' |
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This prop bet backfired for one soccer player and a British online gambling company.
According to reports, a sports betting site called Sun Bets decided to offer 8-1 odds against goalie Wayne Shaw eating a pie during a Monday soccer game. It was an F.A. Cup fifth-round match, pitting the heavy favorite Arsenal against Shaw’s Sutton United.
Shaw is a fan favorite. He’s 46 years old and weighs more than 320 pounds, but still has some game left in the tank. His weight and popularity were the reasons for the humorous prop bet. Also, the online betting industry is highly competitive and smaller sites look for ways to stand out.
The problem was that Shaw learned of the prop bet, knew some of his friends had bet on it, and then he decided to actually bring out a meat-and-potato pie and eat it on the sidelines. And then to top it off, he admitted all of that to reporters after the game.
“I thought I would give [the fans] a bit of banter and let’s do it,” Shaw said, according to the Financial Times. "All the subs were on and we were 2-0 down. I went and got [the pie] at half-time from the kitchen; I had it all prepared and ready to go.”
The match was aired live on the BBC.
Now football league gambling officials are in the middle of a full-blown investigation and Shaw has been forced to leave the team. According to the New York Times, Shaw was not only the team’s backup goalie, he was also a coach and community liaison.
Shaw said he didn’t directly profit from the prop bet. Sun Bets reportedly lost a five-figure sum.
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