Unusual Bets: A Killer Bet

One of the regular features we are planning to have on our blog is a report on unusual betting and gambling practices from around the world. This is because it seems that we humans have an intrinsic need to take a chance or place a wager on things that are beyond our control. Hell, we even bet on the occurrence and frequency of natural disasters around the globe...

Every year we have “hurricane season”, a period of time in which we know some sort of tropical storm will occur. Whether this hurricane makes landfall or not depends on a specific set of conditions and herein lies the bet.  As warmer water in the tropics evaporates the rotation of the earth causes this rapidly rising saturated air to spin.  Various other meteorological factors then decide if Florida gets evacuated or everyone carries on as normal.  But once the signs are there, bets can be made on the scale of the storm.  Category 1 to 5 on the Saffir0Simpson scale being your options.

Hurricanes are named based on which storm they are of the season. The first will have a name beginning with the letter A and so on; Hurricane Katrina was therefore the 11th storm of that season.  They used to be named only after women but gender equality has developed so male and female names are alternated.  Bets can therefore be made on what the hurricanes will be called as punters already know which letter will be used next.

A slightly less predictable natural disaster is the earth quake.  Sure, some anorak with the fancy equipment could tell you.  But you and I will only know when the china plates start sliding off the table.  But, in particular unstable regions wagers are placed on the Richter scale reading of the next quake over a certain magnitude.

It all seems pretty glib betting on something that causes misery and a lot of sports books therefore frown on the practice.  But as I said in the opening paragraph, if there is an element of chance in something whether it be what card in the pack will come out next, what number the ball will settle on, what day the earth will open up and swallow a city, someone will be offering odds and a others will be placing their bets.

Until next time

Justin