What is it with human beings and the need to believe in things that don’t exist?
People have been recording Bigfoot sightings since 1958, when an article in the Humboldt Times captured the imaginations of the American people. Loggers had sent in a letter mentioning the large footprints they had found, and the Bigfoot legend began.
It’s not just an American fascination though, there are other names for the same ‘wild man’ type sightings in other countries, such as the Sasquatch, believed to have come from the word Sasq’ets, which was the name given to a Bigfoot type figure rumoured to have lived in British Columbia.
Then there is the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, which is essentially the same legend but coming from the Himalayas.
Anyway, it’s clearly nonsense if you ask me, but plenty of people believe in these legends – there are even groups that go out looking for Bigfoot, not to mention to Bigfoot festival – and whenever the story hits the press again, bookies like PaddyPower are there to offer odds on it.
So yes, it has been possible to bet on the existence of Bigfoot in the past, and there was more than one market too.
Odds on the Existence and Location of Bigfoot
PaddyPower actually offered this market on two separate occasions, the first time being around August of 2008.
Initially, the odds were set at 100/1 for proof of existence, but when 3 hunters in America announced that they had found the body of Bigfoot in the woods in Georgia, 7ft long and weight 500lbs, PaddyPower slashed the odds to 4/1.
So they might have offered the market for a laugh, but even they started to believe a little bit once that news hit.
Of course, it was a load of rubbish. The ‘hunters’ had actually stuffed a costume with opossum roadkill and leftover entrails from a slaughterhouse, then left it to freeze before taking photographs of it. This was apparently just a hoax, but I hope the guys who did it got the psychiatric help they clearly needed…
The second time the Irish bookie offered odds on the existence of Bigfoot, was in 2012, after Siberian Yeti Hunters (this is actually a real organisation) reported 3 sightings of the mythical creature.
This time PaddyPower seemed more sure of themselves, again offering odds of 100/1, but also mocking the group a little bit, with a spokesperson taking aim at their leader, Igor, saying:
“It’s true, at odds of 100/1 we do risk putting a Bigfoot in our mouth if these recent sightings turn out to be genuine.”
“We wish Igor and his band of men the very best of luck, but we’re pretty sure the only Yeti they’re likely to find is a Skoda.”
Suffice it to say, no proof of a Bigfoot type creature was ever found.
Alternative Bigfoot or Yeti Betting Markets
As well as offering odds on the existence of Bigfoot being proven, PaddyPower had a bit of extra fun with this one, and also created some alternative markets.
These included:
The Next Mythical Creature to be Spotted
- Loch Ness Monster – 8/1
- An Alien – 16/1
- A Unicorn – 33/1
- A United fan from Manchester – 50/1
Where Will the First Live Yeti be Found?
- Russia – 7/4
- China – 9/4
- Mongolia – 6/1
- Nepal – 12/1
- Bhutan – 12/1
- Kazakhstan – 12/1
- Ukraine – 25/1
- Ireland – 500/1
When Will the First Yeti be Found?
- Before 2015 – 66/1
- 2015 to 2020 – 50/1
- 2020 to 2025 – 50/1
- Not Before 2025 – 1/66
You can see PaddyPower covering their backs at the end there, just in case.
Could a Bet on Bigfoot Ever Win?
I suppose it could, theoretically – but someone would have to actually, you know, find Bigfoot.
If you have read the article about Betting on Alien Life, you will know that I actually think this is entirely probable given the vastness of the universe.
A giant hairy wild man wondering around on this planet for almost a century though? Not so much. Especially since there have been sightings all over the world. Unless Bigfoot has a passport or can teleport I’m not sure how he’s managing all of this long haul travel.
One American site even fixed odds just for fun, based on the number of sightings in each state in America.
Odds ranged from 48/7 for Washington where there had been 707 sightings, to 999/1 for Rhode Island where hardly any sightings had been reported.
Anyone who believes in Bigfoot is therefore saying that they think there are several of this reclusive species bumbling around the US, or that there is only one Bigfoot but he likes to go for very long walks.
Even if they did find something that could be tested and confirmed as a previously unknown species, would it technically be ‘Bigfoot’? I don’t know if a bookie would have to pay out in this scenario, especially if whatever was found was just a very rare type of bear or ape or something.