Place your bets, British Columbia!
As 2023 comes to a close and 2024 inches ever-closer, the first baby of the new year will be on its way soon.
PlayNow.com is overseeing the official gambling for BC, allowing residents to place bets on where the first baby will be born and even predicting the top names of 2024.
According to PlayNow, at the time of this publication, the Victoria General Hospital’s (VGH) odds are 11.00, which means a successful wager on VGH would garner the winner $110 in winnings from a $10 bet.
The running favourite of the wager currently is the BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver (odds are 3.50), even though it hasn’t welcomed the first baby of the year since 2017.
In 2023, the first British Columbian baby was born in the Abbotsford Regional Hospital, whose odds are 12.00 at the moment.
There are 23 hospitals to choose from across BC—the ones in more populated areas having a higher probability of birthing the first baby of the year.
See also:
- 9 places to polar bear plunge in Greater Victoria to welcome the new year
- These live webcams will allow you to watch Tofino’s storm season
New this year, British Columbians can also place bets on the most popular names for babies born in 2024.
This is a long-running bet, but could garner the winners some serious coin.
According to BC Vital Statistics, the name Olivia for baby girls has been the most popular for the last eight years, with Emma, Charlotte and Sophia being close behind.
For boys, things are a little less consistent with Liam and Noah fighting for the top spot for the last few years. PlayNow says that Oliver and Theodore are new top contenders people may want to choose.
British Columbians wishing to take part in this gamble can place their bets on which hospital the first baby of the new year will be born in up until 6 a.m. on December 31st, and the popular name bets will be available until January 31st, 2024.
