American Idol Gambling To Include Fifteen Year Old Contestants

Online sports books such as Bodog have started to offer American Idol betting odds over the past couple of years. Gamblers have taken to the proposition betting, and millions of dollars is wagered each year on the contestants that reach the top twelve.

On Monday, American Idol announced that next season, the age limit for contestants will be dropped from sixteen to fifteen. That makes millions of teeny-boppers excited that they can try out, but it places sports books in a further dilemma.

There has always been controversy surrounding gambling on college athletics because the majority of the participants in those sports are amateurs and young adults. American idol has made things worse for odds makers who must place odds on sixteen year-old contestants if they make it far in the competition.

Other questions surround the curious decision to lower the age limit. Critics point to last year, when Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens seemed ill-equipped to handle the emotional strain that the competition places on the singers.

Justin Bieber is the biggest star in the world right now in the teenage pop scene, and his success may have prompted the move by American Idol. Opponents of the new age limit, however, still believe that there are only so many Bieber's in the world.

"Justin Bieber has been marketed correctly from the beginning," said AI fan Beverly Schnapp. "These contestants have to wait in long lines and deal with tremendous emotional strain during the audition process, and those who do not make it will be devastated. It will wear on them for the rest of their lives."

Of course, the biggest news that will come from American idol this summer will not be the age limit change, but the announcement of who will replace Simon Cowell as the fourth judge on the show. The judges are not expected to see Idol contestants until September, but casting calls will begin this summer in front of Idol producers.

June 21, 2010
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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