This was published by Racing Post.com.
So this does not happen only in South Africa.
Tote to investigate after low Worcester return
By Andrew King 7:10AM 17 JUL 2014
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after punters who backed Fairyinthewind, winner of Worcester's 2m½f novice handicap chase on Wednesday night, on the Tote got a nasty shock as the 9-2 chance paid a paltry 1.10.
Betfred, which runs the Tote, looked into a similar issue last summer and one Worcester racegoer said: "It's a disgrace - I'm getting only 10-1 on for my money about a horse who was returned at 9-2 with the bookies.
"The Tote should not be allowed to treat their punters like this. Surely they should have a mechanism in place to make sure freak dividends don't happen."
Totepool director of operations Brent Dolan: "The dividend is being investigated. The pool on the race was low but we shouldn't be paying dividends like this. We've identified one large bet was plac ed on the winner and the circumstances surrounding the bet and the dividend are being looked at very closely."
Significant late bets were found to be distorting the pools in August, resulting in winners paying out amounts dramatically lower or higher than their SP.
The Sir Mark Prescott-trained Slip Of The Tongue, a winner at Southwell, was 1-4, only for the Tote to pay out at £7.10, including a £1 stake.
At the other end of the scale Rest And Be's success at Newton Abbot, left Tote punters furious when the win dividend paid £1.10, compared to the SP of 11-2.
International clients skewing the market was also put forward as a reason for the discrepancies at the time.
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