Posted on: June 12, 2026, 09:13h.
Last updated on: June 12, 2026, 09:13h.
Joey Chestnut, the goat of competitive eating, will return to Coney Island on Independence Day for the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.
Joey Chestnut at the annual Nathan’s Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in 2016. Chestnut will once again be the heavy betting favorite to win the competitive eating competition in 2026 when odds are released in the coming weeks. (Image: Getty)No sports bet has been more of a sure thing over the past two decades than Chestnut winning the annual July 4 hot dog chowdown.
Chestnut has won 17 of the previous 19 contests, with his only defeat coming in 2015 when Matt Stonie pulled off the biggest upset in the history of competitive eating since Chestnut dethroned Takeru Kobayashi in 2006.
Along with 2015, the only other year since 2006 that Chestnut didn’t win the Nathan’s contest came in 2024, when Chestnut was barred from participating. A conflict with Chestnut promoting plant-based Impossible Foods reportedly violated Major League Eating’s terms of participation. Chestnut and MLE resolved their differences to allow him to triumphantly retake his hot dog reign in 2025.
Chestnut wolfed down 70.5 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Five and a half short of his record of 76, set in 2021, his 2025 mark was 24 dogs clear of Patrick Bertoletti in second.
Chestnut’s over/under was at 71.5.
Hot Dog Hot Head
Chestnut was at risk of not competing next month in the Nathan’s event for a second time in three years. But this time it wasn’t because of a possible conflict of interest but a recent controversy surrounding the 42-year-old.
In May, Chestnut pleaded guilty to battery after a defendant claimed the competitive eating champ slapped him in an unprovoked incident. An affidavit detailed that a man inside an Indiana bar approached Chestnut after recognizing him around 2 am.
After exchanging a friendly handshake, the accuser said Chestnut pulled him close and randomly slapped him in the face with an open hand. Video surveillance showed the defendant crouch and put his hands over his face while Chestnut moved closer.
Chestnut conceded he was “pretty drunk and didn’t remember” the incident. He said the defendant must have said something he took “offense” to, but acknowledged he was intoxicated and had no recollection.
The defendant reported bodily injury and pain to the left side of his face.
Probation Clause
Chestnut was sentenced to 180 days of probation, which runs until October. Chestnut, however, has received permission to travel to New York for the July 4 hot dog eating contest.
Nathan’s Famous, Inc., confirmed to Casino.org that Chestnut is set to attend.
Champion eater Joey Chestnut will return to Coney Island to seek a new world record,” the company said.
Sportsbooks have not yet released odds on the 2026 hot dog outcome. Oddsmakers typically wait until the holiday is closer and interest sparks. Prediction markets like Kalshi are also expected to once again offer trading on the outcome.
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