Punters who backed Obama should front up to their bookies now

Some of the punter who backed Barack Obama to win the US Presidential Election can front up to their bookie right now and collect their winnings.

In what is indeed a most magnanimous gesture (well, that's how the bookies probably describe it) punters who wagered on Obama with Australian bookmaker Centrebet can get in the queue and collect their winnings now.

Yes, that's correct! Punters do not have to wait until Inauguration Day on 20 January 2009 to collect their winnings.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Centrebet announced it would today begin paying out more than $2 million in winnings to punters who backed Senator Obama to win the US election.

This comes after Centrebet was one of two bookmakers that yesterday told media that it would not pay out until the inauguration in January as part of a long running condition.

Sadly, the news for punters who put their hard-earned on Obama with Sportsbet is not so exciting.

Sportsbet said it would not pay out until the January inauguration and this was clearly stated on its terms and conditions.

Centrebet media director Neil Evans said that it had decided to change this long-running policy and begin paying out successful punters from today because it was "the right thing to do''.

The Herald reported Sportsbet could not be reached for comment.