Un turnover estimated at 12 million euros. None of that if it were betting on football matches, rather than tennis or basketball. But for a non-sporting event, such as the re-election of the new Pope after the resignation of Benedict XVI, this is a record figure.
According to the Nottingham Business School's research institute on betting, internet users, turning to the most popular British betting sites, are betting on the name of the new Pontiff. The Church is horrified, because it is almost blasphemous to play on a choice that belongs only to God, but in the meantime the favorite Angelo Scola as well as that of the press also collects the prediction of the English bookmakers: it is given at 11 against 4 (at 2,75 the post, we would say in Italy) from the popular William Hill and 3,00 from Paddy Power.
Nothing to enrich bettors while the share of Ghanaian Peter Turkson, initially given as the number one favorite and possibly the first black Pope in history, rises to 3,50 on both sites and on almost all others. Even more interesting would be the share of former Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, who pays 5,50, but according to Agipro his name does not convince bettors. Instead, it is precisely on the Black Pope that a large part of the bets are converging (20% according to Agipro data), but also watch out for the Asian variant: the second most popular name so far is that of the Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who among other has a very interesting price (21,00).
The Brazilian Odilo Scherer and the Canadian Marc Ouellet (initially given as a favorite behind Turkson) are also well placed in the betting intentions of the bettors. Curiosity: Irish bookmakers have placed Father Dougal Maguire, star of the hugely popular TV series Father Ted, at the bottom of the board: laid at 1000, he collected 46 bets.
