Gamblers cash in on Suarez biting attack

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Gamblers cash in on Suarez biting attack

A biting attack by Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez on an Italian defender at the World Cup brought gains for 167 gamblers around the world, betting company Betsafe said Wednesday.

Gamblers in about 20 countries placed bets on the player biting someone by the end of the championship at odds of 175 to 1. Betsafe said it paid out about 50,000 euros in total, marketing head Patrick Oeqvist told AFP.

"We sat down before the World Cup and we thought of which more original bets would be fun to put up," Oeqvist said.

"It was not easy to determine the odds, but it turned out great in the end for those who took the bet."

FIFA is investigating Suarez for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday.

The Uruguayan player was suspended for seven matches in 2010 in the Netherlands and 10 matches in Britain in 2013 for similar biting attacks.

Suarez was set to provide more opportunities for football fans looking for good betting odds.

"You can now bet on how long the ban will be, up to 24 months," Oeqvist said.

The Uruguayan player could be banned for the rest of the Brazil World Cup, where Uruguay faces Colombia in the round of 16.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-06-26