NT: Pundits gambling on Pope's sucessor

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2005
NT: Pundits gambling on Pope's sucessor

By Karen Michelmore

DARWIN, April 4 AAP - An Australian betting agency is taking bets on who will succeed
Pope John Paul II.

One of Australia's largest bookmakers, Darwin-based Sportingbet Australia, said it
had opened a book on the Pope's successor several months ago.

Favourites include Italy's Dionigi Tettamanzi at $3.50, Nigerian cardinal Francis Arinze
at $3.85 and Honduras hopeful Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, who had firmed from $8 to $5.

Australia's Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell is a long-shot at $41.

Some have criticised the betting - taken up by a number of sports bookmakers around
the world - as being in poor taste and potentially offensive to those mourning the death
of the 84-year-old pontiff on the weekend.

"I think it's in pretty poor taste," said Gerard Daffy, manager of bookmaker Centrebet
and himself a Catholic.

"Obviously there are a lot of things that have surfaced that people can bet on.

"But betting on the election of the Pope ... I think is in pretty poor taste and I'm
surprised that there are bookmakers around the world who actually want to accept bets
on that."

Sportingbet Australia chief executive officer Michael Sullivan said the agency was
simply providing a service to punters who wanted to bet on an event of global significance.

"With a name like Michael Sullivan I obviously mourn the Pope," Mr Sullivan, also a
Catholic, said.

"The fact is that we now have to concentrate on the new leader of the Catholic Church
and give the people the chance to have an opinion.

"Sportingbet wishes to emphasise that ours is an election market, betting on the election
of a leader of global significance.

"We bet on all major elections.

"We do our best to provide a service on current events or on anything that generates
interest among our punters."

Mr Sullivan said the book was opened some months ago before the Pope became seriously ill.

When his health deteriorated the agency removed the Pope's picture and reference to
the betting market from its home page, he said.

Sportingbet Australia said that interest in the papal election had mainly been from
"bread and butter" pundits, placing $5 or $10 bets.

But the wagering was expected to increase as the conclave, where 117 cardinals from
52 countries will elect the next Pope, drew nearer this month.

The biggest bet so far was $800 placed on Honduras's Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga.

Of Cardinal Pell's chances, Mr Sullivan appeared sure about the principal reason for
his long odds.

"Distance is probably George Pell's biggest problem," he said.

"The remoteness of Australia from the Vatican will probably work against him."

AAP km/was/jlw t

KEYWORD: POPE AUST BET

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