USA TODAY International Edition
Royal odds
You can bet on just about anything that may happen at Harry & Meghan’s wedding
It’s not just Americans who have gambling fever this week. Our cousins across the pond have it, too. As people in the U.S. wait for states’ sports books to open following the Supreme Court ruling, the British are placing all kinds of bets ahead of this Saturday’s royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. As of Wednesday morning, Paddy Power, one of the largest sports gambling houses in the world, has 13 propositional — or prop — bets listed for the wedding allowing gamblers to really get in on the action. As one would expect, nearly everything is on the table.
Who will walk Markle down the aisle? Will her on-screen husband and Suits co-star Patrick Adams be at the wedding? What dish will be served for the main course?
Oddsmakers anticipate Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, to walk her down the aisle (1/5 odds), the queen to wear a green hat (4/6 odds) and that the couple will go by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (1/3 odds).
Bets also include the mundane, such as will it rain (given the current sunny forecast “no” is the heavy favorite with current odds at 1/10) or will Harry be clean-shaven (even money says he will be) to some more out-there options such as what year will the couple’s first child be born (2019 is the house’s guess with odds currently set at 1/3) and what name will that child have (Alice, Harry, Arthur and Henry are all tied at 10/1).
The company says bets are determined
based on past popularity and the news. During the previous royal wedding, one popular bet was which designer would create the gown. But as news reports pointed to British designer Ralph & Russo receiving the honors for Markle’s gown, Paddy Power suspended that particular bet.
If you really are feeling lucky, you can take a shot at some of the site’s most adventurous odds. Among the wackiest bets: Donald Trump walking Markle down the aisle (500/1 odds), Vladimir Putin attending the wedding (500/1) and the queen wearing a “tartan”-colored hat (300/1).
While the company can’t reveal exactly how much has been wagered, a Paddy Power spokeswoman tells USA TODAY that it has received hundreds of thousands of pounds in wagers.
Will Prince Harry have a beard — or will he shave it off? What color hat will the queen wear? Will Meghan Markle’s mom, Doria Ragland, walk her down the aisle? Will “Suits” stars show up?