Punters are betting on Godzilla vs. Kong
May the most tactical monster win.
When Godzilla vs. Kong premieres in cinemas later this month, it will mark almost 60 years since the iconic kaiju original, on which director Adam Wingard’s sequel is based, hit the silver screen. Fans of the giant monster genre can hardly wait to see the beasts come head to head. But for many, there’s more at stake.
After the film’s trailer revealed “one will fall”, bookies have been adding the two monsters to their betting odds. In January, American sportsbook and betting advice platform DraftsKing Nation ranked Godzilla at +190, noting that while he lacks market confidence, after losing round one in ’63, he has the underdog advantage. Meanwhile, the website has Kong sitting at -220.
“Godzilla is a monster but King Kong is a beast. Godzilla’s main weapon is Atomic Breath whereas King Kong is all about Physical Strength. King Kong beat him back in 1963 and he’ll do it again,” writes DraftKings Sportsbook oddsmaker Johnny Avello.
More recent estimates by online gambling site Bovada rank Godzilla at +155.
Betting on entertainment isn’t a particularly new phenomenon. Punters have been speculating on head-to-head grossing (profit), opening weekend viewership numbers and, of course, awards ceremony winners and losers for years.
But betting on the outcome of an action movie is less common, at least in the mainstream realm. Probably, our desire to gamble on the outcome of a fictional film is a product of lockdown restlessness.
The statistics certainly think so. According to the Australian Gambling Research Centre, almost one in three people who participated in an October 2020 survey signed up for a new online betting account during COVID-19, and one in 20 started gambling online.
With many of the usual avenues like major sporting codes on hiatus, it’s not shocking that we’d be looking for new ways to pony up, either. Apparently, watching a primate and reptile battle it out on-screen is one of them.
Hopefully the film’s outcome won’t leave punters disappointed: many diehard fans have pointed out there may not be a clear winner.
“Movies that pit two iconic characters against one another rarely allow a winner, for fear of disappointing one half of the fanbase,” writes commentator Dani Di Placido. “I suspect Godzilla Vs. Kong will do the same, despite director Adam Wingard’s claims to the contrary.”
Who do you think would win? Comment below.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout