Bookies ban gambler with Midas touch

Bob Rothman banned by yet more bookies

The Sunday Express June 3 1990

It is a fantasy conjured up by everyone who has ever bet on a horse: to be the punter who empties the bookmakers’ satchels with such regularity that they eventually refuse to take your bets.

The bankruptcy court has provided the finishing line for many who have tried and failed – but professional gambler Bob Rothman claims that he is the man who has beaten the odds and skinned the bookies.

Now  Bob Rothman, who says that in one year alone he won £440,000, is reduced to gambling just £3,000 a week because book-makers will not take his bets.

“I have had four accounts with bookmakers closed and none of the others will let me have the size of bets I want on the horses I want to back”, he said at his opulent home in Wimbledon.

He produced a letter from Alan Marley, the managing director of bookmakers Bob Menzies, which said ” Dear Bob (Rothman), I am more than happy to confirm that the only reason your account was closed with us was because you had become a luxury we could not afford.”

The letter also said that cheques for £30,737.82 and £22,215.24 to settle his account were on their way.

And from City Index came the definite testimony for a professional punter: “, Bob Rothman you have today been awarded the ultimate accolade from City Index – namely that of having your account closed for being too clever for us.”

“May I say that its has been a great pleasure to trade with you in the past in that you have always been fair, courteous and correct. However I hate having to pay out week after week, after week, after week… May I wish you the very best in the future and say that I herewith submit your final cheque in the sum of £21,153.75, duty enclosed.”

Before they merged recently representatives of both Mecca and William Hill also wrote to him refusing further business.

If the figures he supplied to the Sunday Express are correct, Mr. Rothman must be one of the most successful race horse gamblers of all time.

He says that during his most successful year, he struck bets totaling about £2million and made £440,000 profit. As he would have also paid about £200,000 in betting tax, that makes this prowess even more incredible.

“In the first six months of my first year, I was down £35,000”, he says, “I had no other income and was about potless, as they say.”

“I borrowed £50,000 through a second mortgage on my house and by the same Christmas I had won back £35,000 I had lost.”

He says that his initial failure as a punter made him even more determined to get even with the bookies.

“I researched the market the way I did when I was setting up six accountancy and computer businesses. I subscribed to every conceivable tipping organisation in the country and invested in my own network of spies.”

“I must manage my gambling like a businessman, calculate value like an accountant and manage funds like a financial controller, be as disciplined soldier and as optimistic as a salesman.”

Punter’s trial run is a big winner

We put Mr. Rothman to a random test on Wednesday and Thursday, two racing days he described as “uninspiring”.

He selected three horses for the Wednesday evening meeting at Ripon Airedale, Colourist and Mahrah.

For our benefit he had imaginary bets of £1,000 each way on Airedale and £1,000 to win on Mahrah and Colourist which could have been backed at 2/1 and even money respectively, before racing.

Airedale was a non-runner, making the bet null and void – but the other two horses romped home – so if the bets had been real, he would have won £3,000 on the day.

On Thursday, there were two selections, both at Brighton on the afternoon – Shikari’s Son and Jawab.

The proposed bet was £400 to win on each. Shikari’s son won at 7/4, showing a profit of £700. Jawab came second in its race – so on the day £400 had been lost and £700 won.

The overall “profit” on the two days would have been £3,300.