OLD GAMBLERS DON’T DIE, THEY JUST GET LOWER ODDS

A British man who bet £100 a decade ago that we would live to be 100 years old has now collected a sweet birthday paycheck of £25,000 (almost $50,000). Newly minted centarian Alec Holden was given 250-to-one odds against living to the ripe old age of 100 by bookie William Hill back in 1997. But he may be the last person to claim such a prize, as the new target age for bets is now 110. "When we started taking these bets, 100 years old seemed to be an almost mythical landmark and we were prepared to offer massive odds,” said a spokesman for the bookie. “But these age wagers are starting to cost us a fortune.” (The Guardian)