Oregon Lottery and DraftKings to Offer Unusual Betting Markets

This summer, the Oregon Lottery will, through its DraftKings Sportsbook, engage local customers with many unorthodox betting markets. The sportsbook will offer a selection of non-stereotypical offerings for fans of unusual betting.

One of the most notable betting options will be Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. The competition will return on July 4 and will challenge participants to eat as many hot dogs as possible. The Oregon Lottery will offer betting markets for the event, allowing players to place wagers on the eating competition.

For reference, last year’s winner, Joey Chestnut, managed to eat a whopping 63 hot dogs!

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest isn’t the only special contest that the Oregon Lottery’s DraftKings Sportsbook will feature. While the other events aren’t as unusual, they still represent niche sports, such as cornhole or cycling.

As announced, the lottery will offer betting for Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby on July 10. In addition, customers will be able to wager on the American Cornhole League World Championship that will take place between July 29 and August 6. Finally, bettors will be able to place bets on the Tour de France, which will run between July 1 and July 23.

The Lottery Will Keep Fans Engaged

Kerry Hemphill, the Oregon Lottery’s sports betting product manager, commented on the betting offerings. She noted that the summer season tends to be less busy in terms of sports betting. Because of that, fans can instead enjoy a variety of other wagers, Hemphill added,

Typically, summer isn’t the busiest time for sports betting, but there are many opportunities for fun wagers on lesser-known events.

Kerry Hemphill, sports betting product manager, Oregon Lottery

Less popular sports events can be lucrative for bettors too. For example, last summer, a local bettor placed a $100 wager on the ATP Montreal tennis event and ended up winning almost $30,000. At the same time, a punter placed a $5 bet on the UK-based golf competition The Open and won $7,350.

While offbeat betting might not be for everyone, it still offers plenty of opportunities to have fun and win bets.

In February, on the other hand, Light & Wonder trialed a hundred of its video lottery terminals in the state, providing retail bettors with more games to pick from.

In other Oregon-related news, Gov. Tina Kotek said that she opposes the expansion of tribal casinos in the state and the expansion of gambling as a whole.