Miss Universe 2007 Japan Win One of Biggest Upsets for Online GamblingWith Miss Japan taking home the crown in the Miss Universe 2007 pageant late Monday night, the Japanese weren't the only one's cheering this unlikely beauty's achievement.
The folks behind
BetUS.com (see website here) - one of the largest online gambling websites - were also cheering 20-year old Riyo Mori when favored Miss Brazil was announced as second runner up.
"Nobody had money on Miss Japan," said one online gambling analyst. And because BetUS.com was one of the few North American facing online gambling establishments taking bets on the hugely popular beauty pageants, it is widely believed the company had one of its best weekends in months, profit wise.
"The amount of money being placed on each of these girls is nominal," explains Payton O'Brien, Senior Editor of Gambling911.com. "But the sheer volume and fact that bets were being placed from all over the world most certainly made a tremendous impact on BetUS.com's bottom line."
And for those betting on events such as the Miss Universe competition and this past weekend's UFC 71 bouts upsets can translate into huge payouts.
A $100 bet on Miss Japan to win Miss Universe 2007 would have resulted in a $2200 win. A $200 bet would have paid out $4400 and so on.
"Miss Japan was not on anybody's radar," insists Gambling911.com's Jenny Woo, who covered the event throughout the night Monday. At 22 to 1 odds, she was practically a 'field' choice."
Heading into Monday evening, Miss Brazil had tied Miss Venezuela as the 4 to 1 favorite to win.
This year's Miss Universe competition was anything but boring. Miss Greece, who was widely viewed as a top 5 contender for the crown did not make it out of the first round. Miss Philippines, one of the most sought after delegates on the Gambling911.com website, won an honorary award for "Most Photogenic" but also failed to get into the swimsuit competition despite having favorable odds.
Big underdogs - Miss Japan, Miss Ukraine, Miss Denmark and a busty beauty Miss Angola - made it deep into the swimsuit round.
Miss Japan and Miss Angola moved onto the evening gown competition where things got really interesting. Miss USA Rachel Smith fell on stage then managed to carry out her routine while maintaining her composure. It was widely believed at that point she was toast.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the final round. Miss USA was selected among the final five, much to the displeasure of the Mexican audience who booed and chanted throughout.
Eventually, Miss USA received applause from the Mexican people after the teary-eyed delegate answered her secret question and explained the type of good she wanted to do in the world.
"It was an awkward situation," says Woo. "Smith was there competing with everyone else and she probably should not have been chosen among the finalists but I think the Mexican people realized in the end they should not be taking out their anger on Miss USA."
Rachel Smith was already the target of hostility earlier in the week as a result of a heated US policy involving illegal immigrants that mostly targeted Mexicans.
Riyo Mori's big win for Japan really capped things off.
Mori is the first Japanese in history to pass the audition for The Rockette Summer Intensive. She has studied at Quinte Ballet School of Canada and also is a graduate of Centennial Secondary School in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. She usually works as a ballet dancer.
Mori became Miss Universe beating out Miss Brazil, Venezuela, Korea, and USA. She's the second Japanese Miss Universe in 48 years. The first Miss Universe winner from Japan was Akiko Kojima in 1959.
Her win ranks among the biggest upsets in online gambling this year.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com
Originally published May 29, 2007 12:28 am ET
