Betting odds on the inauguration

By Garrett Downing

Monday, Jan. 19, 2009 | 7:29 p.m.

Barack Obama is ready to take the Oval Office as the 44th president of the United States and the world is ready to watch history in the making.

With a record audience expected to tune into the inauguration, online gambling sites are offering people a different way to participate in the historic event: wagering on events likely to take place during the ceremony itself.

Gambling on politics is illegal in Nevada, but offshore sites are providing bettors with handful of wagers.

The bets range from what color tie Obama will wear tomorrow to what his first words will be after being sworn in.

The phrase, "Change has come" brings in 8-to-1 odds, while the more controversial and highly unlikely, "Always bet on black" has odds at 500-to-1.

How about the first celebrity in the crowd the TV cameras will lock their sights on?

Oprah (7-to-4) or Bruce Springsteen (6-to-1) make logical choices. But for the gambler hungry for risk, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton make more appealing bets with higher payouts: 33-to-1 odds.

Will Obama say the word "banana" in his inaugural speech? Probably not. But if he does, it will produce a big payday for somebody with odds at 800-to-1.

Here's a list at some of the online wagers available for people who want to add a little excitement to the inauguration.

From www.paddypower.com:

How long will the first address last?

• Under 10 minutes -- 8-1
• 10-13 minutes -- 6-1
• 14-17 minutes -- 4-1
• 18-21 minutes -- 10-3
• 22-25 minutes -- 9-4
• 26-29 minutes -- 3-1
• 30 minutes or more -- 9-2

What will Obama say first?

• Change has come -- 8-1
• Yes we can -- 10-1
• Fundamental belief -- 12-1
• As I stand here today -- 12-1
• God bless America -- 12-1
• Defining moment -- 12-1
• Let me be clear -- 14-1
• I have a dream -- 16-1
• I'm fired up -- 6-1
• We cannot lose hope -- 25-1
• For far too long -- 33-1
• A new direction -- 40-1
• Homes to the homeless -- 40-1
• Abiding faith -- 40-1
• Doors or opportunity -- 66-1
• An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. -- 100-1
• Let's get ready to rumble -- 250-1
• Life is like a box of chocolates -- 250-1
• Always bet on black! -- 500-1

What will happen first under President Obama?

• Full troop withdrawal from Iraq -- 2-5
• Capture of Osama bin Laden -- 6-1
• Legalization of marijuana -- 12-1
• Total ban on capital punishment -- 20-1
• Moon walk confirmed as fake by Obama -- 50-1
• Complete ban on privately owned guns -- 100-1

First celebrity shown in the crowd:

• Oprah -- 7-4
• Bruce Springsteen -- 7-4
• Tom Hanks -- 10-1
• Arnold Schwarzenegger -- 10-1
• Sting -- 16-1
• Will.i.am -- 20-1
• Spike Lee -- 20-1
• P. Diddy -- 20-1
• Ron Howard -- 25-1
• Chris Rock -- 33-1
• Britney Spears -- 33-1
• Paris Hilton -- 33-1

Color of Obama's tie:

• Red -- 11-10
• Blue -- 11-8
• Gray -- 5-1
• Black -- 8-1
• Bow tie -- 10-1
• White -- 12-1
• Pink -- 25-1

From www.betsson.com:

What words will Obama say during his inauguration speech?

• The United States -- 1.01-1
• God Bless America -- 1.05-1
• Recession -- 1.06-1
• Bush -- 1.50-1
• Iraq -- 1.70-1
• Arizona Cardinals -- 2-1
• Dream -- 2.50-1
• Martin Luther King -- 2.50-1
• Race -- 3-1
• Pittsburgh Steeler -- 3-1
• Hamas -- 5-1
• Wall Street -- 5-1
• College football playoff -- 20-1
• Spy -- 100-1
• Sarah Palin -- 100-1
• Poker -- 200-1
• Cocaine -- 500-1
• Axis of Evil -- 666-1
• Banana -- 800-1
• Doyle Brunson -- 1,000-1
• Peru -- 1,000-1