You can make bets on when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will finally open
The Eglinton Crosstown LRT has been plagued by delays and cost overruns for a decade but there is now a way you can win (or lose) a few bucks on the project.
Fanduel is taking bets on when the project will be completed.
“Our goal is to engage in the conversations our customers are already having, offering odds on the moments that resonate,” a spokesperson for the website told Global News in an email.
They said the site has been taking bets on the project for about a month now and it has begun to catch on.
“We have seen increasing interest in these markets with 30 per cent of all bets being placed this week,” the spokesperson said.
“The top two most popular timelines are ‘On or after November 1st’ and ‘Before or on August 31st’.”
Bettors will get paid +550 for the former and +1100 for the latter. A $10 bet on Before or on August 31st pays out $110.
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The favourite is for a launch between Sept. 16 and Sept. 30 at +195, followed by between Sept. 1 and Sept. 15 at +210. Other options include the first and last two weeks of October.
The company offers a disclaimer noting that the official opening day will be confirmed by the Toronto Transit Commission and the Eglinton Crosstown LRT must be open for public use.
Fanduel is also offering another novelty bet for Torontonians, as they can put down a few dollars on what the highest temperature will be on Canada Day.
The current favourite is 27 C at +170. A field bet of 20 C or lower has odds of +5500. You might consider yourself a lucky loser if you don’t win, while a $5 winning bet would pay out $275.
The Eglinton LRT was initially slated to open in 2020 when Rob Ford was Toronto’s mayor and it was announced Metrolinx would fund the construction.
But the project has been delayed for years, leading to the eventual removal of any opening date by Metrolinx.
Earlier this month, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters that the project was on track to open in September.
“That’s what I’m hearing. I’m hearing some positive things about the Eglinton track and hopefully we’ll be handing it over in the next couple of weeks to the TTC,” Ford said.
Last week, Metrolinx interim CEO Michael Lindsay told reporters that the TTC was now in control of the 28 trains on the mid-town line as testing continues.
He offered that civil infrastructure and driver training are finished, with a 14-day formal trial and a 30-day practice remaining before the job is done.
— with files from Global News’ Isaac Callan and Colin D’Mello
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