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While they didn’t offer wagering on Christina Aguilera flubbing the National Anthem during Sunday’s Super Bowl, Sportsbook.com had been offering odds on how long it would take for the pop star to sing it.
The line offered by Sportsbook.com coming into the big game, from first note to last, was 1 minute, 54 seconds.
But Sportsbook.com, in an interview with CNBC, said it was too close to call and that Aguilera’s screwing up of the lyrics made grading the bet close to impossible. They had timed it at both 1:53 and 1:54. It is the first time in that company’s nearly 15-years online they have paid out on both sides of a bet.
Instead of singing, "O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming," Aguilera offered, "What so proudly we watched at the twilight's last gleaming” and may have added an additional word.
Darren Rovell of CNBC noted that bettors believed they should have their monies returned based on the notion that the prop bet relies on the singer to actually sing the right words.
And the payouts may have been substantial.
“While Sportsbook.com has not disclosed the amount wagered on the National Anthem, thousands of Gambling911.com readers viewed the article that promoted the Aguilera bet,” said Carrie Stroup, Senior Reporter for the Gambling911.com website who also doubles as a long time representative for the Sportsbook.com betting firm. “Sportsbook.com’s banner and links were shown exclusively on that piece.”
“When all was said and done, the national anthem-related prop will have drawn more attention than any other in Super Bowl betting history, at least in terms of Gambling911.com readership,” said Payton O’Brien, senior editor for the Gambling911.com website, who was quoted by Fox Sports.
- Jordan Bach, Gambling911.com
