- Friendly political wager
A friendly political wager is a largely symbolic wager made between politicians representing two cities or areas on the outcome of an important sports contest between teams representing those same two cities or areas. These wagers are most commonly made on the results of playoffs in the
National Hockey League ,National Football League andMajor League Baseball . Although they are technically a form ofsports betting , they are generally considered good fun, good sportsmanship and good public relations.Differences from typical sports betting
Friendly political wagers
* The wagers are highly publicised, usually with official press releases.
* The participants are generally high-ranking politicians; most commonlymayor s, but also frequently includinggovernor s citation
year = 2007
date =June 22 ,2007
last1 = Weigler
first1 = Jake
url = http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/P2007/press_062207.shtml
publisher = Oregon Governor's Office
place = Oregon] and United States Senators.
* The participants must bet in favor of the team that they represent; for instance, the mayor of Green Bay would only make a friendly wager of this sort on the outcome of aGreen Bay Packers game, betting in favor of the Packers.
* Usually occur during high-profile playoff games.
* Are for symbolic wagers, usually prestige or food.Types of wagers
The most common types of wager are those for symbolic value only, and those for a token food prize.
References
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