Novelty Betting

Following the failure today of the much hyped North Korean long-range rocket to make it into orbit, top betting firm Paddy Power are taking bets on the outcome of the next launch attempt by the hermit state.

According to the bookies odds, it looks likely that rookie Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un may be hiding his blushes for a second time with odds of 4/6 that the next launch will also fail to make orbit.

Paddy Power are also taking bets on when the next rocket launch will take place with very likely odds of 1/2 available on a second attempt this year. For those who like backing long-shots, the 500/1 on offer for the next North Korean rocket to be piloted by the Supreme Leader himself may prove tempting.

Paddy Power said “I’d say Mission Control in North Korea is a very lonely place tonight but according to our odds it’s likely to be action stations again in no time!” (more…)

With the news that Amanda Knox has signed a £2.5m book deal with publisher HarperCollins, leading betting firm Paddy Power are betting on the name of the soon-to-be published book, which promises an “unflinching account” of the events in Perugia in 2007.

“Amanda” is the current 3/1 favourite with Paddy Power ahead of “Knox” at 6/1 and “Innocent” at 20/1. Other names attracting interest are “A Hard Knox Life” at 50/1, “Knoxed Up” at 100/1 and “The Italian Job” at 250/1.

Paddy Power are also taking bets on the total worldwide sales of Amanda’s book with sales of between 500,000 to 1,000,000 copies the current 11/8 favourite.  It’s also a likely 4/1 shot with Paddy Power for her book to top the NY Times bestseller list.

Ken Robertson from Paddy Power said “Amanda didn’t waste much time negotiating a book deal but I guess she had several years to get her story straight. According to early betting patterns her book, when released, looks a dead cert to become a best cellar” (more…)

Top bookie Paddy Power has eased the suffering of beleaguered Frankie Cocozza backers by refunding losing outright bets placed on the 18-year old hell-raiser after he was spectacularly booted off the show earlier today.

In excess of £10,000 has been handed back to over 1,200 Paddy Power customers who, somewhat optimistically, bet on wild child Frankie winning this year’s X- Factor.

Paddy Power said “Frankie punters didn’t get much of a run for their money so we’re only too happy to have a decent excuse to give their money back.”

Liverpudlian hairdresser Marcus Collins remain the bookies 9/4 favourite ahead of silky-voiced Janet Devlin at 3/1 and Craig Colton at 7/2.

2011 X-Factor (latest)
9/4     Marcus Collins
3/1 Janet Devlin
7/2     Craig Colton
5/1     Misha B
6/1     Little Mix
25/1   Kitty Brucknell

Following tonight’s decision by a jury in downtown Los Angeles which found Dr. Conrad Murray unanimously guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson, leading betting firm Paddy Power are offering odds of 4/5 that the 58-year doctor WILL SERVE TIME behind bars.

Paddy Power are currently offering odds of 5/4 for a sentence of one to two years and 6/1 for a longer term of three to four years when the court resumes on November 29th.

The bookmaker, who had accepted bets on the outcome of the televised trial since it began six weeks ago, had until the time of sentencing favoured a ‘not guilty’ verdict which was their odds-on 8/15 favourite.

Paddy Power himself said “Punters will share in Dr Murray’s disappointment tonight having obviously done their dough on a not guilty verdict.  Once again it demonstrates that you can never predict with any certainty the outcome of such high profile celebrity cases.  They really are, off the wall!”

Will Dr. Conrad Murray serve prison time?
4/5        Yes
10/11     No

Dr. Conrad Murray sentence
10/11    Probation/House arrest
5/4       One to two year
6/1       Three to four years

X Factor betting was thrown wide open tonight after series favourites The Risk were eliminated.

Paddy Power now making Marcus Collins their new 5/2 favourite to win.

Irish singer Janet Devlin has slipped out to 7/2 after a shocker of a week which saw the Tyrone singer forget her words.

Meanwhile tom-cat Frankie has managed to survive for yet another week. The ladies man appears to be slightly more popular than was once thought and has been now cut to a more cautious 66/1 to win!

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said: “What a shocker of a week. We weren’t expecting The Risk to go at all and it just shows how unpredictable this years show is! Anybody could go next and anyone could win. It’s wide open!” (more…)

With a decision now imminent in the thriller trial of Dr Conrad Murray, Paddy Power have today shortened the odds on Michael Jackson’s doctor NOT being found guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of the King of Pop from 4/5 to 8/15.

The bookmaker, who has accepted bets on the outcome of the televised trial since it began six weeks ago, originally set the odds much tighter but recent betting activity heavily favours the 58-year old doctor beating the rap.

Paddy Power are also taking bets on the whether the jury are unable to reach a unanimous decision, making it a 5/4 shot that this is the case.

Paddy Power said “From a betting point of view we give Dr Murray a 65% chance of dodging a guilty verdict but these high profile celebrity trials have proved the form book wrong in the past”

Will Dr Conrad Murray be found ‘guilty’?
8/15     No
11/8    Yes

5/4    Jury does not come to a unanimous decision

X Factor bad boy Frankie Cocozza is the red hot favourite to be in the bottom two this Sunday night. The 18 year-old hell raiser who has the names of seven girls tattooed on his rear end looks to be in hot water with Paddy Power making him their 4/6 favourite to be in the bottom two and their 11/10 favourite to be the next act eliminated!

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said: “Frankie is coming across much like his tattoo on this year’s X Factor – in your face and tasteless, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets booted off the show!”

Meanwhile Janet Devlin and The Risk are now at logger heads to win the show outright at odds of 9/4. (more…)

Paddy Power today slashed the odds on Irish rock band U2 calling it a day from 25/1 to just 7/4 after front man Bono refused to rule out the possibility of him, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton going their separate ways as early as next year.

Only two months ago the bookie was inundated with requests from fearful punters that a split could be on the horizon after it was alleged Bono was rushed to hospital with heart palpitations in France.

Paddy Power was confident that U2 would be around for many a year to come and quoted 25/1 odds against them splitting up but those odds have since been blown out of the water!

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said: “It’s just one shock after another. First Westlife, now U2! We’re still a little dubious that a split is on the cards though. U2 are the Kings of reinvention so we’re hoping, like all their fans, that this isn’t the end of the road!”

Meanwhile, Paddy Power are also offering betting on which old band will reunite on the back of Joey Barton calling for The Smiths to reform and the recent regrouping of The Stone Roses. Supergrass are 11/4 favourites followed by the Libertines at 3/1, Oasis at 4/1 and The Smiths at 20/1. (more…)

With the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor Conrad Murray now well and truly underway, Irish bookmaker Paddy Power have opened betting on what the outcome of the televised hearing will be.

It’s odds-on at 4/6 that Doctor Murray will be found ‘not guilty’ while those who think he’ll go down for the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson can have 11/10 that he’ll be found ‘guilty’.

Although there are several scheduled witnesses who are not particularly known to the general public due to be called to the stand, Paddy Power are concentrating their betting on which well known faces we’ll see called to give evidence.

Siblings Janet and Jermaine are deemed the most likely at odds of 1/2 with fellow brothers and sisters La Toya, Tito, Marlon and Randy all available at 6/5. The outside bets to partake in the trial are long time friend Macaulay Culkin at 50/1 and Jackson’s old pet chimp Bubbles at 1000/1.

Sharon McHugh, spokesperson for Paddy Power said: “The last we heard of Bubbles was he was taken to live in some animal sanctuary for going bananas. Either way you’d be nuts to bet on him appearing at the court case! Not since the OJ Simpson trial back in 1995 have we had so much interest in a court case.” (more…)

Paddy Power have today confirmed they are in preliminary talks with a Swedish ocean exploration team to sponsor an expedition to uncover the identify of an anomaly that was found during a recent sonar survey of the floor of the Baltic Sea.

On June 19, 2011, a group of Swedish maritime treasure hunters got a sonar hit of a strange circular object located 285-feet (87-meters) below the surface of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland.

Peter Lindberg, the leader of the Swedish Ocean Explorer team that discovered the unusual object, claimed that the as yet unidentified “thing” forms a perfect circle and is almost 197-feet (60-meters) in diameter.

Speaking of the find, Lindberg said, “You see a lot of weird stuff in this profession, but during my 17-18 years as a professional I have never seen anything like this”. Paddy Power have in turn slashed the odds on alien life being proven from 40/1 to 20/1.

Ken Robertson from Paddy Power said “This story has been on our radar for the past two weeks during which time we’ve received literally hundreds of requests for odds on a UFO being discovered. We’re very hopeful for a successful collaboration with the Swedish Ocean Explorer which will finally solve this mystery.  The truth is out there!”