Tuesday, 12 February 2013
For immediate distribution

Holy Moly! Pell To Replace The Pope?

Online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au is betting on who will be the next Pope after Pope Benedict XVI pulled up stumps overnight.

Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana has been installed as the early favourite at $4.00, with Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet and Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze close behind at $4.50 and $5.50 respectively.

Australian Cardinal George Pell finds himself as a $51 outsider in betting, with Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott unlikely to swap Canberra for Rome, both priced at $1001.

“Following Pope Benedict’s decision to hang up the crucifix, the early market is very tight at the top but it is telling us one thing and that is it’s very unlikely the next Pope’s first word will be G’day!” sportsbet.com.au’s Ben Hawes said.

Markets courtesy of sportsbet.com.au
Next Pope
$4.00 Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana)
$4.50 Cardinal Marc Ouellet (Canada)
$5.50 Cardinal Francis Arinze (Nigeria)
$7.00 Cardinal Leonardo Sandri (Argentina)
$8.00 Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga (Honduras)
$9.00 Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi (Italy)
$9.00 Archbishop Angelo Scola (Italy)
$13 Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco (Italy)
$15 Cardinal Christoph Schonborn (Austria)
$17 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (Italy)
------------------------------------------------------------
$51 Cardinal George Pell (Australia)
$1001 Tony Abbott
$1001 Kevin Rudd
Country of next Pope
$2.00 Italy
$2.70 Country in Africa
$3.75 Country in South or Central America
$10 USA
$18 Spain
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$51 Australia
Papal name of next Pope
$2.50 Peter
$3.10 Pius
$6.50 John
$7.00 John Paul
$8.60 Paul
$10 Benedict
$12 Leo
$15 Clement, Luke, Joseph/Josephius
$18 Anthony
Length of Papal Conclave
$2.40 2 Days
$2.70 1 Day
$3.60 3 Days
$4.00 More than 4 Days
$6.00 4 Days

ENDS