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Apprentice Betting Scandal Confirmed

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua – (PRESS RELEASE) -- After only one episode of The Apprentice aired in September, BetWWTS.com was forced to suspend betting on the hit reality show because of an unusual betting pattern. The offshore gaming company closed Apprentice wagering after BetWWTS.com received a number of maximum limit bets from newly opened accounts originating from New Hampshire, which were all placed on the same two contestants -- Kelly and Jennifer M., the two eventual finalists revealed last night.

With betting on The Apprentice only open for one week, BetWWTS.com was forced to suspend wagering on the show after the company determined that 100% of all wagers taken were from new accounts in New Hampshire and all placed wagers on Kelly and Jennifer M. Company officials discovered that each account was opened within a day of each other and the customers all placed maximum limit wagers of $300 on Kelly and Jennifer M. immediately after opening their accounts.

BetWWTS.com was left with a $10,000 liability on each contestant, and, although obviously the by-product of inside information, the company will honor all wagers.

"When we discovered the unusual betting on The Apprentice, we knew that we were the victim of another insider betting scandal on a reality show and that our suspicions would be proven accurate," said Stuart Doyle, wagering director at BetWWTS.com. "Since The Apprentice ends with a live finale where the ultimate winner is announced, the bettors could only use their inside information to wager on the final two contestants. It was obvious from the similar geographic location of the accounts, timing of the wagers and nature of the bets that this was more than a simple conspiracy theory, but more likely the by-product of a leak from someone involved with the show."

This marks the fourth time that BetWWTS.com has ceased wagering on a reality television show because of unusual betting patterns. In September 2003, BetWWTS.com suspended betting on Survivor: Pearl Islands before the first episode of the show aired after receiving a number of wagers from the Vancouver area on eventual winner Sandra. Earlier that year, the company closed wagering on Survivor: The Amazon when it appeared that CBS employees placed bets on Jenna and Matt, the final two contestants vying for the $1 million grand prize. The first instance of insiders betting on a reality show occurred in November 2002, when BetWWTS.com halted betting on The Bachelor after discovering that a number of new customers from the hometown of bachelor Aaron Buerge had all wagered on eventual winning bachelorette, Helene.

BetWWTS.com (World Wide Tele-Sports) is the foremost offshore gaming company offering both Internet and telephone wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John's, Antigua, since 1995, BetWWTS.com offers a complete range of online casino games and more than 150 betting options daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services -- BetWWTS.com, WagerOnSports.com, BetHoldem.com, BetP2P.com, BetCasino.com and BetAffiliate. With over 10 years of experience, BetWWTS.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. BetWWTS.com is part of the BetCorp group of companies that is publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) under the symbol BCL. BetWWTS.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including USA Today, The Economist, ESPN, Associated Press, New York Daily News, New York Post and HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumble, among others.

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