Bets have been wagered from 159 countries since the start of the Athens games
Tuesday 17th August 2004
As most major sporting events seem to do these days, the Olympics is resulting in increased activity for online gambling sites. William Hill have said they have received bets so far on the event from 159 different countries-almost as many countries as the number taking part in the event.
A spokesperson for William Hill, Graham Sharpe commented: 'For the first time punters worldwide have access to Olympic betting via the Internet, and we anticipate that there will be a record turnover as a result”. Countries such as Kazhakstan, Lebanon, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Chile, Argentina and the Seychelles have been placing bets via the William Hill site. Punters from Equatorial Guinea have also visited the site, with their interest sparked by the entry of their swimming competitor Eric Moussambani, who completed his first ever 100 metre swim during the Athens tournament.
While internet access for placing bets improving to such countries, complaints are being registered however, about the limited coverage available via the internet. Punters are finding it difficult to check for the results of the events they have bet on via the internet. The coverage provided by the official Olympics internet site is being the target of criticism as it is proving unreliable or limited.
