Some betting number facts

[Dr. Jack]

* According to the Global Betting and Gaming Consultants, a record $500 billion US was wagered worldwide -- legally and illegally combined -- on sports last year. That means almost $1.4 billion US was bet every day on sporting events.

* In the days leading up to Super Bowl XL, one estimate pegged betting on the game at $7 billion US. Danny Sheridan -- one of the most respected sports wagering analysts on the globe -- stated in USA Today that more than 50% of the adult population south of the border was expected to have a bet on the NFL's championship game. In other words, 147 million people in the U.S. had something riding on the Seattle-Pittsburgh tilt.

* On the Prairies, Sports Select is doing a booming business. The Western Canada Lottery Corporation estimates sports fans in the prairie provinces and northern territories will bet almost $70 million in this fiscal year, compared to $47 million in Sports Select's first fiscal year (1991).

* Nothing trumps the NFL in Canada. Hockey is this country's pastime but that means nothing to bettors in Canada. Sports enthusiasts flock to the corner store on Sunday mornings during the fall and early winter to bet NFL games through Sports Select.

"Sunday sales are typically 25% higher than Saturday sales," said John Matheson, a senior manager with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation. "On a per-game basis, American professional football sales average 3.5 times higher than professional hockey."

* Gigantic payoff: The biggest Sports Select payout in the Edmonton area happened nearly 15 years ago.

"An Edmonton electrician purchased 18 winning Pro-Line tickets Aug. 12, 1991, and won $895,333.48," said Matheson. "One of his tickets won $113,621 and that is likely the biggest win on a single ticket."