Online Betting News

WHO WILL BE CHANCELLOR FOR NEXT BUDGET?….With the Budget imminent and Gordon Brown likely to be Prime Minister when the next Budget takes place - he is 1/12 favourite to be so - William Hill have opened a book on who will be Chancellor then - and make Des Browne 4/1 favourite.

Hills make David Miliband 5/1 second favourite with Alistair Darling 6/1, and also offer 8/1 Ed Balls; Hilary Benn; 10/1 Jack Straw; Stephen Timms; 16/1 Alan Johnson; Ruth Kelly; 20/1 John Reid; Dawn Primorolo; 25/1 Charles Clarke; Patricia Hewitt; Alan Milburn; John Healey; John Hutton; 100/1 Tony Blair.

With the Conservatives now enjoying a record lead over Labour in opinion polls, bookmakers William Hill have cut their odds to the shortest they have been since they lost power, cutting their odds from 4/7 to 8/15 to be the largest single Party after the next General Election.

And Labour are now at their longest odds since Tony Blair became Prime Minister, out to 11/8 from 5/4.

The Lib Dems remain 80/1 outsiders.’There has been no serious money for Labour to win the next General Election for months’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe, ‘Since Tony Blair announced he was going to stand down probably eighty per cent of the Election bets we have taken have been for the Tories.’

Hills offer 6/4 that the next General Election will produce a Hung Parliament.
Despite rumours that a serious candidate will come forward to take on Gordon Brown in the race to become the next leader of the Labour Party, William Hill make Gordon Brown red-hot favourite at 1/12 and say he looks unbeatable. ‘No significant sums have been bet against Gordon Brown for some months and in racing terms he seems to be almost past the post already’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

William Hill Next Permanent Leader Of The Labour Party: 1/12 G Brown, 12/1 D Miliband, 14/1 J Reid, 16/1 A Milburn; 33/1 H Benn, P Hain; C Clarke, 50/1 M Beckett, J Straw, J Prescott, E Balls, M Meacher.

HAIN BACKED FOR DEPUTY LEADERSHIP……Peter Hain has been backed from 10/1 to 6/1 fourth favourite with William Hill, to win the race to become Deputy Leader of the Labour Party:
William Hill Next Permanent Deputy Leader Of The Labour Party: 3/1 H Benn, 7/2 A Johnson, 9/2 J Cruddas, 6/1 P Hain, 8/1 H Harman; 10/1 H Blears, D Miliband; 16/1 A Milburn, 20/1 J Reid; J Straw; T Jowell, 33/1 C Clarke, 40/1 Y Cooper, 50/1 P Hewitt.
Vive La Difference - in France AND America?

WHAT ODDS DOUBLE PRESIDENTIAL TRIUMPH FOR WOMEN?

William Hill are offering odds of 8/1 that women triumph in both the US and French Presidential Elections - with Hillary Clinton and Segolene Royal both well fancied to win their respective polls.

After Al Gore failed to rule himself out of the Presidential race in his Oscar acceptance speech, punters are betting that he will decide to run for office again, and bookmakers William Hill have cut his odds from 25/1 to 9/1, making him sixth favourite.
‘If Gore stands it will be particularly good news for the client who has bet £3000 on him at 25/1 and hopes to win £75,000′ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.
Hills have lengthened Hillary Clinton’s odds from 7/4 to 2/1 favourite and also offer 7/2 Giuliani; 6/1 McCain;Obama; 7/1 Edwards.

Meanwhile, Hills have lengthened Nicolas Sarkozy from 4/7 to 4/5 favourite to win the French Presidential Election and also offer 2/1 Segolene Royal; 3/1 Francois Bayrou (shortened from 5/1); 50/1 Jean Mare Le Pen.

‘Political betting is a worldwide phenomenon these days and millions will be gambled on the outcome of the US and French contests’ said Hill’s spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Cantor Fitzgerald LP is being sued for as much as $30 million by the former head of its U.K. spread- betting business, in a difference of opinion over Cantor’s plans for the lucrative division.Lewis Findlay, who helped set up the Cantor Index unit six years ago, claims he was wrongfully dismissed by the company last January. He’s now pursuing two separate lawsuits to guard his stake in the business and says he’s entitled to a multimillion dollar payout for the money he would have made if it’s sold or listed on the stock exchange.

It’s the second time Cantor, which lost the majority of its U.S. staff in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, has been hit with a big-money employment lawsuit in Britain. Steven Horkulak, a former London-based broker, was awarded £795,000 in 2004 over his claim that he was bullied into quitting by Cantor’s Lee Amaitis.

Findlay’s case, which had an opening hearing today at the High Court in London, centers on a so-called incentive agreement he signed in 2003, entitling him to share in the proceeds of any successful sale or share listing of Cantor Index.

“We believe the claim is without merit and we will robustly defend our position,'’ Cantor’s London office said in a statement.

The company focuses on financial spread-betting, which allows traders to gamble on the movement of share or commodities prices, without the tax and disclosure obligations of share ownership. While Cantor last week announced plans for a $460 million initial share sale of its BGC Partners Ltd. brokerage unit in the U.S., it has retained possession of Cantor Index.

Findlay claims that his stake in the company would be worth between $20 million and $30 million, given an approximate market valuation of between $200 million and $300 million. He’s also seeking his bonus payment for 2004 and compensation for alleged damage to his reputation and employment prospects, according to documents submitted to the High Court.

Cantor denies wrongdoing and today argued that the court should strike out most of Findlay’s claims relating to the incentive agreement, on the grounds that he knew the risks of leaving the company and that there was no breach of his contract.

Findlay’s second claim, filed at a U.K. employment tribunal in August, has been temporarily postponed pending the outcome of the High Court case.

A full trial on the claim is scheduled for July.