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If an Irish gambling website says so, it must be gospel, aye?
That’s probably the hope of Atlanta and Georgia boosters who compiled the most incentive-rich pitch in state history last week in hopes of landing Amazon’s HQ2—and an eventual 50,000, high-paying jobs.
Since plans for Amazon’s second North American headquarters were unveiled, expert observers have really liked Atlanta’s chances in the sweepstakes, and now the online gambling emporium Paddy Power has pegged the ATL as having top odds to pull it off.
Atlanta made headlines at CNN Money and Fortune today for scoring Paddy Power’s best odds at 2-to-1. But the rankings are apparently fluid, as Texas frontrunner Austin had crept up to also claim 2-to-1 odds by the afternoon.
Other contenders in the site’s top five have been Philadelphia, Boston, and Toronto, respectively.
Paddy Power, and sites like it, have expanded beyond sports betting to include wide-ranging topics such as politics (including all manner of Trump “Specials”) and Hollywood (Oscars pics and “Next James Bond.”)
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Fortune notes that—for better or worse—Atlanta enthusiasts who want to influence the city’s odds in the poll aren’t allowed to, as the website doesn’t allow wagers from North America.
In any case, the multinational business magazine doesn’t sound surprised by the early outlook.
“For now, Atlanta’s status as a 2-to-1 favorite is not surprising as the city has a number of qualities,” writes Fortune, “such as a large airport and a technical workforce, that the retail giant is seeking to complement its primary headquarters in Seattle.”
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