POLAND-ELECTION/BETS Poles gamble on Komorowski losing presidency after shock first-round result

Record ID: 150801

  • Title: POLAND-ELECTION/BETS Poles gamble on Komorowski losing presidency after shock first-round result
  • Date: 13th May 2015
  • Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (MAY 12, 2015) (REUTERS) POLISH PRESIDENT BRONISLAW KOMOROWSKI APPROACHING MICROPHONES FOR NEWS CONFERENCE WITH FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI KOMOROWSKI AND KWASNIEWSKI DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT, ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI, SAYING: "I urge you to vote for Bronislaw Komorowski and I will also vote for him
  • Embargoed: 28th May 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Poland
  • Country: Poland
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAC0F7OQQH9YP29SW5NK1SN2JON
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Despite hitting the campaign trail eleven days ahead of the second round of the Polish presidential vote, the odds were stacked against incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski according to the country's bookmakers.
    Komorowski, unexpectedly pushed into a second place spot by a conservative challenger in Sunday's (May 10) presidential election, has enlisted the help of former post-communist president Aleksander Kwasniewski on the campaign trail.
    "I urge you to vote for Bronislaw Komorowski and I will also vote for him on May 24," Kwasniewski -- the president with the highest support in Polish electoral history and the only president to have won in first round of elections -- told journalists on Tuesday (May 12).
    Komorowski's rival. Andrzej Duda, has also been back campaigning in an attempt to woo undecided young people and poorer voters. His new slogan for second round has been revealed as: "You are not alone".
    A betting shop in Warsaw told Reuters that in terms of electoral support, Duda himself is certainly not alone.
    "Before the first round, 66 percent of all gamblers at STS bet Komorowski would win the presidential elections. But now, after the results of first round were announced, everything has completely changed. The favourite is Mr. Duda, who our analysts and gamblers are betting on," Pawel Rabantek from STS bookmakers said.
    Most Polish gamblers wrongly backed Komorowski in the first round, but outside STS on Wednesday (May 13) clients were certain of -- and indeed keen for -- a Duda win.
    "I think that Mr. Duda should win," customer Ryszard said.
    "Because... the chances are bigger," another client, Rafal, said when asked why he put his money on Duda.
    With over a week left to go until the second round on May 24, both the candidates -- and those placing bets -- have everything to play for.
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