Originally published July 7, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified July 7, 2007 at 2:03 AM
Bookmaker pays over Gore arrest
Ireland's top bookmaker, Paddy Power, paid out more than $13,500 Friday to people who bet that Al Gore would be arrested. Trouble was, the company...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY — JUNE 12: (TURKEY OUT) Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore applauses at the end of a news conference June 12, 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey. Al Gore was in Istanbul to promote the upcoming Live Earth concerts to be staged worldwide in nine cities, including Istanbul next month. (Photo by Getty Images) 74504444

DUBLIN, Ireland — Ireland's top bookmaker, Paddy Power, paid out more than $13,500 Friday to people who bet that Al Gore would be arrested. Trouble was, the company neglected to specify which one.
The former U.S. vice president and global-warming activist was rated as a 14-to-1 outsider in a list of American celebrities likely to be arrested next. On Wednesday — the day after the betting went live on Paddy Power's Web site — Gore's 24-year-old son, Al Gore III, was arrested and charged with illegally possessing marijuana and prescription drugs.
Paddy Power said it was paying out winnings to about 50 people because it had failed to identify which Gore it meant.
The bet in question listed publicity hound Paris Hilton as the favorite on 2-to-1 odds, based on her recent time in a Los Angeles jail. Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates was a distant 50 to 1.
On Friday, Paddy Power had switched its celebrity betting back solely onto Hilton's likely 2007 fortunes. She merited a 5-to-4 chance of ending up in rehab by the end of the year, while a return to jail was rated at 10 to 1. Appearing in an episode of "Prison Break" was 25 to 1, becoming Calvin Klein's new face for the perfume "Escape," 40 to 1, and releasing a cover of Elvis' "Jailhouse Rock," 66 to 1.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
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