"Online Betting Sites to Choose Next Pope?"

Usually with turn to journalists, opinion polls, and pundits to seek out prdctns of outcomes of such historical significance as the choosing of the next Pope. Still there are those who think that online betting sites are more likely to give you the best predictions. If you think this seems strange, consider the results for the last presidential election. At that time online betting sites consistently predicted Bush as having the lead. This may be a good indication of the predictive strength of such sites with regard to determining the outcome of events.

Betting sites such as BetFaire, function as a place where players are allowed to place bets one against the other. Although most of the betting done at BetFaire is devoted to horseracing, betting on the outcome of the papacy election stands as a special market.

This is in fact the case for many online gambling sites that are offering themselves as a special market. Another example is Pinnaclesports.com, which allows players to bet on the next pope, but in addition bets can be placed on his age, his nationality, and even how long it will take until one is selected.

The situation in the United States is that there are no bookmakers at Las Vegas casinos, or for that matter at Atlantic City casinos, placing wagers on who will be the next pontiff. Maybe this is because no American Cardinals have been nominated. Even though the case for Ireland is that Cardinal, Dougal Maguire, also doesn’t have a chance, the Irish have been betting heavily on who the next Pontiff will be. Many sites are putting Italy’s Dionigi

Tettamanzi is the favorite Cardinal for election. This is apparent at Paddypwer.com, as well as many other sites. This reflects existing polls that state that Tettamanzi is the 9 to 2 to 11 to 4 odds favorite to win.

Francis Arinze of Nigeria is the next Cardinal in line for getting elected with odds of 15 to 2. Next in line after him is O. Rodiguez Maradiaga of Honduras. The odds of him being elected are 8 to 1 rating. Claudio Hummes of Brazil also has an 8 to 1 rating. The rating for J. Ratizinger of Germany is 29 to 1 rating.

Since there are so many Cardinals running, the betting on who will be the next pontiff is gaining daily. BetFair reports that their site has been accepting bets on who the next Pope will be for the last 18 months, but only recently has any serious activity developed. BetFair claims that interest is growing with an estimated $70,000 already having been wagered.