The 2024 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest proved to be a mixed bag for a pair of online sports betting operators.
BetMGM’s John Ewing told Covers that the mobile sportsbook took one-third of the bets on Thursday’s contest compared to 2023’s event.
Bettors had a tougher time finding an easy wager with Joey Chestnut missing in action. The 16-time event champion was banned by Nathan’s from this year’s contest after signing an endorsement deal with plant-based hot dog company Impossible Foods.
That didn’t ruin wagering at Caesars, however. Lead golf trader Anthony Salleroli told Covers that action increased without Chestnut in the field and was “great on this year’s contests on both outright and over/under contestant bets.”
“It was nice to see a mixed bag of contenders for the vacated belt and the ticket count was spread out between competitors,” Salleroli said.
For the win
Patrick Bertoletti captured the Mustard Belt on July 4 after scarfing down 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The only competitor in the field to eat as many as 55 in previous contests, Bertoletti was listed at +750 at Caesars to win outright, bringing a nice payday for bettors on the longer shot.
Salleroli said favorite Geoffrey Esper (-110) grabbed some late steam in the betting market, but Bertoletti's win made for a “favorable outcome” for the sportsbook.
"I'm good friends with (Chestnut) and we started 18 years ago together eating, so he wasn't there, someone had to step up to do it, and I'm not complaining," Bertoletti told The Today Show.
Down in Texas
Chestnut, meanwhile, held a hot dog eating exhibition at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, where he devoured 57 in just five minutes, half the time of Nathan’s big event.
Chestnut, who owns the world record of 76 hot dogs set in 2021, helped raise more than $100,000 for military families.
He’ll return to action on Labor Day against another legendary competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi live on Netflix.
