Marking your own homework...

....an occasional series looking at 'apparent' conflict of interest.

1. Betfred owners (Tory party donors Fred and Peter Done) make millions from company treating gambling addicts.

[ANECDOTE]One of my best mates as a student was a Geordie who used to be a manager of a bookies in Newcastle (North Shields?). Really nice laid-back guy, nothing wound him up until one day I mentioned that I liked going to the dogs and betting on the Tote as it was harmless fun - cue him exploding with rage "...it's a fooking disease mon - nothing more - you've never seen the pathetic siGHT of some bloke begging you to put a bet on with the 37p's worth of coppers he's scraped together..." Towards the end of his second year the bookies forwarded to him, via his mum, a letter offering him a job - it must have been an offer he couldn't refuse as his dropped everything to take them up their job. When I met him in 'Toon' some five years later he was a regional manager for the bookies.[/ANECDOTE]

 

blimey, what are the odds of that happening.

 

Either it will or it won't. So a half.