White Christmas

Andrew42

Are bookies paying out for a white Christmas in Dublin? Is their definition of a white christmas an inch of snow falling at Dublin airport on the day itself?
I don't have any bets on, just curious.

Bluetonic

It's any snow fall, not an inch, a flake will do.

There was no snowfall on christmas day.

Powers however paid out earlier in the week.

okidoki987

Read a few refused to pay as their rules stated "Christmas Day".
You'd think they would have paid out, season of good will and all that.
Couldn't have cost them that much and good PR.

rusty_racer94

Not a sign of snow in the West after yesterday's rain.

Bluetonic

okidoki987 wrote: »

Read a few refused to pay as their rules stated "Christmas Day".
You'd think they would have paid out, season of good will and all that.
Couldn't have cost them that much and good PR.

St Stephens Day is one of the big gambling days of the year outside of the Grand National, yet this year is was a disaster.

I'm sure you can understand why those that didn't pay out didn't.

okidoki987

True but results have been very good for the bookies over December especially football.
I can't see them taking many bets on it and it would be good PR for them.

Bluetonic

December pre Christmas is the least busy time for a bookmaker though, hence the Christmas promotions.

Andrew42

Bluetonic wrote: »

It's any snow fall, not an inch, a flake will do.

There was no snowfall on christmas day.

Powers however paid out earlier in the week.

That's what I figured, they would have been within their rights to refuse to pay out but probably a PR disaster if they went that road.
I'd love to see them argue in court that we didn't have a white christmas:D

wicklowdub

The market is usually defined as "snow to fall on Christmas day" here

the official definition by the British Met Office and British bookmakers is for snow to be observed falling, however little even even if it melts before it reaches the ground, in the 24 hours of 25 December.[3][4] Consequently, according to the Met Office and British bookmakers, even 3 ft (91 cm) of snow on the ground at Christmas, because of a heavy snow fall a few days before, will not constitute a white Christmas, but a few snow flakes mixed with rain will, even if they never reach the ground.

And in Ireland

In Ireland, the prospect of early winter snow is always remote due to the country's mild and wet climate. Bookmakers offer odds every year for a "white Christmas", which is officially snow being recorded at 09:00 local time on Christmas Day, and recorded at either Dublin Airport, Belfast International Airport or Cork Airport (bets are offered for each airport). Snow is most common in the north, and as such Belfast usually has better odds than Dublin, and considerably better odds than Cork, which is at the extreme south of the country. Ireland's last "official" white Christmas was in 2004.[7]

the groutch

the measure paddy power was using was 1mm of snow at dublin airport, which is very fair imo

no bookies should have to pay imo, and it wouldnt have been as cheap as people think to pay for PR reasons, it was backed from 5/1 down to odds on and would have cost them at least a 6-figure, possibly a 7-figure sum

okidoki987

6-figure, possibly a 7-figure sum

:eek:
Even taking a six figure sum at 5/1, that's 20,000 in stakes!
There's no way punters would have anything close to that.
It's a minority market and as such would have small stake bets.
It's not something your local joe soap would be doing in a shop.
I'd guess most bets would be on-line and if anybody tried to have a big bet, the odds would be slashed.

okidoki987

Today's Indo

By Edel O'Connell


Tuesday December 28 2010

PUNTERS who splurged on a white Christmas this year suffered mixed fortunes as bookies were at odds over whether it was actually 'white'.

Despite inches of snow carpeting much of the country on Christmas Day, bookmakers' rules traditionally state that snow must actually fall on December 25 in Dublin for bets to count

Paddy Power, though, paid out €50,000 on a white Christmas regardless.

Similar bets with bookmakers Ladbrokes and William Hill were not so lucky, as the bookies stuck to the rulebook and refused to pay out as no fresh snow fell on the day.

Paddy Power said: "While the whole country was under the spell of the big freeze, we decided to throw away the rulebook and pay out.

"We didn't want to act the Scrooge.

"We'd taken about double the bets this year compared to last year which really wasn't surprising considering the weather we've had.

"The rules say that snow has to fall on Christmas day for the bets to click but we decided to pay out anyway."

People had placed bets of up to €1,000 with the bookmaker in a bid to cash in on Ireland's unprecedented arctic weather.

William Hill said it had received a record number of bets on a white Christmas this year.

The biggest was €2,000, which was placed in November when the odds at that stage were at 7:2- this would have scooped €9,000.

- Edel O'Connell

Irish Independent

dsmythy

I don't blame anyone for not paying out. The rules are quite clear.

OutlawPete

Good on Paddy's.

Mellor

the groutch wrote: »

it was backed from 5/1 down to odds on and would have cost them at least a 6-figure, possibly a 7-figure sum

Over-estimate much??? 7 figures, gtfo

It as 50k a tiny amount. PPP have paid out on this 3 years in a row