Bookies' Favorite Miss Colombia Crowned Miss Universe 2014

The Florida International University (FIU) Arena in Miami was lit-up with style and grace Sunday night as 88 beauties from all over the world lined up for the Miss Universe 2014 beauty pageant. At the end of a suspenseful evening the 22-year old Miss Colombia Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe.

Bookmakers' Favorite Wins

Those who were active at online sportsbooks were not so surprised to see Paulina Vega take the coveted crown. Miss Colombia was the leading candidate in terms of odds at different bookmakers with 5/1 to win. One of her strongest competitors in terms of winnings odds with around 8/1 was Miss Philippines Mary Jean Lastimosa, who only came out in the top 10 – a shocker.

Some of the reasons Miss Philippines was crowned a favorite included the fact that one of the contest's judges was no other than Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino who also happens to be one of the world's best boxers. But the king of the ring did not deliver the goods so to say. However, he did ask Miss USA Nia Sanchez what would she say to a global terrorist if she had 30 seconds to deliver a message, a question to which she replied "spread a message of hope and love and peace". Sanchez came as first runner-up, she was rated at around 7/1 at the bookies.  

Online Sportsbooks – Not Only Sports Wagers

Beauty pageant contests such as Miss Universe are just a part of the events on which online sportsbooks offer betting odds and specials. Nowadays people can place wagers on TV shows, political events, weather forecasts, award ceremonies and the list goes on. For example, currently at William Hill Sports punters can find odds for "Best Picture" at the upcoming Oscars where they will see Boyhood leading at 4/7 with Birdman close-by with 5/4.

Like when betting on sports events, people who bet on these kind of events are encouraged to research their picks. Usually the scene is bustling with speculations and odds before a big event takes place, much like Miss Universe. For example, in the Oscars, Boyhood is a big favorite because of its many nominations and the fact that it won three Golden Globes earlier this month, one for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

Miss Live Dealer

Beauties are not limited only to pageants – ask anyone who's had a round of two in a live dealer online casino. Online casinos the likes of All Slots Casino and Winner Casino offer real-time live dealer games like blackjack, baccarat and roulette with professional beautiful croupiers. Who knows, maybe the next Miss Universe will come from a live dealer casino. What's more, with the beauty found at live dealer casinos, will we ever see a Miss Live Dealer contest?