OK, shut it down: Bookies are taking bets on 'Pokémon Go'
You can be sure Pokémon Go is making a whole bunch of companies a ton of cash. The developer Niantic, of course, and it has already added billions to Nintendo's value. If you're not happy simply throwing money at the game buying lures or lucky eggs, you can also start gambling on it.
Australian online bookmaker Sportbets opened betting markets on a variety of Pokémon Go-related topics Tuesday.
On the question of whether Pokémon Go will have more users than Twitter in 2016, the company is offering A$1.05 for "Yes" and A$8.50 for "No." On the question of whether it will surpass Facebook's users, it's offering A$1.08 for "No" and A$7.00 for "Yes."
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Poor Twitter.
"It's a long time since something has captured and dominated the public's attention like this," Sportsbet spokesperson Will Byrne said in an emailed statement. "We're already tipping the game to surpass Twitter this year and Facebook will no doubt be looking over their shoulders."
According to Business Insider, Sportsbet is also taking bets on the first place in Australia to actively ban the game. The Australian War Memorial is the favourite at A$3.50 and you know, fair enough. The National Library of Australia at A$4.50 and the Rookwood Cemetery at A$5.50 come second and third, respectively.
Other markets include the first reported location of a "Legendary Pokémon" in Sydney or Melbourne. Hyde Park leads in Sydney at A$6.00, while the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the favourite in Melbourne with odds of A$6.00.
It's also taking bets on the first Australian politician to play the mobile game in Parliament, with Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam as the favourite.
Can we stop now?
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Topics Pokemon
Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.
