2012 Olympic Prop Bets Cause Amusement

While the majority of betting action surrounding the 2012 London Olympics will be conducted on most of the 302 scheduled sporting events, a lighter side of Olympic Games betting has emerged in the form of some very amusing prop bets, which have been designed to tickle the funny bone, and for some punters, their wallets.

Proposition bets (side bets that don't have any bearing on the actual outcome of a particular event) have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially at online sportsbooks, and the 2012 Olympic Games has not escaped the attention off Olympic Games oddsmakers, with their tongues buried firmly in their cheeks.

According to recent reports, a host of 2012 Olympic prop bets have been posted ahead of the games, which officially kick off on Friday (July 27). One of the most outrageous (which had this writer chuckling for a few minutes) is the 100/1 wager on whether a UFO will be spotted overhead during Friday's opening ceremony.

William Hill has Posted Funny Olympic Props

Interestingly, this bet has been posted by none other than UK land and online betting powerhouse William Hill, which means more than a few betting fans will likely take the bet. And why not indeed? Stranger things have surely happened (George W. Bush being voted in as US President not once, but twice instantly springs to mind).

UFOs aside, William Hill has posted other 'oddball' 2012 Olympic props such as whether the Olympic flame will go out while being carried by last person (10/1), whether the all girl band the Spice Girls will suffer a 'wardrobe malfunction' during their live performance (10/1), as well as whether the Men's 100 metre final will be delayed if one of the runners is stuck in the heavy London traffic (100/1).

But the betting madness doesn't end there, because another sportsbook has reportedly opened a line on whether the athletes staying at the Olympic Park village will run out of condoms during the event, as well as whether an athlete representing Britain will be caught on film eating a Big Mac in front of the world's largest ever McDonalds restaurant.

Can London Pull of the 2012 Olympic Games?

One Olympic Games prop bet that many sportsbooks have been loathe to post, however, is whether the City of London will be able to pull off the event without a hitch, given the many hiccups that have emerged as the opening ceremony draws closer. I'm sure there are more than a few cynics who would be glad for a piece of that action.

On a serious note, while London Olympic prop bets will amuse most people who come across them, serious sports betting will focus on the games themselves. And on this score, most land and online sportsbooks - William Hill included - have their bases covered, with a plethora of regular Olympic betting lines posted across many events.

These include Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Canoeing, Boxing, Cycling, Diving, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

 Posted by Anton Johan at 13:14 on 25 July 2012