Was Miss Universe Blunder Caused by Host Drinking, Gambling Before Event?

Was drinking at a casino the cause of host Steve Harvey’s embarrassing Miss Universe blunder Sunday night?

In gambling news, fans and those who like to bet on Miss Universe 2015 were floored when Harvey crowned the wrong winner. He had announced that Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo, was the winner of the pageant, before admitting he’d made a mistake and awarded the title to Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, instead.

Twitter exploded following the cringe worthy Miss Universe blunder. Harvey made an attempt to defend himself, writing in two separate tweets that: “I’d like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible. Secondly, I’d like to apologize to the viewers that I disappointed as well. Again, it was an honest mistake.”

The Miss Universe Organization also issued a statement, saying that: “The excitement of live TV was evident tonight on the Miss Universe stage with over 10 million live fan votes tabulated. Unfortunately, a live telecast means that human error can come into play.”

Was Harvey’s visit to a casino the reason for the Miss Universe blunder?

Host Steve Harvey was at a casino before the competition finale (Photo: TMZ)

While both Harvey and the competition are trying to pass off the Miss Universe blunder as a sincere mistake, sources have reported to online gambling sites in the US that Harvey was drinking alcohol and gambling at a Las Vegas casino mere hours before the pageant finals instead of being at rehearsal.

The controversial claim is supported by recently surfaced photos, which show Harvey having a drink at a high-end roulette table at Caesars.

Many were gambling on Miss Universe putting an end to Harvey’s career with the organization after he made the monumental mistake. However, chief content officer Mark Shapiro dismissed these rumors, saying on a radio show that Harvey was “very remorseful” for his terrible error, and that he is “absolutely” welcome back to host Miss Universe 2016.