Italy's gamblers have got the Olympic bug and are set to bet three times more on Beijing 2008 than they did on Athens 2004, betting agency Agicoscommesse said Tuesday.
At the Beijing Games halfway point Italian betting shops and sites had received almost 10 million euros in bets compared to the total of 6.5 million wagered on Athens events, the agency said.
It expected the sums to top the 20-million-euro mark by the Games' end on Sunday.
Soccer has taken the lion's share of the interest with flutters on the men's competition reaching 5.2 million euros, or 54% of total, and the women's competition attracting 1.6 million euros, or 17%.
Other team sports like volleyball, basketball and tennis followed, claiming six-seven percent of punters' interest.
The much-ballyhooed swimming events only got 2%, while water polo and cycling, two sports where Italy shines, didn't make the 2% mark.
Fencing, in which Italy has earned a clutch of medals, received only 0.3% of the betting, a mere 25,000 euros - while shooting events, where Italy has also claimed a couple of medals, gained less than one percent with 3,000 euros.
Gymnastics, another Italian speciality, was third from bottom with 1,800 euros wagered.
Canoeing events drew the fewest bets, just 1,200 euros.
