Betfair voids bets after 'technical failure'
Betfair has voided all bets made during a race at Leopardstown after what it described as an "obvious technical failure" left it liable for a multi-million pound payout.
Odds of 28-1 were quoted to punters on Voler La Vedette during the Christmas Hurdle, despite it being a hot favourite with pre-race odds of 13-8.
More than £1.6m was placed at the in-race odds.
The horse won the race easily, triggering heavy payouts for Betfair.
However, after lengthy discussions, the company cancelled all in-race bets.
"An investigation has revealed that this was due to an obvious technical failure, which allowed a customer to exceed their exposure limit," Betfair said.
"In accordance with our terms and conditions, all in-running bets on this race, both win and place, will be made void.
"We fully appreciate the dissatisfaction this will cause many customers, and apologise for a very poor customer and betting experience."
The Christmas Hurdle was run at Leopardstown racecourse in the Republic of Ireland.