Legal gambling on Open? You bet


CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- The room would barely pass for a closet, but it is a popular gathering place nonetheless. You have to be looking for it to find it, or know that it's there in the first place. And that's not a problem for the locals who are inclined to place the, uh, occasional wager.

Despite a constant rain and cool temperatures, Morrisons was doing a brisk business Wednesday afternoon. The Open Championship all but guarantees it this week.

Betting is legal in Britain and the "punters'' love to put a few pounds on the biggest golf tournament. Not that they really need golf to get them digging into their pockets.

"You wouldn't believe what kind of betting goes on,'' said Lisa Johnston, the manager at Morrisons. "They'll bet on anything that moves.''

Soccer and cricket, of course, are popular, as is horse and dog racing. A more recent betting phenomenon is the "Big Brother" reality show. "We give odds on who will win, who will be the first person evicted,'' Johnston said.

As for the Open, Tiger Woods is the favorite at 3-1. Ernie Els was next at 10-1. But there are myriad betting opportunities, including who might fare the best in any particular group, or low player by nationality. The combinations are endless.

While this is a very small shop on a very small street in a very small town, what goes on here is not small. According to Ladbrokes, one of the biggest betting agents in the United Kingdom, some 25 million pounds (about $50 million) will be wagered on the Open.

But none of it will come from Johnston.

"I prefer to hang on to my money,'' she said.