Betting on papal race heats up

2005-04-17 16:05

London - Punters betting on the election of the next pope are unlikely to make a killing on any of the favourites - British and Irish bookmakers were Sunday offering short odds on the front-runners with Germany's Joseph Ratzinger heading the list.

Both Dublin's Paddy Power bookmakers and London's William Hill had Ratzinger in the lead - at 3-1 and 9-2 respectively - followed by French Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger.

Paddy Power was offering 9-2 on Lustiger and 5-1 on liberal hope Carlo Maria Martini in third place.

With William Hill however Martini was tied for third with fellow Italian Dionigi Tettamanzi at 7-1.

William Hill, Britain's largest bookmakers, has taken bets on the papal race since the last Vatican conclave in 1978. The company said that betting stretches back as far as 1994, when one man put 30 pounds on Lustiger, now one of the clear favourites. Should Lustiger win the foresighted punter stands to collect £1 000 pounds.

The Catholic Church last year however condemned gambling on the papal succession calling

- SAPA