You gotta love Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaker, for the ingenuity with which it dreams up new gambling hooks to reel in the punters.

Today, it is offering odds on a match-up between two Street Fighter IV players, the first videogame fight that the British public can wager on.

The Paddy Power Super Street Fighter IV best-of-three match, between longtime champ Ryan Hart and hot contender Femi Adeboye, kicks off at 7pm on Thursday, 29 April. Capcom, Streetfighter IV's publisher, is hosting the game at its European HQ and Paddy Power is streaming the slugfest live on its website.

Leo Tan of Capcom says: "Recognising the game as a legitimate spectator event, as fiercely contested as any sanctioned boxing match, is a huge step for videogames as a whole. Hopefully this is the start of a new avenue for bookmakers, a new way for games players to enjoy their games and, potentially, a new way for the elite players to get the recognition they deserve."

Paddy Power says it will open more books on videogame competitions if the Street Fighter IV gig proves popular.

Don't hold your breath just yet.