The Great Christmas Postcode Lottery

Bookies are set to offer punters the opportunity to bet on snow falling in their own backyard on Christmas Day for the first time ever. The nation's odds compilers have been offering wagers on a festive freeze out in London and the big metropolitan cities for decades. But in a new twist on the country's favourite flutter Ladbrokes are now giving their customers prices on a furry of flakes in their own postal district.

London, UK (PRWEB) December 5, 2008 -- Bookies (http://www.ladbrokes.grandparade.co.uk/white_christmas/) are set to offer punters the opportunity to bet on snow falling in their own backyard on Christmas Day for the first time ever.

The nation's odds compilers have been offering wagers on a festive freeze out in London and the big metropolitan cities for decades.

But in a new twist on the country's favourite flutter Ladbrokes (http://www.ladbrokes.grandparade.co.uk/white_christmas/) are now giving their customers prices on a furry of flakes in their own postal district.

The Harrow-based firm (http://www.ladbrokes.com) have drawn up prices on all 126 postcodes in the UK and are now watching the skies with bated breath.

Spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "A white Christmas (http://www.ladbrokes.grandparade.co.uk/white_christmas/) is the oldest novelty market in British bookmaking and always produces a huge number of bets.

"But for so many customers in this country the wager isn't overly relevant as they have to have a bet on somewhere they neither live or work.

"The postcode lottery gives them the chance to keep an eye on their own backyard when they're unwrapping their presents or carving the turkey."

Among those postcodes about which Ladbrokes are predictably shortest priced are Shetland (ze), the Hebrides (hs) , Aberdeen (ab), Kirkwall (kw), Inverness (iv), Dundee (dd), Perth (ph) and Paisley (pa) - which are all quoted at 6/4.

And of those least likely to receive a dusting of the white stuff Truro, Plymouth and Torquay are all priced as the 7/1 outsiders.

Of some of the big names in between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Belfast, Sunderland, Blackburn and Oldham are priced at 5/2, Blackpool, Hull, Stockport, Derby, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton priced at 3/1 and Norwich, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Swindon and Coventry 4/1.

Ladbrokes have around 2,500 shops in the UK and Ireland including at least one in each postcode district.

They are expecting the British bookmaking industry to turn over up to five million poundson snow blanketing the country on the 25th.

Following early December's cold snaps betting levels are already at an all-time high. The new postcode prices will go live at www.ladbrokes.com from 9am tomorrow (Saturday) morning

For a bet on a white Christmas to be landed a single snowflake must be recorded to have fallen within a postcode area during the 24 hours of Christmas Day.

All postcodes will be monitored by the British Weather Services on behalf of Ladbrokes.

Postcodes and their prices

6/4 hs, kw, iv, ph, ab, dd, pa, ze

5/2 fk, ky, g, eh, td, ka, ml, dg, bt, ne, ca, dh, sr, ts, dl, la, pr, bb, bo, bd, hg, yo,

im, b, t, hx, ol, hd

3/1 fy, hu, ls, bl, l, wn, wa, m, sk, wf, s, dn, ln, ng, de, st, cw, ch, ll, sy, tf,

wv, ws, le, le, pe

4/1 nr, ip, cb, mk, nn, cv, b, dy, ld, hr, wr, gl, sn, ox, hp, lu, al, sg

5/1 sa, cf, np, bs, ba, ta, ex, dt, sp, bh, so, po, rg, sl, gu, bn

rh, tm, me, ct, ss, cm, co, g, y, je, wd, en, ig, rm, da, br, cr, kt, tw

sm, ub, ha, e, ec, n, nw, se, sw, w, wc

7/1 tr, pl, tq

http://www.ladbrokes.grandparade.co.uk/white_christmas/

Terms and conditions

1.    For yes to win. A snowflake, sleet, or a snow grain must be officially*

have been recorded to have fallen within your postcode area (1st two digits)

within the 24 hours of Christmas Day.

2.    Parts of any postcode +250metres above mean sea level do not count for this bet.

3.    Lying snow, hail or ice pellets do not count for this bet.

4.    British Weather Services will verify all bets. The final decision

as to whether snow has fallen or not is theirs.

* officially means evidence acceptable to British Weather Services.

For further info contact Robin Hutchison on 07968 124 132 or Nick Weinberg on 07792 560 467 or David Williams on 07976 180 236 in the Ladbrokes press office or Jim Dale at British Weather services on 01494 715 115 or 07860 912 216.

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