Increased Interest in Cultural Betting

Bookies around the UK are reporting an increase in public interest in cultural betting. Andrew Martin of The Guardian Newspaper spoke to major bookies including William Hill and Ladbrokes regarding this interest. Ladbrokes has noticed the rise in interest in cultural betting which could earn the company GBP 3 million a year. Alex Donohue, Ladbrokes spokesman, said: "This kind of betting has been around for a while, but it's burgeoning, and stakes are rising." Donahue went on to give an example of the Man Booker which has drawn GBP 15,000 in bets so far this year which is an increase from past years. William Hill plc's media projects director Graham Sharpe says that this sort of betting began at Will Hill. "We call it our culture file,” said Sharpe. "My idea was always that we should broaden the range of things that people can bet on. I mean, every man has his price. “We've taken bets on the Booker since the start of the prize. We're the official bookmakers for the Mercury. We've been taking bets on the World Chess Championship since the days of Fischer-Spassky … the Turner prize, the RIBA Stirling prize for architecture