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Gambler loses bet over aliens

THE Ministry of Defence intervened in a dispute between a gambler and Ladbrokes, after the betting agency refused to pay out a bet that aliens existed, the UFO files disclose.

The gambler, whose details have been redacted in the National Archive files, placed a 100-1 bet with the bookmakers that “aliens would be found on earth (dead or alive) before the end of the century”.

He placed the wager in 1990 as part of double “paired” bet on that year’s football World Cup with the bookmaker’s Lower Briggate branch in Leeds.

After placing a successful £2 bet on West Germany winning that year’s World Cup at 6/1, his £12 winnings and original stake were added to his £3 Alien bet. This meant he stood to win £1,700, from his now £17 bet, if extraterrestrials were found.

But after contacting Ladbrokes in April 1999 about the prospect of his bet, the agency refused to pay out on it.

Ladbrokes had claimed the time frame stipulated in his bet had not expired while the United Nations, its “source of authenticity, has not yet confirmed the existence of Aliens”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .