DUBLIN (Reuters) Tuesday December 16, 1:03 AM
- The odds on U.S. President George W. Bush being re-elected next year posted their biggest daily gain on Monday after the weekend capture of Saddam Hussein, according to an Irish-based online betting exchange.
Tradesports.com said "futures" contracts on Bush's chances of staying in power for a second term rallied more than 7 percent to 70.7 percent.
The Web site gained notoriety during the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam as Iraqi president by offering online gamblers the opportunity to place wagers on how long the conflict would last and whether weapons of mass destruction would be found.
Punters were also able to bet on when Saddam would be captured.
"Interestingly, this contract was bid up yesterday before any public announcement was made", said Tradesports.com Chief Executive John Delaney.
U.S. troops caught Saddam on Saturday in a hole in the ground near his home town of Tikrit. The official U.S. announcement was made on Sunday, a few hours after Iraqi officials confirmed reports of his capture.
Saddam's capture was a major coup for Bush, hit by a slip in opinion polls as U.S. military casualties rose in Iraq.
Tradesports.com is also running contracts on the Democratic presidential nominee for next year's elections, with former Vermont governor Howard Dean the clear favourite.
Surprisingly, Senator Hillary Clinton is seen as having a 5.3 percent chance of winning, even though the wife of the former president has ruled herself out of the contest.
- The odds on U.S. President George W. Bush being re-elected next year posted their biggest daily gain on Monday after the weekend capture of Saddam Hussein, according to an Irish-based online betting exchange.
Tradesports.com said "futures" contracts on Bush's chances of staying in power for a second term rallied more than 7 percent to 70.7 percent.
The Web site gained notoriety during the U.S.-led war that toppled Saddam as Iraqi president by offering online gamblers the opportunity to place wagers on how long the conflict would last and whether weapons of mass destruction would be found.
Punters were also able to bet on when Saddam would be captured.
"Interestingly, this contract was bid up yesterday before any public announcement was made", said Tradesports.com Chief Executive John Delaney.
U.S. troops caught Saddam on Saturday in a hole in the ground near his home town of Tikrit. The official U.S. announcement was made on Sunday, a few hours after Iraqi officials confirmed reports of his capture.
Saddam's capture was a major coup for Bush, hit by a slip in opinion polls as U.S. military casualties rose in Iraq.
Tradesports.com is also running contracts on the Democratic presidential nominee for next year's elections, with former Vermont governor Howard Dean the clear favourite.
Surprisingly, Senator Hillary Clinton is seen as having a 5.3 percent chance of winning, even though the wife of the former president has ruled herself out of the contest.
