English Bookies Will Take Bets On ANYTHING!

Feeling lucky?

 The London Summer Olympics have their Opening Ceremonies tonight [actually this afternoon, because of the time difference]. What are the odds of a UFO flying over Olympic Stadium during the activities?

One English betting company says 1,000 to 1, and will be happy to take your money if you think it’ll happen. That’s just one of the bizarre bets that British bookies are offering during the Summer Games.

Odd wagers have always been a tradition in Great Britain, where a popular bet each year is which song will top the music charts on Christmas day. But the various companies [or houses, as they’re known in the UK] seem to be out-doing themselves this summer.

Of course, you can bet on who will win a specific sporting event. But you can also drop a wager on:

-          Whether all teams in the 4x400 meter relay race drop their batons

-          If it will rain every day of the Games

-          If a strike by transit workers will close down the metropolis’ subway system,

just to name a few.

And it’s not just England, A major Australian betting concern has stopped taking wagers on who’ll carry that nation’s flag in the Opening Ceremonies, after a day when most bets went to female basketball star Lauren Jackson.

You never know what will happen when you bet. But there’s one wager I’d consider taking. One British house is taking odds on the Olympics running over budget. Sounds like a safe bet to me.

[AP, via HuffingtonPost.com]