While some gamblers could make a profit betting on heavy favorites like Usain Bolt, the reigning Olympic champion with great odds to win the 100-meter dash, other people could be dropping their money on some whimsical bets.
According to The Associated Press, many gambling houses in London have been encouraging people to contact them with any bet they can dream up. What is likely the longest odds in the entire Olympic Games, the William Hill gambling house is offering 1,000-to-1 odds that a flying saucer is spotted over Olympic Stadium during Friday’s opening ceremony. But the crazy bets don’t end there — not by a long shot.
Other unusual bets include whether or not the Olympic Games will be over budget, if a British athlete will be pictured while eating a Big Mac from McDonald’s or if the athletes village in Olympic Park will run out of condoms.
There are 250-to-1 odds that every 4×400-meter relay final drops the baton, and 33-to-1 odds that London Mayor Boris Johnson lights his hair on fire with the Olympic torch.
If you are one of the people that trust the predictions of meteorologists enough to gamble, then you could be in line to make some money. There are even-money odds that it will rain in London during Friday’s opening ceremony, and 50-to-1 odds that it will rain every day during the July 27 through Aug. 12 competition.
And for those people who don’t believe in extra-terrestrial life, or don’t like the odds that the torch bearer trips on their way to light the Olympic flame, there are thousands of bets covering every event at the Olympic games. The United States is favored to win the most logical bet — most overall medals — with China in a close second.
While some of these bets are ridiculous, they insight some extra fun into the games. In between cheering on Michael Phelps, LeBron James and the rest of the United States Olympians, people can find themselves rooting for athletes to trip or for Lolo Jones to make a McDonald’s run.
Don’t feel like you would make a profit on your bet of a UFO sighting? In the words of Kevin Malone from NBC’s sitcom The Office, “If someone gives you 10,000-to-1 [odds] on anything, you take it.”
Who knows? Maybe some spectator will mistake an airplane for a spaceship.
