Once a betting man
always a betting man

Taking a creative approach to tricky investigations is often the only route to a successful outcome, even if it means taking a bit of a gamble ourselves.

And so it was when a major bookmaker called us in to share his suspicions of a £400,000 payout on a horse racing bet.

When we arrived on the scene, the usual enquiries had failed to toss up anything on which to hang a watertight case. In truth, it looked as if the bet would have to be honoured. But we had to agree that the circumstances surrounding this particular case were suspicious.

As we saw it, there was one final route that we could take. Once a betting man, always a betting man we reasoned. So why not offer the individual in question an opportunity to clear his name and call off the investigation.

To settle the case, we asked the bettor if he would be willing to take a polygraph (lie detector) test, and if so, abide by the results. In the event the test was negative, he would collect the £400,000 - no more questions asked. But should the test be positive, then he would forfeit it. Case closed.

The bettor readily agreed. He also failed the polygraph test, and miserably so. However, he was gracious in defeat and immediately withdrew his claim for the £400,000 payout.