Who is that anonymous NYT writer? Gambling-sites betting on author
What's the story
The 1,034-words New York Times anonymous commentary, that launched a scathing attack on US President Donald Trump, has raised quite a lot of curiosity.
Everyone wants to know who that "senior official" in the administration is, who has written the Op-ed in the second-most circulated newspaper of the US.
Sensing an advantage, the gambling industry has jumped in and has given out some names.
Betting
Most bets are on Mike Pence
They said VP Mike Pence was a favorite, for the usage of "lodestar," a phrase he has often employed.
Pence, however, has denied authoring such a piece.
"The Vice President puts his name on his Op-Eds. The NY Times should be ashamed and so should the person who wrote the op-ed. Our office is above such amateur acts," said Pence's Communications Director Jarrod Agen.
Commentary says
"Meetings with Trump veer off topic and off the rails"
The other bets are on Chief of Staff John Kelly, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The commentary, whose author has been called a "gutless coward" by Trump, said, "Meetings with him (Trump) veer off topic and off the rails, and his impulsiveness results in occasionally reckless decisions."
Details
Have already received 200 wagers adding up to $5,000: Bookie
Coming back to the betting, David Strauss, MyBookie's head oddsmaker, said, they are accepting "wagers up to $100 on the identity of the unnamed author," that will go on till September 9.
They have already received "200 wagers adding up to $5,000," in which Pence carried -150 odds, while DeVos was second at +200 odds.
Pompeo, Kelly and Mnuchin attracted +400 odds.
Options
-310 odds on other well-known officials of political circles
This was as per MyBookie. The other sportsbook (online), Bovada said, till yesterday, Sessions led the pack with +250 odds, while Pence was at second with +300, followed by Kelly and Mattis at +400.
Apart from the names mentioned, one can also place -310 odds on other well-known officials of political circles, offers MyBookie.
But if the anonymous "senior official" remains unrevealed?
Process
In case mystery remains, gamblers can request their money back
In that scenario, the bets will remain on the books, said Strauss, adding this may take even decades.
Once the column is out of news cycle, but the mystery remains, gamblers can request their money back, Strauss offered, but "We'll never find out" isn't an option.
While betting is usually done on football/basketball games, the NY Times commentary getting picked up is interesting.