Bob Dylan lands Nobel Prize five years after massive gamble
Published:
The 16/1 shot Bob Dylan has won the Nobel Prize in Literature five years after a worldwide gamble on the iconic singer-songwriter.
The American was the subject of a sensational punt in 2011 which saw his odds slashed from 100/1 to 10/1, although this time round our traders reported significantly less speculation with only two bets struck for Dylan on the day prior to the result.
In total, only 47 literary bettors correctly predicted the result, leading to Dylan’s odds contracting from 50/1 to 16/1 in the week leading up to the announcement.
Any further drop in odds was mitigated by gambles on eventual losing favourite Ngugi Wa Thiong’o and Don DeLillo.
Perennial prize favourite Haruki Murakami also lost out again, and for the first time in betting history he enters the next list as an outsider at 10/1, with the top spot occupied by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o at 6/1.
Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “People laughed when Dylan entered the picture out of nowhere in 2011 but maybe there was something blowin’ in the wind after all. On this occasion only a handful of his fans managed to cash in, leaving us with a far more manageable payout.”
He added: “We have taken the hint now with Murakami and for the first time in Nobel Prize betting history he is added to the list without the tag of favourite.”
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
