Thousands of overseas mushing fans will be rooting for -- or perhaps against -- Lance Mackey's bid for a third consecutive Iditarod championship.

The online gambling firm PinnacleSports.com thinks some fans outside the United States -- it's illegal here under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforement Act -- who follow the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race may want to bet on their beliefs.

Care to make it interesting?

Here are the odds Pinnacle was offering last week on a Mackey victory:

• Yes at odds of -130 (bet $130 to win $100).

• No at odds of +120 (bet $100 to win $120).

"We pride ourselves on offering the most competitive odds on the widest range of betting markets. But we are always looking for unique markets and the Iditarod certainly fits the bill," PinnacleSports.com marketing director Simon Noble said in a press release.

Mackey is the only musher available so far to Pinnacle bettors, and the company has been "pleasantly surprised with the action received to date," said Mirio Mella of the company's marketing department, who said he'd been researching the Iditarod and following the race's buildup. Mella estimated the amount bet would resemble what PinnacleSports would receive for a regular season NHL game.

"We know that this kind of thing goes on, but of course it doesn't involve us in any way," said Chas St. George, the Iditarod director of public relations. "I do know there are a lot of mushers who aren't mushing anymore who set up their little pools here and there".

PinnacleSports is licensed and regulated in the Dutch Antilles, with a marketing department in London. Despite being far from Alaska in a place far more interested in horse racing and soccer, Pinnacle clued into recent developments on the Alaska mushing scene. Its press release noted that Canadian musher Hans Gatt dropped out of February's Yukon Quest International Sled Dog race "because his team was running so well," wrote Mirio Mella of the PinnacleSports marketing department.

"Gatt, never better than sixth in the Iditarod, believes this is his best chance for success."

For years, the Iditarod has attracted growing numbers of foreign mushers, which heightens its appeal for PinnacleSports gamblers.

"We understand the growing international appeal of the race, in Canada (our biggest market) with several participants this year, including the recent winner of the Yukon Quest, as well as Norway, who supplied a winner in 2003."

But PinnacleSports handicappers have found the Iditarod particularly challenging.

"We have to consider the talent of the musher, the abilities of the dog team, the course and mother nature," Mella said. "Our oddsmakers looked at historical data for the Iditarod, as well as the Yukon Quest, and trends within the data. They have paid close attention to recent news and views -- such as Lance Mackey's decision not to compete in the Yukon Quest, and latterly Hans Gatt's withdrawal halfway through the said race, Jeff King's determination not to get caught napping again -- as well as opinion on relevant forums.

"We cannot claim to have an in-house dog sled expert so we have used our experience from setting sharp odds on a huge number of events."

While noting several Mackey challengers, Pinnacle Sports acknowledged "there is the simple factor of bad luck, which could easily scupper every musher's (including Mackey's) chances."

Right now, overseas gamblers are limited to $100 Iditarod bets.

The Iditarod represents the tiniest slice of PinnacleSports business, which extends well beyond sports. What the company call "novelty markets" continually pop up -- such as betting on the likelihood of a Mars asteroid impact or which character gets "whacked first in the 'Sopranos.' "

Maybe next year they'll offer odds on the first Iditarod musher whacked by bad weather who sees his prospects for victory scuppered.

Contact reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.

By MIKE CAMPBELL