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Bettors Believe 'Star Wars: Episode III' Will Set Box Office Records

PinnacleSports.com Says 80% of Bets Back 'Sith' Surpassing 'Spider-Man'
5/17/2005 3:50:35 PM

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao, May 17, 2005 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- After becoming the first bookmaker to accept wagers on the box office success of "Star Wars: Episode III," PinnacleSports.com has seen bettors backing the film to set new box office standards, while having the most successful opening in history. Although PinnacleSports.com originally opened betting with "Revenge of the Sith" as a 6/1 long shot to break the three-day opening weekend box office record of $114.84 million held by Spider-Man, a surprising 80% of all bets placed to date have backed the film passing the wall-crawling crime-fighter. As a result, the odds on "Episode III" breaking the three-day box office record have been slashed to 11/5.

Bettors are also backing "Revenge of the Sith" to eclipse the $134.28 million four-day opening record currently held by The Matrix Reloaded, with 60% of all bets placed on the film setting a new four-day standard. The odds on the film becoming the new record holder for the Thursday through Sunday box office gross have also been moved from opening odds of 2/3 to 5/9 currently. In addition, PinnacleSports.com has seen an influx of bets placed on the film grossing over $101 million for the three-day opening weekend of Friday to Sunday, suggesting that the film will surpass industry estimates.

"Our bettors have proven to be accurate forecasters of current world and entertainment events, including correctly predicting the result of the recent papal conclave and the winners in the major Oscar categories," said Simon Noble of PinnacleSports.com. "Like several industry insiders, we were very skeptical about the chances 'Revenge of the Sith' had to surpass 'Spider- Man's' opening weekend record, but if the betting trend continues, our customers believe the force is with the final 'Star Wars' to become the most successful film of all time."

PinnacleSports.com will be offering Star Wars betting options through May 19, the film's official opening day. Results will be based on the totals as calculated by ACNielsen EDI, and all odds are subject to change. For more information and a complete list of odds, please visit www.pinnaclesports.com.

About PinnacleSports.com

PinnacleSports.com (http://www.pinnaclesports.com) is the Internet's largest sports betting site, serving customers in more than 80 countries worldwide. Founded in 1998, PinnacleSports.com was the first sports book to introduce reduced margin wagering using a -105 pricing model that gives bettors up to 50% better value on wagers than traditional bookmakers. With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, PinnacleSports.com has earned an industry-leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player, professional customer service and the quickest payouts online. Fully licensed and regulated in Curacao and the United Kingdom, the company offers a secure environment for sports betting, racing and casino gaming.

SOURCE: PinnacleSports.com

Kyle Fratini, PinnacleSports.com, +1-212-979-6010, or kyle@kfratini.com