Bettors Back Iranian Leader Ahmadinejad for Time Person of the Year 2006

NEW YORK, New York -- The announcement of Time's Person of the Year 2006 is less than a month away and bettors are flocking to Sportsbook.com, the world's largest online sportsbook and casino, to get
Will Iran's Ahmadinejad be Times Person of the Year for 2006?  in on the action. Political controversy seems to be on most bettors' minds as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has received almost one-third of the total money wagered despite being low on the odds chart at 20-1.

Controversial political tactics and arrogance towards the US and United Nations has labelled Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as one of the World's most notorious leaders. His uncompromising stance on Iran's nuclear program has angered much of the western world and many, including the US, believe Iran is secretly developing atomic weapons. This combined with Ahmadinejad's extreme anti-Israel views has made him a polarizing head of state in the Middle East.

Staying in line with controversial leaders, bettors are also putting their money on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, who has received 17.8 per cent of total money wagered. His nuclear ambitions and staunch opposition to U.S. foreign policy have made North Korea an international pariah. Recently, Kim Jong-Il and his unstable regime shocked the world as it tested a nuclear device and proclaimed North Korea's emergence as the world's ninth nuclear power. Odds makers at Sportsbook.com have Kim Jong-Il as a 10-1 bet to be recognized as Time's Person of the Year.

On the top of odds makers' list for potential candidates for this year's edition is Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt with 9-2 odds. However, bettors are not so convinced that Schmidt is worthy of the title as he has only received 8.5 per cent of total wagers. Bettors show they have a soft spot for the American soldier, as they have received 13.9 per cent of all money wagered.

Bettors looking to weigh in can visit www.sportsbook.com, where everybody bets, for all the latest entertainment odds and propositions.

    Time Person of the Year 2006 - Odds to Win
    ------------------------------------------ 

                                        Odds      Betting Trends
                                       ------     --------------
    Eric Schmidt                         9-2           8.5%
    Al Gore                              5-1           8.2%
    Steve Jobs                           7-1           3.9%
    Global Warming/Mother Earth          7-1           8.7%
    Tony Blair                           8-1             0%
    George W. Bush                      10-1             0%
    Sheikh Hasan Nasrallah              10-1             0%
    Kim Jong-Il                         10-1          17.8%
    Dick Cheney                         12-1             0%
    Tony Snow                           14-1             0%
    Madonna                             14-1             0%
    Condoleezza Rice                    14-1           0.4%
    The American Soldier                15-1          13.9%
    Hilary Clinton                      15-1             0%
    The Iraqi People                    16-1           2.2%
    Mahmoud Ahmadinejad                 20-1          32.9%
    Angelina Jolie                      20-1           1.1%
    The Islamic Insurgents              20-1             0%
    Ken Lay & Jeffrey Skilling          25-1             0%
    Darfur Refugees                     25-1           2.2%
    Mel Gibson                          25-1             0%
    Tom Cruise                          28-1             0%
    John T. Schiller                    35-1             0%
    Abu Musab al-Zarqawi                35-1           0.2%
    Moqtada Sadr                        40-1             0%
    Ismail Haniyah                      40-1             0%
    Bill Frist                         100-1             0%