10 Bizarre Things to Bet On

If you’ve hit a losing streak with your sports bets or your favorite sports just aren’t available yet, then it might be time to try something new.

But the suggestions I’ve made on this page aren’t just your average baseball or basketball bets. This list is made up of some of the most bizarre things you can bet on. If you’re sick and tired of your usual routine, then these might be worth a shot!

Below, you’ll find 10 of the most bizarre things to bet on. They include strange events and “sports” you can and always have been able to bet on legally. These wagers are available right now at online casinos for real money.

1 – Wife-Carrying

Wife-carrying. Does it sound like a guy that can’t let go of his ex? Maybe. But it’s an actual sport that started in Northern Europe.

In Ireland, this is a professional sport that gamblers legitimately bet on. Paddy Power is the title sponsor of the All-Ireland Wife Carrying Championship. The Irish love to bet on this event.

Other countries like Estonia, Australia, and Finland are also big wife-carrying countries. Residents here also bet on the bizarre sport. Finland happens to be the home of the Wife Carrying World Championship.

2 – The Next Pope

Betting on the next Pope seems like playing with fire, especially because religion and gambling don’t usually mix. As a matter of fact, when gambling is made illegal in a specific jurisdiction, it’s usually because of the majority of the population’s religious beliefs.

But that’s irrelevant to this bizarre bet. Apparently, it’s perfectly legal to bet on the next Pope. In case you’re not aware, the Pope is basically the “president” of Catholicism.

Most American sportsbooks are taking bets right now on who will become the new Pope. At the time of writing, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines is the current favorite.

No other betting event has more mystery and secrecy surrounding the outcome.

3 – Proof of Intelligent Life on Another Planet or in Space

Let’s keep the vibe going with topics that are bigger than us humans. One of the most bizarre things to bet on is whether there is proof of intelligent life somewhere besides Earth. How would we even prove this?

We have our hands full with this planet already, as well as trying to get humans to the moon as a vacation destination.

You have to dig around, but some online sportsbooks take bets when a sitting president of the United States tells the American public that we have proof of intelligent life outside of our planet. The Pentagon currently has a UFO task force, but no top government official has outright and explicitly stated the existence of intelligent life on another planet.

So far, all sightings of UFOs have been alleged. But can you imagine the return on getting that bet right, especially during your lifetime?

4 – The Royal Family

You should be getting the idea that nothing is off the table when it comes to legal betting. Okay, this is not entirely true, but you can go ahead and lay down a bet on just about anything that has to do with the Royal Family.

Some bets we’ve come across in the past include the following:

Just about any American sportsbook is taking bets on all things Royal Family. Look around, and find a quirky topic you like. Then, just go for it! Betting on one of the most prominent families in the world makes betting feel a little bit more exciting.

5 – Celebrity Deaths

Like most of us, I’m not a fan of death, nor am I a celebrity follower. But betting on celebrity deaths has its own niche community.

While betting on the death of a human is illegal in the United States, you can bet for points on Doug Stanhope’s Celebrity Death Pool. The site is obvious in its terms and conditions that they don’t support, nor is it legal to bet on, celebrities’ deaths. Please don’t think you can make money off this site.

But if you have a darker side or simply have a strange gut feeling about the next celebrity death, this would be a fantastic option. Maybe it’s a spooky event you can take part in for the Halloween season.

The betting teams are called funeral homes. And I’m sure some of you will love the dark playfulness of this site. We told you this list was full of bizarre things to bet on!

6 – Bog Snorkelling

The British love betting on bizarre things, and that’s definitely evident here. Enter the Rude Health World Bog Snorkelling Championship.

What’s bog snorkelling, you ask? It’s pretty much what you think it is. Contestants are simply racing through a bog via snorkelling.

It’s tougher than it seems. Bogs can be tricky, murky, and present the swimmers with some obstacles that are tough to navigate. If you’re planning to take part, keep in mind that the champion has been the favorite for a few years.

7 – Bingo With Animals

This one is a twofer. There’s cow patty bingo and ferret bingo. I couldn’t locate any American laws against the following sports. I also couldn’t locate any official web pages. So, bear with me.

Ferret Bingo – No, that isn’t a typo. People bring their pet ferrets and let them loose in cages that have tunnels. The adorably stinky rodents go through the tunnel mazes (they each have their own identical maze).

The ferret that gets out of the maze first wins. And you can bet on it for some extra excitement.

It’s more like playing roulette than bingo, actually. I personally think it’s intriguing. It must be stinky, but it’s definitely fascinating.

Again, I could not find any legislation that outlaws this sport, so I guess the rules are wide open. But, as with most gambling, if it’s illegal to bet in general, you probably shouldn’t don’t do it in your jurisdiction.

Last but not least, make sure you don’t step into the winning patty!

8 – Kim Jong Un

Paddy Power is back at it again. The sports gambling giant takes bets on anything having to do with Kim Jong Un.

What’s weird and sketchy about betting on this elusive leader is the fact that the North Korean government is so tight-lipped about his life. They’re notorious for making up “stories” about his unwavering health and just not being truthful to the public in general.

The untrustworthiness of the private country makes this bet a volatile one at best. At worst, we don’t really know what’s going on most of the time.

Do we even really know if he’s still in power?

9 – Cheese Rolling

The UK is back at it again. In Gloucester (a southern region in England), they host the Cheese Rolling Competition every spring.

The sporting event is straightforward. Contestants roll oversized wheels of cheese on a hill. The first cheese roller to cross the finish line with their cheese in tow wins. Bets are legal on this simple sport, of course. What harm could a bet on a cheesy sprint bring to the public?

The winning cheese is usually the prize, but on a serious note, who wants a beat-up 70-lb. wheel of cheese? I guess the winning bettor is the real prize winner here.

10 – The End of the World

Paddy Power is aware we will place a bet on just about anything, including when the end of the world will be.

I see a major problem with this bet. First of all, how will you know if you win the bet or not?

The world would be over, right? I wonder if you can bet on when the world will quit betting on silly things. The best odds were 500 to 1 that it would be before 2019. Here we are, a whole pandemic later and halfway through 2022, and it still hasn’t ended.

Talk about a volatile bet!

Conclusion

This list of 10 of the craziest things to bet on is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn’t even look at the illegal bets that people out there are still actively betting on.

Have you bet on any of these events? And would you? Check out our top-ranked sports betting sites for even more great betting markets.