British Columbians are saying bye-bye baby to 2023 and making wagers for 2024 on PlayNow.com, which is offering bets on which B.C. hospital will welcome the first baby of the new year.
B.C. Women’s Hospital (3.50) is the betting favourite among all 23 hospitals, even though it hasn’t been the home of the first B.C. baby of a new year since 2017. A successful $10 wager on B.C. Women’s Hospital would pay out a total of $35.
In 2023, Abbotsford Regional Hospital (12.00) welcomed the first B.C. bundle of joy. Other favourites include Surrey Memorial (5.00), which last delivered the first baby of the New Year in 2018, and New Westminster’s Royal Columbian Hospital (8.00) which held the honour in both 2019 and 2020.
New on PlayNow.com, B.C. bettors can also wager on what will be the most popular names for B.C. babies in 2024.
For the girls, the question is: will the Olivia dynasty continue? Olivia (3.00) has been the most popular name for girls in B.C. for seven of the last eight years according to B.C. Vital Statistics, losing only once to Emma (5.00) in 2015. Other rising girl names include Charlotte (6.00), Isla (6.00) and Sophia (6.00), which have consistently been in the top seven.
The most popular B.C. boy name is more of a debate for 2024. After finishing first for the last two years, in 2022 Liam (5.00) finally relinquished top spot to Noah (4.00), which had been a top 10 name in B.C. for several years but never held the title of the most popular. Other contenders include Oliver (4.00) and Theodore (8.00).
Wagering on which of 23 B.C. hospitals will welcome the first B.C. baby of 2024 will be available on PlayNow.com until 6:00 a.m. (PST) on December 31, 2023, and the popular name bets will be available until January 31, 2024.
As B.C.’s only legal gambling website, PlayNow.com is the only site whose profits benefit British Columbians through investments in things like healthcare, education and community programs. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits as well as the other online tools available to encourage healthy play. For further information, visit GameSense.com.
*Odds listed are correct at time of posting but are subject to change at any time.
