SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
A rush of bets placed on EastEnders character Billy Mitchell (played by actor Perry Fenwick), has led to bookmakers questioning whether the soap opera’s live episode plotline has been leaked.
On Wednesday bookmakers Ladbrokes, Boylesports and Paddy Power reported that they had been inundated with big money requests on Billy Mitchell to be revealed as the killer of Lucy Beale. At the time the bookmakers had priced the character at 40/1.
The surge in Billy Mitchell bets has forced UK bookmakers to shorten odds to 3/1, as the character is now favourite to be murderer.
Ladbrokes PR Manager Jessica Bridge commented on the novelty betting market
“With 24 hours to go there’s a significant stench of rat coming from across the Irish Sea. Billy Mitchell’s odds have collapsed from being a rank outsider at 40/1 to favouritism at 3/1 in a matter of minutes, and Irish punters have backed Billy at every single price available.”
UK bookmakers expect the EastEnders live shows to break all wagering records on UK Entertainment
Paul Reilly Managing Director of marketing and Igaming research specialist Media Skunk Works commented on the shows live week format
“This is truly ground breaking. BBC TV are raising the bar, delivering the most intricate integrated social media campaign on a scale that has never been done before. I expect the impact this will have on novelty betting will be equally unprecedented, leaving X Factor by the roadside. Here we have a number of firsts for mainstream UK television – social media and novelty betting.”
“Coral bookmakers predicted the EastEnders murder mystery will take £10m in bets but in light of this latest social media coup, and based on the volume of hype currently dominating all media channels, including BBC radio 1, this estimate may prove to be conservative.”
