Memorial Day Weekend Betting Opportunities Aplenty

Miss Universe Competition, Indianapolis 500 and UFC 71 all part of the Memorial Day Weekend betting menu

While most people think of Memorial Day in the US as a mixed bag of beach going, picnics and remembering both loved one's and fallen soldiers, this Memorial Day weekend is proving somewhat refreshing to online gambling websites.

"Typically a holiday like Memorial Day means that gamblers will be spending time with their family and not betting online," explains Gambling911.com Senior Editor, Payton O'Brien. "This time we are seeing plenty of events that have peeked gamblers interests."

Among them: Miss Universe 2007 Betting, UFC 71 and the Memorial Day Weekend mainstay, the Indianapolis 500.

Ironically, it is the "smaller" of the three events that have drawn the most interest from gamblers across the globe.

"Even though the Indianapolis 500 is considered one of the biggest sports events in the US, it has never been a heavily bet on event," disclosed O'Brien. "Monday's Miss Universe pageant is drawing a surprise number of betting enthusiasts as was the UFC 71, which was taking place Saturday night."

UFC fans flocked to Gambling911.com's Sports911.com arm in search of
UFC 71 betting odds all day Saturday. A surge in traffic was quickly realized

For online gambling websites taking bets on each of these events, profits could be derived during what was in the past a typically dry weekend for the online gambling industry. Likewise, these firms are hoping to make a dent in losses brought on by poor showings during the Super Bowl and March Madness season, a direct result of payment processors leaving the US market and various law enforcement crackdowns, not to mention fears from the gamblers themselves.

The payment processing factor is still a work in progress but much improved since a few months ago. Legitimate online gambling companies want their customers to realize that recent crackdowns have been part of ongoing investigations into credit betting and illegal operations on US soil.

This month's Kentucky Derby certainly helped stabilize the industry somewhat. Interest in the Derby is even greater than that of the Super Bowl based on short-term targeted traffic, according to Gambling911.com statistics compiled over the past two years.

On Saturday, UFC 71 and the Miss Universe Pageant combined to drive heavier traffic to the Gambling911.com website than in previous years on this date.

"Few gambling companies have been offering betting on Miss Universe, but those who are have certainly been realizing the benefit," O'Brien says.

In terms of UFC events, the month of June will feature three including UFC 72 and UFC 73, with a number of Gambling911.com endorsed websites offering odds on each of the fights.

Sources close to Gambling911.com have suggested that the UFC President, Dana White, is all for betting on Ultimate Fighting as a means of helping to fuel the sport's popularity, already at an all-time high.

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com

Originally published May 26, 2007 10:21 pm ET