Three states, New Jersey, Colorado, and New Hampshire, have legalized gambling in Nathan’s hot dog eating contest for the first time in the event’s history, ESPN reporting.
“ESPN had already affirmed us as a sport in the early 2000s,” Rich Shea, president of Major League Eating, which organizes the event, told the store. “But with legal gambling, we are now as legitimate as the NFL and the NBA.”
The 2020 food will air live on Saturday noon on ESPN, but viewers won’t be able to see it in person due to the coronavirus. The event will move from its usual Coney Island venue at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues to a private indoor location on Brooklyn Beach.
Joey Chestnut will compete for his 13th title this year in the 4th of July tradition and is considered the big favorite. The DraftKings bookmaker lists Chestnut with a probability of -1,250 against a field of +650.
Chestnut won the contest last year after devouring 71 dogs and buns. He currently holds the record for eating 74 hot dogs during the event in 2018.
In the women’s competition, Miki Sudo is favored with a -835 probability after winning the contest six times.
The New Jersey Division of Enforcement Gaming (DGE) approved betting on fallen dogs this year under certain conditions, according to ESPN
Live bets are not allowed, so any bet must end before the event starts.
And bookmakers can only offer bets directly tied to the competition, meaning players can’t throw money in weather conditions or other weird details.
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