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Ben Roethlisberger's latest predicament has oddsmakers wondering what can and cannot be considered in "bad taste" when it comes to a "bad boy" athlete. This is the second time Big Ben has found himself accused of sexual assault in the past 12 months.
We learned a good lesson in 2006 from the Duke Lacrosse rape allegations that ultimately resulted in vindication of players: Do not offer betting odds on sexual assault matters. Wagerweb.com, a popular online gambling website at the time, had been offering odds on the case and got lambasted as a result.
The temptation now is to offer odds on the latest Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault matter. Will he be charged? Will he play this upcoming season?
"When the Tiger Woods mistress story broke, the bookies made out pretty big by offering various odds on Woods and his mistresses and whether he would lose sponsorship deals," explains Carrie Stroup, Senior Reporter for the Gambling911.com website. "But there was no sexual assault associated with that story."
For now the folks from Sportsbook.com, who just happen to be offering odds on the Howard Stern Tiger Woods Mistress Beauty Contest scheduled to take place on Wednesday morning, are shying away from offering odds on Roethlisberger and potential charges.
"A less controversial bet option would be whether Roethlisberger ends up suspended by the league," says Stroup. "There is a bit of a grey area. It remains to be seen whether or not the bookmakers will cross over it."
A defense attorney hired by Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Monday disputed a college student's claim that the two-time Super Bowl winner sexually assaulted her at a Georgia nightclub, according to the Detroit Free Press.
"The facts show that there was no criminal activity. No sexual assault occurred," attorney Ed Garland said in a statement. "Ben is completely innocent of any crime."
Police were expected to interview the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback over the next few days in addition to taking a DNA sample from him.
Sportsbook.com still listed the Steelers odds of winning the 2011 Super Bowl at a somewhat favorable +1000 or 10/1 as of press time.
Payton O'Brien, Gambling911.com Senior Editor
