Miss World 2009 Represents Online Gambling Centre
Gibraltar, one of the leading centres for some of the largest online gambling businesses in the world, took center stage at Saturday's Miss World 2009 competition as the country's Kaiane Aldorino walked off with the crown.
The competition was stiffer than ever with more countries than over before (a total of 112) sending women to South Africa as part of the Miss World 2009 pageant.
Gibraltar is a self-ruling, British territory that sits at the mouth of the Mediterranean and is home to online poker giant PartyGaming and William Hill's online sports betting arm among many other i-Gaming businesses. Gibraltar has long established itself in the sector due to its attractive living standard, technologic resources and reduced tax incentives.
Miss Gibraltar beat out heavily favored Miss Puerto Rico, who was not even among the six finalists. Aldorino had been listed with 20/1 odds of winning the 2009 Miss World competition. The pageant is among the most heavily bet on non-sporting events annually.
Great Britain is claiming victory at this year's competition as a result of its territory winning.
The Times of London reported that national affections were swiftly transferred after England's entrant, Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge, nicknamed "Combat Barbie", suffered a disaster early in the contest. She limped out with a sprained ankle that was sustained training for the sports heat, not the swimsuit challenge.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
