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The Asian Handicap is a way to bet on soccer matches where payouts depend on an adjustment to the score that favors the weaker team. These bets can feature the possibility of all or half the bet being refunded and this makes the calculation of their expected return more complex than for traditional betting on a home win, away win or draw. We examine the behavior of odds in this market.

In addition to a using well-known publicly available source of information on Asian Handicap betting odds – which provides the average odds across a range of bookmakers – we have also sourced a large dataset of Asian Handicap odds offered by an individual bookmaker.

We show that bettors systematically lose more money on Asian Handicap bets where refunds are not possible than when it is possible to obtain a half refund. We also show that bets with the possibility of a full refund have the lowest loss rates. We demonstrate that this pattern of differences in loss rates across bets is predictable based on the odds quoted. This pattern could represent preferences, with gamblers disliking bets featuring potential refunds, but we argue the evidence points more towards gamblers incorrectly calculating expected loss rates.

Despite being one of the world's largest betting markets, there has been almost no previous research on the properties of the Asian Handicap soccer betting. Our finding of clear differences in returns on simultaneously available bets on the same team is also a new anomaly previously undocumented in any research on sports betting.

The primary objective is to analyze the direct and short-run impact of hosting the FIFA World Cup on inward FDI, considering both aggregate and sectoral levels. Additionally, the study aims to investigate the moderating role of governance quality on this impact, emphasizing the importance of robust institutional frameworks in attracting FDI.

This paper uses panel data spanning 1970–2022, encompassing 12 countries that have hosted FIFA World Cup events. The study employs a linear regression model with a robust weighted least squares (RWLS) estimation method. It incorporates various control variables and the institutional quality as moderating variables, to evaluate the impact of hosting the FIFA World Cup on inward FDI at both aggregate and sectoral levels.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup is associated with a significant average increase of $4.33 bn in inward FDI at the aggregate level. Notably, governance quality serves as a critical moderating factor, with well-governed countries experiencing a more substantial increase in FDI, totaling $10.5 bn. At the sectoral level, the results reveal that poorly governed countries attract FDI in primary sectors, while well-governed countries attract FDI in secondary and tertiary sectors. This highlights the nuanced dynamics of FDI attraction depending on the institutional quality of the host countries.

A primary limitation lies in the scarcity of sectoral-level data, constraining the comprehensive study of the relationship between hosting mega-sport events and FDI. Future research could explore alternative data sources and methodologies to overcome this limitation. Additionally, extending the analysis to include other economic indicators beyond FDI could provide a more holistic understanding of the economic implications of hosting major international sporting events.

This study contributes to the literature by focusing exclusively on the FIFA World Cup and undertaking a comprehensive sectoral analysis. By incorporating governance quality as a moderating variable, it adds a nuanced layer to the understanding of the impact of hosting international events on FDI at the sectoral level. The findings underscore the importance of targeted strategies and robust institutional quality in enhancing FDI attractiveness.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the 2015 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Cycling Championship in Richmond, Virginia.

An array of eclectic methods included in situ witness observations of several of the races, 21 semi-structured random interviews and multiple discussions with elements of UCI, the city of Richmond’s planners, residents and business owners during and after the championship in fall 2015.

This paper has uncovered five findings: First, the material investment was considerably smaller than that of other events (common good criterion CGC i – good governance); second, pre-planning was critical to successfully hosting the event; third, this event included not only two entities as one would expect at first glance, but many (common good criterion CGC ii – good management); fourth, a filière approach to community service and the exploitation of clustered thematic activities was of critical importance to successfully hosting the 2015 UCI Road World Cycling Championship; and fifth, this event enabled the opportunity to market other city and regional assets (common good criterion CGC iii – good outcomes).

Cities hoping to bid for events ought to consider hosting unique events such as road championships. Those cities will benefit from careful event pre-planning, responsible event hosting and post-event legacies in the form of socio-economic and mindscape memories.

Bidding and pre-event planning is increasingly seen as an opportunity to locate, create and develop support for common good urban projects, which will remain valuable after the event is over or which will need to be built in spite of the bid’s result.

This study fills an unresearched gap on the impact of events on a city’s future non-motorized sustainable transportation priorities.