It's All About the Entertainment Factor!; Super Bowl 2005: For Both Avid and Casual Sports Fans, Online Betting is Now Part of the Entertainment Experience

Business Wire, Feb 2, 2005

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- With the Patriots / Eagles match-up in Super Bowl XXXIX, a record number of American consumers - both avid and the most casual of sports fans - are expected to include online betting on the Super Bowl (the game itself), the commercials, and more as part of the entertainment experience of that event.

And, betting on some of the "pop culture" type aspects surrounding the game has become nearly as popular as betting on the game itself. In fact, of those betting on the Super Bowl, nearly 75 percent will also place a wager on "prop bets" (proposition bets), according to David Carruthers, CEO of BETonSPORTS.com (BoS), one of the largest online wagering companies in the world. By game time, Carruthers estimates that BETonSPORTS.com will have taken wagers on nearly 1,000 proposition bets.

SOME "Entertaining" STATISTICS ABOUT SUPER BOWL BETTING:

--Currently, online wagering for the Super Bowl now dwarfs the betting action taken in the land-based sports books in Las Vegas.

--For Super Bowl 2004, $81.2 million was wagered in Nevada's (land-based) sports books; but that pales in comparison to the estimated $375 million that was bet on the Super Bowl through online sports books in 2004, according to BETonSPORTS.com CEO David Carruthers. And, Carruthers says, the industry expects nearly $500 million to be wagered on line on Super Bowl 2005 worldwide, with the bulk of that coming from the U.S.

--U.S. bettors make up around 75 percent of the (worldwide) football betting market, although the portion of action coming from overseas is growing steadily, according to the publication Interactive Gaming News.

--Consumers plan to celebrate the Super Bowl 2005 in a variety of ways. This year, 21.5 million consumers are expected to throw a Super Bowl party, while an additional 54.6 million people plan to attend one. In addition, 9.9 million consumers will watch the Super Bowl at a bar or restaurant. (source: 2005 BIGresearch survey for National Retail Foundation)

--Chili is the "hands-down" favorite Super Bowl food, followed by pizza. (source: Successfoods Marketing)

Here are some BETonSPORTS.com specific statistics:

--The BETonSPORTS.com site totaled over 450,000 wagers for the 2004 Super Bowl, and this year - in 2005 - CEO David Carruthers expects that number to jump more than 15 percent.

--In the nine hours preceding the Super Bowl in 2004, the BETonSPORTS.com site averaged 625 bets a minute.

For that additional angle or "tidbit" for your Super Bowl-related stories, we thought you might find the sample of Special Super Bowl XXXIX Proposition bets listed below of interest. We can also provide some additional Super Bowl statistics, or facilitate an interview/briefing with BETonSPORTS.coms CEO David Carruthers.

Sample of Special Super Bowl XXXIX Proposition Bets:

--Will Paul McCartney get booed after his performance?

--How many seconds will the National Anthem last? (From the 1st sound to the last)

--Will an extra point or field goal hit the bar or upright in the game?

--Will the winning differential be higher or lower than the MVP's Jersey number?

--Will the team to win the Coin Toss win the game?

--Which will be the first coach to show (Face close up) after the Kickoff of Super Bowl XXXIX?

--Will a Coach slam his headset during the XXXIX Super Bowl?

--Will a newcomer or veteran advertiser win the Viewer's Favorite Super Bowl Commercial Poll done by USA Today?

Editors' Note:

David Carruthers, BETonSPORTS.com is available to discuss a variety of other Super Bowl-related betting/wagering topics, as well as general online gambling-related subjects (for example: profile of Super Bowl bettors versus a typical online gambler, popularity of gambling on various sports, regulation for the online gambling industry, etc.). If you would like an interview with David Carruthers or additional information on BETonSPORTS.com and/or trends surrounding the Super Bowl and the online gambling industry, please contact:

Courtney Sandora at 312-255-3145 (courtney.sandora@hillandknowlton.com);

or Elizabeth Berglund at 312-255-3129 (elizabeth.berglund@hillandknowlton.com)

About BETonSPORTS plc

BETonSPORTS plc, one of the world's leading online and telephone sports book and casino operators, is committed to providing its clients with the most value for their wagering dollar and quality customer service capabilities. Headquartered in San Jose, Costa Rica, the company is licensed in the Caribbean and the UK, where gambling has been a legal and respected tradition for over forty years. At the peak of high season in the financial year ended January 31, 2004, it employed over 1,600 employees in Antigua, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom. The company trades under the symbol BSS.L on the London Stock Exchange's Alterative Investment Market. BETonSPORTS.com has been ranked the number one sportsbook by a number of leading industry organizations, including the Offshore Gaming Association (OSGA), the International Sports Book Council (ISBC) and Insiders Football Guide. Visit www.BETonSPORTS.com for more information.