Originally published on August 03, 2006.
By Jim Loney
MIAMI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - When will Fidel Castro die? If you want to, you can place your bets.
Since the Cuban president, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, announced on Monday he was handing power to his brother Raul, online wagering operations have offered action on the communist leader's fate.
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Another gaming site, BetCRIS.com, chose a less-direct route, giving bettors a chance to wager on whether Castro will make a public appearance by Aug. 13, his 80th birthday.
Asked why his company didn't ask a straight "live" or "die" question, BetCRIS.com chief executive Mickey Richardson said: "I wouldn't want to be a part of that."
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Castro's health is the latest unusual wagering opportunity on Internet gaming sites that in the past have offered bets on whether Britney Spears was pregnant, whether Jimmy Hoffa's body would be found, how low President George W. Bush's approval rating would go and other water-cooler gossip issues.
"We've been putting up popular culture, current events styles of wagering for the last two years," said Richardson, whose company had taken about 100 bets on the Cuban president. "Fidel Castro is a pretty dynamic figure that people are attracted to."
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Published: 2007-01-03
Bettor's enjoyed a good week with many favorites winning, especially in baseball. Sunday alone in baseball there were 13 defined favorites which won, so with results like that bookmakers generally have a tough time of it.
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2007-01-03 | permalink
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