Is Edward Snowden’s fate a hot topic? Bet on it.
Britain’s legal betting pools report swift business on where the renegade NSA leaker will end up — with the odds varying widely.
On Paddypower.com, plungers betting on “Edward Snowden’s next confirmed location” can get 9-4 odds on Ecuador, 7-2 on Russia, 9-2 on Cuba, 6-1 on Venezuela — but only 7-1 on the United States and 7-1 for Hong Kong.
Their venerable rival, Ladbrokes, is offering a slightly different wager: Where will he be at midnight Sunday?
Their bettors made Ecuador the 2-1 favorite, followed by Cuba at 5-2, Iceland at 3-1, “AWOL” at 4-1, Russia at 5-1 and the United States at 20-1.
“Bets have been placed on him to end up in all four corners of the earth,” a Ladbrokes spokesman told the Web site Bettingpro.com, “so clearly those having a wager on his whereabouts are scratching their heads just as much as the authorities.”
And looking to the long term, the William Hill betting house is taking action on Snowden’s whereabouts come Jan. 1, 2014. Cuba, at 6-4, and the United States , 5-2, are the favorites.
Among the side bets offered by Ladbrokes: 3-1 odds that Snowden will be pardoned this year — and a 250-1 sucker’s wager that Snowden will be president in his lifetime.