VEGAS INC
You might think one of top bookmakers in Las Vegas has better things to do than lay odds on the color hat Queen Elizabeth II would wear to her grandson Prince William’s wedding Friday morning.
Like, say, preparing for a hoped-for 2011 NFL season.
You would also be underestimating the relentless multitasking skills of Johnny Avello, the executive director of race and sports operations at Wynn Las Vegas.
Part reporter, historian and psychologist, Avello is unique in this gambling town for setting odds on a variety of cultural events, in addition to sports. (You can’t wager money on these nonsporting events; the odds are just for fun.)
Research on, say, the queen’s preference for bright colors doesn’t seem too far afield given some of Avello’s eclectic picks. Over multiple years, Avello has correctly predicted which breed of dog would win the Westminster Dog Show, as well as many Oscar winners.
Britain’s first royal wedding in more than two decades offered yet another test for Avello, whose entertainment odds mostly involve competitions for awards or prizes. But there would be bigger publicity potential for an event that may have been viewed by upwards of a billion people.
His calls, so far, have been mostly on the money. Avello was correct in predicting bride Kate Middleton was likely to wear a tiara (one-to-four odds) and that there would be more than two horses pulling the royal coach (five-to-six odds).
But there’s always risk in oddsmaking, as Avello favored an ivory wedding gown over a white one. The bride wore white.
Odds had a place in the media frenzy, with entertainment reporters offering ESPN-like play-by-plays and viewers offering their own event coverage on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
As any gambler knows, odds can be placed on just about anything in life. With offshore books laying odds on NFL draft picks made far from anything resembling an actual football field, why not the color of a monarch’s hat?
Avello was correct on that score as well. The queen wore yellow, a slight favorite over any other color.