Crazy Bookmakers Rumored to Offer Bets on Numbers Killed

The recent street protests in Malaysia have resulted in police firing tear gas and water cannons at thousands of protesters demanding electoral reform and human rights.

Hundreds have been arrested, sparking international condemnation, especially from nearby Australia. In fact, an Australian senator, Nick Xenophon, while traveling throughout the country, has witnessed violence.

In one protest, when as many as 60,000 demonstrators approached a banned area, the police started using chemical-laced water which gives sensation of skin burning. Some claim that this amounts to torture and inhumane treatment.

Rumors suggest that people who make books for those looking to bet on sports in Malaysia, have started accepting political bets as to whether the government will step down after the upcoming elections.

Under the table wagers are being accepted on Najib Razak being removed from the office at a payout of 6/1, meaning, for every $1 bet, $6 will be returned if Razak will no longer be the prime minister by year’s end. Indeed, the more violent the protests, the lower the payout becomes, meaning the chances of Razak staying in power decline.

Some deranged bookmakers even started offering wagers on the number of killed demonstrators, and whether the police will use real firepower.

These are quite disturbing ways to wager. Given the fact that under Malaysian gambling laws, most forms of betting are illegal, so war bookmakers risk long prison sentence. Some even call bets on the number of killed as outrageous and parasitic.

One underground bookmaker disclosed that an offer of a 50/1 payout will be paid out if the number of killed in May exceeds 25. On the other hand, the online gambling sites in Malaysia don’t mention any such bets.

This raises an interesting question: will bookmakers in search of ever increasing profits offer bets on the outcomes of wars, numbers of killed, maimed, and arrested?