WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO (January 8, 2008) - Echoing so many space disaster movies, a previously undiscovered asteroid named 2007 WD5, measuring the equivalent of five double-decker buses in diameter and with the potential of a 1,000 Hiroshima’s, appears to be on a direct collision course with the planet Mars. Ever prepared to offer interesting and alternative betting markets, PinnacleSports.com today became the first bookmaker in the world to release betting lines on the likelihood of a Mars Impact. Leading Internet sports book, PinnacleSports.com, has posted a Yes/No market on whether this ‘Near-Earth object’ will now collide with Mars at the end of January 2008. The current odds at PinnacleSports.com on a Mars Impact stand at Yes 15/1, with the No 1/20, underlining the most recent projections made by NASA's Near Earth Object Program (NEOP) who are keeping tabs on the extra terrestrial object. Missing the Earth by a mere 5 million miles in November, WD5 was considered a near-miss and was only identified as it continued its journey away from Earth. Scientists have since become excited by the possibility that the 50 metre wide asteroid could instead impact Mars! “Oddsmakers at PinnacleSports.com are normally used to predicting the risk on the outcome of major sporting events from around the World, but this is a contact sport with a difference”, said Company Spokesperson, Simon Noble. “After opening the odds with the Yes a 20/1 underdog, we have now cut the odds following the early betting at PinnacleSports.com with the Yes now priced at a quote of 15/1”. Early calculations from NASA’s NEOP put the probability of a Mars impact at roughly 1 in 75, but the odds were reduced when more accurate information came to light following what space scientists call the Uncertainty Region for WD5! The market looks set to fluctuate further, and PinnacleSports.com will continually update the lines at www.pinnaclesports.com.
*Odds subject to change.
About PinnacleSports.com
PinnacleSports.com (www.pinnaclesports.com) is a leading international online sports betting site serving customers in more than 100 countries worldwide. Founded in 1998, PinnacleSports.com was the first sports book to introduce a reduced margin pricing model with odds that offer up to 60% better value than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in the Netherlands Antilles, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, racing and casino gaming.