BoDog Sportsbook & Casino has released the first set of official odds for the California Gubernatorial election set for October 7, 2003 and, to nobody's surprise, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a heavy favorite.
Listed at 1-10, Schwarzenegger is a heavy favorite ahead of Democrat and current Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, who is listed at 3-2.
"The election in California is promising to be the biggest news story of the year," said BoDog President, Rob Gillespie. "When something is this big, people want to bet on it."
BoDog's oddsmakers selected 10 candidates from the list of nearly 200 who have submitted the proper paperwork to run in the special recall election.
Current Governor Gray Davis is listed at 8-1 to avoid recall and maintain his post of Governor of California.
"We had to have some option for a failed recall," said Gillespie. "That's why we've listed Davis with other candidates."
With the candidates list featuring a diverse selection of hopefuls, BoDog has posted odds for a few of the more notable names.
"Gary Coleman filed the necessary paperwork and is indeed a candidate in this election," said Gillespie. "But he's also indicated he has no platform and no intention of running a campaign, therefore we've listed him as the longest shot at 500-1."
Self-described smut peddler Larry Flynt is also a real long shot to win and is listed at 100-1 along with thong-selling hopeful Georgina Russell.
"It is California and anything can happen," said Gillespie. "Flynt has positioned himself as the 'smut peddler who cares', the voting public probably won't buy that one."
Other candidates with strong political backgrounds round out those listed by BoDog. Bill Simon, who narrowly lost to Davis in 2002, is listed at 4-1.
"Simon only lost by 355,000 in 2002," said Gillespie. "If he gets that kind of support in this election, he could be the dark horse while Arnold's getting all the hype."
Tom McClintock, a current state Senator, is listed at 12-1 while former Major League Baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth is 6-1 to succeed Gray Davis. Political pundit Arianna Huffington is listed at 10-1.
"Essentially, this is an informal form of polling the voting public," said Gillespie. "As the wagers come in our oddsmakers will have to adjust the odds according to how the public is wagering."
The Odds for the 2003 California Gubernatorial Special Election will be available until election day, October 7th 2003. To view the Odds online CLICK HERE.