Betting on ‘Apprentice’ suspended

An offshore bookie has suspended betting on the winner of the second season of NBC’s “The Apprentice,” citing an “unusual betting pattern on two contestants” from accounts originating in New Hampshire.

Red flags were raised at the Antigua-based BetWWTS.com when several maximum bets of $300 were placed on two candidates: lawyer Jennifer Massey, 30, from San Francisco and software executive Kelly Perdew, 37, from Carlsbad, Calif.

“We don’t know if this is some kind of link to the contestants or some way involved with the production,” said BestWWTS.com wagering director Stuart Doyle. “When this has happened before, it’s because someone has known the outcome.”

Said an NBC spokesman: “We’re not going to speculate on the outcome at all. The finale is live and there won’t be a winner until the finale.”

This is the fourth reality TV-related incident on which BetWWTS.com has suspended wagering because of unusual betting patterns.

Last year, CBS’ “Survivor: Pearl Islands” winner Sandra Diaz-Twine received numerous wagers from Vancouver, B.C., before the first episode even aired. Similar incidents occurred during “Survivor: The Amazon” and the second installment of ABC’s “The Bachelor.”

“We are considering not offering betting on reality shows that have been pre-taped,” said Doyle.

The second season of “The Apprentice” was filmed in early summer, giving the plethora of production crew and the 18 candidates — who are all required to sign nondisclosure agreements — plenty of time to leak the names of the two finalists.

Unlike the “Pearl Islands” incident, where the suspicious Vancouver wagers occurred near the winner’s home in Fort Lewis, Wash., none of the “Apprentice” candidates seem to have New Hampshire ties, according to their NBC bios.