‘Sting’ swindle attempt

Press, 21 August 1978, Page 22

‘Sting’ swindle attempt

NZPA London; British police and Post Office electronics experts are investigating an attempt to cheat betting shops, the •'Evening News” said. The idea, to delay race results, comes right out of the awardwinning film. “The Sting.” The investigation was prompted b\ an incident at Leicester last week when a race broadcast reached the betting shop two minutes after other shops had received it. Fortunately, the betting shop owner ‘laid off" wagers on the race, the “News” added. But the “Sporting Life”—the l newspaper which is the British I racegoers’ Bible —said it was “dead easy” to hold up race broadcasts. In a front-page article it gave complete details on how it is done. Edward Wise, a 26-year-old businessman, told the “Life” that anyone with a basic knowledge of electronics could do it. Wise was sentenced to two years imprisonment in 1975 for trying: the swindle on a Ladbroke’s betting shop. The first thing. Wise told the: paper, is to find the telephone line carrying the broadcast into! the shop.

| Then from a safe place—say !an empty office or house next; to the shop—the line is cut and! two tape recorders are attached/ A loop of tape exactly 262.2 cm, long is fitted to the recorders. ■ When the “Sting” race is about to start the tape record . ers are switched on. One picks! up the race and the other re-1 broadcasts it—the length of the tape gives a 59-second delay. Fifty-nine seconds allows ' enough time for the bet to be placed without arousing suspicion if there is a time check. i Inside the betting shop, says ■ Wise, is an accomplice with long hair (to hide the earpiece of : his radio receiver), who waits i at the counter for his partners > to tell him the winner. He s then places the bet. ? As Wise points out. dog races, > which are over quickly, give the only real chance of safely runl ning the “Sting.” Finally. Wise, said, no book- ■ maker could be certain he had - not been taken by an electronic ■ “fiddle." / “Ask them to think back to ! any lucky dog punter who used to place bets very near the off.” Jhe told the “Sporting life.” ii “Was it a run of good forHtune he was enjoying—or did he 'have long hair?”