Betting News

Unibet - Football leagues return with a hat-trick (Added 27/07/10)

If any player scores a hat-trick in any English Premier League match on the opening weekend of the season – we will refund all losing Correct Score, First/Last Goalscorer and HT/FT Bets on that match. This offer will also apply to Italy Serie A and Spain La Liga opening weekends. Look out for the full promo text on site soon.

The Open 2010 - 7 Place Special and Best Price on Tiger (Added 06/07/10)

Whilst some bookmakers offer just five places on the biggest golf betting event of the year Paddy Power have teed off early with their pledge to payout on the first 7 players at the top of the final leaderboard.

Tiger Woods is again the favourite to win his third successive Open Championship on the St Andrews course although the "out of sorts" American is a stand out best price 11/2 with Paddy Power to lift the famous claret jug - the biggest odds he's been to win an Open Championship since 2004. Tiger had been just 2/1 approaching the tournament 12 months ago but his tumultuous year is clearly taking its toll out on the golf course.

The British are lining up behind Tiger like never before with Lee Westwood the front-runner amongst the home contingent at 14/1 joint second favourite alongside Phil Mickelson.

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Paddy Power - England vs Germany Special (Added 25/06/10)

Bore Draw Special - England vs Germany. In order to cushion the blow experienced if England fail to produce the goods against the Germans in 90 mins, Paddy Power are offering money-back on 1st/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast singles on this match if it ends 0-0!

They're offering the same special on the Ghana vs USA match as well!

Wimbledon 2010 by Unibet (Added 23/06/10)

Unibet have a massive live offer on the Wimbledon Championships with live betting on every mens and womens match!

The time has come for the most prestigious and legendary tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon. Just like in 2009 and 2008, Federer (odds 2.35) is the favourite to win the title with Nadal (odds 3.70) as strongest challenger. However, Federer suffered only his second grass court loss since 2002 in Halle last week, where Hewitt (odds 38) proved too strong in the final. Third favourite to lift the trophy is Andy Murray (odds 10) but it remains to be seen how he copes with the expectations from the British crowd and media. Last year’s finalist Andy Roddick (odds 14) and the recent French Open finalist Robin Soderling (odds 22) are also expected to progress deep into the second week of the tournament. The Serbian, Novak Djokovic has found himself in a slump recently and his price (odds 34) to win SW19 is consequently, significantly higher than in 2009 and 2008.

Title defender Serena Williams (odds 3.35) is the favourite to win the ladies singles but she has not won a title since her victory in Melbourne in January. Her older sister and last year’s finalist Venus Williams (odds 5.80) has not won a title since winning in Acapulco in February but is always a player to watch at the All England Club. If the sisters are unable to find their top game, the Belgian mother and come back queen Kim Clijsters (odds 6.50) will be ready to step in. Other players to watch are Maria Sharapova (odds 10), Justin Henin (odds 9) and Sam Stosur (odds 12).

Unibet offer a wealth of pre match odds on everything from match result and correct score to set and game bets. Unibet cover every mens and womens match live as well as mens doubles and womens doubles from the Quarter Finals onwards. Unibet will also stream the action live throughout the tournament, whilst Unibets comprehensive Live Betting client will let you bet on everything as the match is in progress.

And of course Unibet will offer Live Streaming and Live Betting on Tennis tournaments all season – with Masters Series, Australian Open and Wimbledon Streaming as well as the best ATP, WTA and Challenger action - it really is the place to be for Tennis betting!

Sporting Index - England v Slovenia - spread betting preview (Added 22/06/10)

English spread punters can be entirely forgiven for not looking forward to the crucial match between Fabio Capello's team and their final Group C opponents Slovenia. On paper, one would expect England to easily overcome the side ranked 25th by FIFA, but spread bettors know better than anyone that this tournament has been generous with the unexpected. The Three Lions are still strong favourites to win the group however, with a group index spread of 14-15.5pts.

Spread buyers and sellers do not have to look too far back for the last meeting between the sides as they faced each other in a friendly in September. Buyers of England's supremacy might hope for a better result than the 2-1 victory to England then but will of course be dismayed at England?s disappointing form in South Africa so far. Spread sellers will also point out that the September match came in the middle of England's incredibly efficient qualifying campaign, when supporters at home held genuine thoughts of ending 44 years of hurt.

Sellers of the total goals spread on the match will be well aware that England have only managed one goal in their first two matches but will also be encouraged by the stats from the 2010 World Cup as a whole. In the first 10 days of competition, there were eight 1-0 results and there have been an average of 1.97 goals per game, the lowest ever average at World Cups. Slovenia have been more successful in front of goal than their opponents however and spread buyers would love a repeat of the 2-2 result against the USA.

Wayne Rooney is likely to come under particular scrutiny after two quiet games and, subsequent to the goalless draw with Algeria, his on-camera outburst directed towards the fans. His player performance spread market was settled at 31, way below Steven Gerrard and Gareth Barry, who each made up 73 on the spread. Robert Koren, Slovenia?s captain and former West Bromwich Albion player made up 60 in his match against USA but a goal against Algeria contributed to a fantastic total of 82 in that match. Sellers of his performance spread for his final group match will know that this goal was only the fifth of his international career however and that the superior technical ability of England?s midfielders could make it tough for Koren to get forward.

Those interested in buying or selling the time of the first match goal will be keen to know that the average time of England?s first goal in qualifying is 31.1 minutes. However, that goes against Slovenia?s qualifying record of first conceding on average in the 75th minute. Goal minutes spread buyers will be desperate for England to rediscover their qualifying form which saw them put five past Croatia for a spread make-up of 301 minutes.

It's Roo Or Die Time! - Paddy Power MBS (Added 22/06/10)

Bore War! England v Slovenia.If this match finishes 0-0 , we will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast singles on the match!

Our Biggest Ever Refund Appropriately for a match that seemed to achieve record-breaking levels of boredom, our Bore War Money-Back Special Refund on the England v Algeria match also broke a record. Sorry to remind you about the awful 90 minutes of your life you spent watching it, but as the game finished 0-0, we refunded all losing goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets on the match. It's also the largest number of bets refunded in the history of Paddy Power and as the Money-Back Special wasn't around before we were on the scene and we're almost certain the dinosaurs weren't big into their punting, we're going to say it's the largest number of bets refunded ... EVER ... in the history of planet earth!

Samba Sunday – World Cup action! (Added 20/06/10)

Ivory Cost vs. Brazil tonight at 19.30 ! Don’t miss out on the samba boys Kaka, Robinho, Alves and the rest of the Brazilian team when they invite Ivory Cost for a dance lesson. Will there be a lot of goals tonight?

Ivory Cost vs. Brazil – Place your bets!

Sporting Index - Derby and Oaks (Added 03/06/10)

The third and fourth Classics of the season take place this weekend and spread bettors will have been focusing on the Oaks and Derby ever since the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas were wrapped up. The look of the boy's race has changed dramatically in recent days with the withdrawal of red-hot ante-post favourite St Nicholas Abbey. Last season's runaway Racing Post Trophy winner would have surely gone off at the top of the Sporting Index win index had he not suffered an injury and the race now has an open look to it. Aidan O'Brien still has a strong hand with Jan Vermeer, Midas Touch and potentially Cape Blanco, but spread punters will be aware that he hasn't actually won the race since High Chaparral in 2002. Irish trainers have won the last two renewals, though, and O'Brien is the only one with runners left in if that record is to continue.

This has been a good race for followers of favourites in recent years and SP spread sellers will be hoping that continues. Four of the past six market leaders have been successful and the biggest priced winner in the past decade was Sinndar in 2000 at 7/1. Frankie Dettori doesn't have a great record in this race, winning it just the once in 2007 aboard Peter Chapple-Hyam's classy Authorized. However, he will still have plenty of supporters on the spreads and will try to give trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni a first taste of Classic success on Rewilding. This son of Tiger Hill won impressively at Goodwood last month and will be trying to emulate Troy, the last winner of the then titled Predominate Stakes to go on to win at Epsom.

Sea The Stars will go down as one of the greatest racehorses of all time and he won last year's race by a winning margin of 1¾ lengths. Spread punters playing the winning distance markets will be interested to learn that two of the last five winners have won by a margin of 5 lengths. However, those buying distances on the spreads will be hoping for a repeat of Shergar's 10-length romp in 1981.

Henry Cecil is the undisputed king of the fillies and he will be going for his ninth Oaks win, after narrowly failing to claim it last year. His Midday was beaten a head by the 9/4 favourite Sariska and spread bettors will be keeping Aviate and Timepiece on side this time around. If the Derby is an open race, then the Oaks is about as open as a Classic can get. There will be plenty of questions for the spread betting public to answer if they're to find the winner amongst this field.

SP spread sellers have done well, by and large, in this race in recent times. Since Cecil's Ramruma won the Oaks in 1999, six favourites have obliged and only one horse bigger than 13/2 has won in that time. However, that was a big shock when Look Here won at 33/1 in 2008. There has been an interesting pattern emerge when it comes to winning distances in this race for spread bettors to consider. In the last six years, three of the races have been won by margins of 3 ¾, 6 and 7 lengths, while the other three sandwiched between those have been 1 ½, ½ and last year's head. If the pattern is to continue, we could be set for an easy Oaks victory.

Boylesports - Road to a Million Competition (Added 26/05/10)

With the World Cup almost upon us, Boylesports are offering customers the opportunity of a lifetime. If customers predict the road to the final in South Africa this summer, they could win a €1,000,000!

Competition Details

All entrants have to do is correctly forecast the winner and runner-up for the eight groups, followed by nominating the quarter-finalists, the semi-finalists, the finalist and the eventual winner - then they could be crowned Boylesports' first millionaire.

There is also €50,000 in guaranteed prizes to be won, in the event that the main Road to a Million is not predicted!

The Coral Dugout will be full of World Cup insight and excitement this summer! (Added 25/05/10)

Leading bookmaker Coral has launched 'The Dugout' (www.coraldugout.com) - a dedicated in-shop and online destination designed to excite, engage and inform football fans everywhere.

As the World Cup speculation reaches fever pitch, www.coraldugout.com will provide unique and exclusive information, stories, tips and opinions from the people in the know, to help Coral customers get the most out of every World Cup game.

Two of the most knowledgeable and informed men in football today have been signed to provide expert insight. Legendary anchorman of Sky Sports 'Soccer Saturday' and Coral pundit, Jeff Stelling (www.coraldugout.com/jeff-stelling-world-cup-tips), will bring his inimitable passion and energy for the game to The Dugout and he will be joined by one of the country's most famous referees, Graham Poll (www.coraldugout.com/graham-poll-world-cup-insight).

Having officiated in the last tournament, Graham knows exactly what it's like to be at the heart of World Cup fever and will provide invaluable insight to the potential winners (and losers) this time around.

Meanwhile, joining Jeff and Graham will be Coral's dedicated 'Insider' (www.coraldugout.com/world-cup-betting-tips)- a mysterious figure who will be on hand providing unique insight and information to everyone from betting enthusiasts to first time punters.

As soon as the Coral Dugout kicks off on May 24, all three pundits will be online daily, sharing their thoughts and opinions, giving their best tips and markets on every World Cup game.

"Whether you want to know whether Rooney will rule the world, Messi will make a mess of the opposition or Dunga's men will dominate the tournament, there's nowhere better than the Coral Dugout for a truly stimulating World Cup experience," said Jeff Stelling.

He added: "Graham, the Insider and I will be encouraging punters to share their views and opinions on every single game in the World Cup, right up to the final on July 11!"

As well as access to all the latest odds, there will also be a 'daily special' priced up by Coral's traders exclusively for Dugout members making it the ultimate place to gain the expert's view before placing a bet. Half time will also be rewarded at The Dugout with a quiz area testing customers' World Cup knowledge.

In addition to the website, punters will also be able to experience the Dugout through Coral TV in every single one of the 1,600 Coral shops nationwide.

David Stevens, PR manager for Coral, said: "The Coral Dugout promises to be a fantastic place for football fans this summer to get the latest odds as well as great insider knowledge and expert analysis to help them make informed bets on the World Cup!"

Paddy Power Launch Holiday Protection (Added 23/05/10)

Paddy Power announced the launch of a new holiday protection product designed to safeguard holidaymakers against the threat of unscheduled airport closure due to volcanic ash.

  This new initiative allows would-be holidaymakers to place a bet on a specified UK or Irish airport closing for at least a one hour period due to volcanic ash contamination on any given date between June 01 and August 31st.  The odds on offer vary by airport and by date, as an example a €1,000 holiday leaving London Heathrow on July 18th can be covered by placing a bet €50 at 20/1.  Customers will each be allowed up to €2,000 of cover.

Paddy Power said “This new venture was brought about by considerable customer demand. In fact we have been quoting odds on airport closure to customers since Eyjafjallajökull blew its top back in April.  It’s a very exciting new business opportunity and we’re hoping to expand our offering in the short term”

  How it works;

1.      Log on to www.volcanobetting.com
2.      Choose departure airport
3.      Choose departure date
4.      Odds will be available for your selected airport to close due to volcanic ash on your specified departure date.
5.      Place your bet (e.g.  a bet of €50 at 20/1 returns €1,050 if your airport closes on your specified departure date)

Willim Hill Offers (Added 23/05/10)

William Hill Online Sports is entering a new epoch of innovation with the launch of ground-breaking technology. From early May onwards, William Hill will offer over 4,000 in-play matches every month and bring sensational in-depth betting to the fingertips of customers for this year’s World Cup. Every month, all new and existing William Hill sportsbook customer can claim £100’s in free bets thanks to exciting and generous offers every day.

PaddyPower - Champions League Money Back Special (Added 19/05/10)

Bayern and Inter go head to head in the Champions League Final at Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium in an attempt to clean up in the season's trophy department. Inter are the favourite at 5/4 but it really is anyone's game! Paddy Power think it will go right to the end so they're offering the following money-back special:

Penalty Points!
Champions League Final
Saturday 22nd May Live ITV1, RTE 2 KO 7.45pm
If the match is decided in a penalty shoot out, Paddy Power will refund all losing 1st/last goalscorer, correct score & scorecast singles on the match.

Unibet - Europa League Final Cash Back (Added 11/05/10)

Europa League Final between Athletico Madrid and Fulham FC this Wednesday, 12th May 2010.
Unibet will refund all losing Correct Score bets if any Athletico Madrid player receives a Red Card!
This offer is available to all New and existing Unibet players

Happy Birthday PaddyPower - 10 Years Old (Added 30/04/10)

Paddy Power have just turned 10! That's right, their online business is a decade old and they've decided to celebrate in style. Paddy Power will be offering England at 10/1 to win the World Cup between 10am and 11am this Saturday (01/05/10).
Also, they'll be offering incredible specials on the following for the Month of May:

2000 Guineas, 1st May - 10/1 Aidan O'Brien to train 1st and 2nd in the race - live from 8am on Saturday (01/05/10)
Players Championship - 6th-9th May - We're going 6 places!
Europa League Final - 12th May
FA Cup Final - 15th May
World Twenty20 Final - 16th May
Monaco Grand Prix - 16th May
Champions League Final - 22nd May
Heineken Cup Final - 22nd May
French Open - 24th May

They have also released their new TV advert. I wonder if they are running a book on how long this lasts before it gets banned !?

PaddyPower - Grand National £20 in free bets (Added 03/04/10)

Paddypower are running a free £20 bet promotion from Thursday 8 April to Saturday 10 April. Bet 5 times and they will match your average stake up to a max of £10. Bet another 5 times and they will match it again. That's two Free Tenners!
They are also paying 1-2-3-4-5 places and are offering Fallers Insurance!

Boylesports - Grand National & US Masters Specials (Added 03/04/10)

“DON’T GET SHAFTED BY TIGER”. The Masters - 8th -11th April - If you’re selection finishes second to Tiger Woods at The Masters, Boylesports will settle your selection as a WINNER.
Aintree Grand National - Boylesports are paying 5 places. Each way 1/4 odds 1,2,3,4,5.

Betsson World Cup Competition (Added 27/03/10)

The World Cup is almost here! To celebrate it Betsson are arranging an amazing competition for all players to participate in. The winner will get a complete World Cup package with everything they will need for this great event. Register and you may be only one click away from a trip of a lifetime.

Bodog - Irish MD cancels Henry from all World Cup betting markets (Added 23/03/10)

Keith McDonnell, Managing Director of Bodog Europe has decided to make Thierry Henry's controversial involvement in the World Cup non-existent for betting purposes. Bodog's brand is the largest online gambling brand in the world. Effectively, any market which involves Henry, punters can strike out of their reckoning safe in the knowledge that if your bet comes 2nd to the Frenchman you will still be paid out. So if you have backed the draw in a France game and Henry scores to make them 1-0 winners, you will still get paid. Equally, if you back a first goalscorer market and your player is second on the score sheet with Henry first, then you will be paid. This even applies to each-way markets! So if you back a player to be the highest scorer in the tournament and your man is 4th and Henry 3rd you will get paid out as 3rd!

Keith McDonnell, from Dublin, commented: "I want to enjoy the World Cup and the only way I can do that is if he is no longer part of it - can you imagine if I had a bet and he affected my result! He has already ruined my World Cup and I want to make sure he can do no more damage."

PaddyPower - Banned TV Ad (Added 10/03/10)

Those jolly jokers at Paddy Power have been up to their old tricks again but this time it looks like their sense of humour does not appeal to everyone. Their latest TV ad has been banned. The ad, which was rejected by Clearcast, the body which clears scripts against CAP Code rules, depicts four wheelchair-bound people doing a runner on their bill at a curry house.
As well as promoting their their money back special offers, the ad was also intended to promote rugby-based charity Hearts & Balls, which helps players who have suffered serious injuries, with one actor wearing a charity-branded rugby shirt.
However, if you desperately want to see the ad, Paddy Power have released it on YouTube. If you must here is the link.