Celebrity death betting

[WeegieDave]

Are there places that offer odds on which well-known people will pop their clogs this year?

Having a discussion over a few beers recently and we weren't sure if the bookies would offer odds on such things.

Are there odds out there, and where abouts would I get a list of them if there are?

[rcgills]

I'd be absolutely amazed if there was anywhere that offered odds on that, Dave.

[WeegieDave]

You never know RC, theres some sickos out there.

Looks like this may be a bit of a private gambling sport then, although I was sure I'd seen or heard of it somewhere before.

Remember being down the pub once after the Pope died and heard someone mention how he was quids in because the Pope going had completed a treble that he had for the year.

[rcgills]

I'm sure there are people that would want to bet on it, I just think the bookies would consider it in poor taste.

[edinlichtie]

Think a bookie took a bet on someone dieing once??

Some boy asked for odds that he would die before a certain date... am i speakin shite?

[daikoku]

Pretty sure I heard that as well Edin. In fact I'm sure if you walk into most bookies they'll give you odds on any event happening.

[Bigkegman]

One of the local boozers used to have a Wake Club and everybody picked a celeb/well known person and everybody paid £1 per week and when ever the 1st person died on the list - the person who had the 'winner' got half the kitty and the rest got put behind the bar for the 'Wake'.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Oh aye Dave - something your wanting to share with us?

Next celebrity murder and your prime suspect.

My choice would be Pete Docherty.

[stereoman]

There are the infamous 'dead pools' or 'death pools' around the net where you pool your money together and whoever predicts the most deaths/the unlikeliest deaths in a certain time period e.g. one year, scoops the cash. Most though are free-to-enter with no prizes on offer.

No such legal bookie exists that would strike a bet with you about the odds on anybody dying.

I remember on a BBC2 late night documentary series on gambling not too long back with an episode centering on 'wacky bets' where Graham Sharpe was asked about whether he would give odds to somebody who asked about the odds on someone dying and he said that William Hill's wouldn't on the grounds of 'bad taste'.

[ONEDUNME]

Yeah, I used to work at a place that had a dead pool running and it was regularly the talk of the place although (at the risk of sounding like Gettin) I always thought it a bit sick myself and didn't get involved.

Each to their own though.