Page 19 - 20120708 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - July / August 2012

( E 2?> =;9 ( "> ?; ,.=1 .>5 From a possible UFO IOC has barred athletes from betting on the No UFO; Mysterious games _ and sports, police and gambling sighting to a certain industry officials plan to meet daily to ensure lights identified 100-meter dash, London that no illegal bets are placed. Jacques Rogge, the president of the betting focuses on International Olympic Committee, has said previously that illegal betting can fuel the Olympics scourge of match-fixing. Crilly said the betting industry is heavily regulated and immediately reports suspicious Associated Press activity to Britain's Gambling Commission. "We have a lot of strict regulations in place to guard against any funny business," What are the odds of a UFO sighting during the London Olympics opening ceremony? Or of the Crilly said. "If we were to see an unusually large PETOSKEY — The mystery has been solved. bet for a sport we were not particularly final torch bearer tripping as they ascend to light expecting large amounts of money for, it would The strange lights area residents the flame? Or would you prefer a more reported seeing in the night sky this week were traditional wager on the battle for gold between flash up ... If there was any suggestion that it actually coming from aircraft used in training at was suspicious we would get authorities Russia and Spain in synchronized swimming involved." the Grayling Air Gunnery Range, said Patricia duos? The most heavily wagered event during Luna, executive assistant at the Alpena Combat London betting houses will offer odds Readiness Training Center. on almost anything, including all 26 sports at the London games is expected to be the 100- Nineteen Air National Guard units from the games, from the 100-meter dash to fencing, meter dash, where Jamaican Usain Bolt, the seven different states are participating in reigning Olympic champion, is still the odds-on from diving to soccer. The industry expects to favorite despite a rough run-up to the games that Northern Strike 2012, "a large-scale training handle a record 100 million pounds ($155 saw him bested in trials by countryman Yohan exercise that emphasizes air-to-ground million) in wagers during the July 27-Aug.12 Blake. Soccer will also be an extremely popular operations," according to a Michigan competition _ even some pretty outlandish Department of Military and Veterans Affairs parlays. wager, as will the women's heptathlon, where news release. star British athlete Jessica Ennis is expected to "We try to cater to most people's tastes," compete for gold. Luna said the training, including night said Joe Crilly, a spokesman for William Hill, a A major challenge for the gambling and day flights, began Monday, July 9, and is to gambling house that encourages punters _ the houses is setting the odds for the more obscure continue through Friday, July 20. U.K. term for gamblers _ to contact them with sports. Who is to say Dutch rider Adelinde The lights were spotted by several any bet they can dream up. They also offer Cornelissen should be a 15-to-8 shot in people throughout Northern Michigan late online gambling in 182 countries, though not in dressage, an equestrian discipline? Or if Tuesday, prompting several calls to CCE the United States or in other countries where it Central Dispatch which covers Charlevoix, is prohibited. Sweden's Anders Gustafsson should be set as a Cheboygan and Emmet counties. 9-to-1 shot in the 1,000-meter men's single Ladbrokes, another British bookmaker, kayak race? John Cassidy of Petoskey described the will offer 11,000 different wagers during the Crilly says ahead of the Olympics, lights as a "long bright orange glow, resembling games, according to spokeswoman Jessica betting firms assign teams to research each fireworks or an orange flare." Bridge. Those bets include that the Olympics Cassidy said the glow didn't last long, will be over budget, that a British athlete will be sport, spending weeks immersing themselves in but when it went away, two objects with whitish facts and figures. photographed eating a McDonald's Big Mac, or Punters can also bet on which country flashing lights appeared, before quickly that the athletes village in Olympic Park will will win the overall medals table (the U.S. is disappearing. run out of condoms. favored, with China a close second), or how Mary Albertson, office manager at William Hill offers perhaps the longest many golds the host nation will take home. central dispatch, said the calls began around odds of the games: 1,000-to-1 that a flying Bridge says Ladbrokes has already 10:15 p.m. and continued to about 11:30 p.m., saucer will appear over Olympic Stadium taken a 10,000 pound ($15,500) bet on Bolt to and came in from Mackinaw City to Indian during Friday's opening ceremony. Tough luck, River, Harbor Springs to Petoskey. [] presumably, if aliens don't make first contact win the 100-meter dash and expects much larger wagers ahead of the big race. until the next day. "We anticipate our high roller customers The ‘X’ Zone Book of Triviology Other longshots get slightly better odds, like 250-to-1 that every team in the 4x400- will fancy him to do the business,' she said. "If they were to want 50,000 pounds ($77,500) or meter relay final drops the baton, or 33-to-1 that flamboyant London Mayor Boris Johnson more on Bolt, then we will happily lay it." [] accidentally lights his hair on fire with the a Soviet invasion. Olympic torch. And this being famously soggy London, of course they are taking bets on the weather, Humans make sense of the world by building paying even-money that rain will mar the narratives. A random but humdrum collection of events — temperature inversions and, yes, opening night. If that's not enough to make an weather balloons — is somehow not as Olympic fan cry, Ladbrokes will pay $50 on a $1 bet that it will rain every day, and 10-to-1 satisfying as a flying saucer. that a strike by transit workers will halt train It seems to Answer Man that asking whether service on the London Underground. there were any alien spacecraft over But the gambling story is not all fun and games. Washington in 1952 is like asking whether there The British betting industry is worth $9 were any witches in Salem, Mass., in 1692.[] billion a year, one of the biggest in the world, For ALL Your Publishing Needs according to a 2010 study by accounting and consultancy firm Deloitte. Most houses offer Printing. Digital eBook Formats, Hand Held online gambling as well. =?;0A@ 8<2:B38<6 8&=3 8&03 G <3?=83 &?4@@ > A.68./82 6: #=6:? E 6:182 There have been fears that the massive (4:40@4@ -41@8A4@ ) %G)4?C824@ 0<3 #B27 at gambling volume could lead to corruption, More! which would forever mar London's legacy. The AMAZON.COM www.rel-mar.com