The principles of betting have hardly changed over the years but the methods keep improving, thanks to modern technology. There’s no longer a need to go anywhere to place a bet on an event, everything can be done from the comfort of one’s home, as well as on the move, as long as you’re in possession of a smartphone. While no one could have predicted the awful circumstances that plunged the planet into a stay-at-home philosophy, it’s worked out pretty well on a betting front as punts could still be made from just about anywhere.
Of course, things are much better now, with places having reopened and vaccines coming out. The world was in a much darker place just a year ago and there wasn’t even much to bet on, whether or not you knew how to do it from home. Online casinos came to the rescue, though, allowing gamblers to play no end of games from a computer or mobile phone.
Sports have been back for a while now, with games playing across all disciplines on a daily. Odds are flowing again and bettors are taking full advantage by whatever means that provides the most accessibility or comfort. Other technological advances have made betting even easier, with free tools like odds convertors and arbitrage calculators at anyone’s disposal.
Sports such as football, horse racing, and basketball have been available for betting on for as long as betting has been around but there are certain things you could bet on that, perhaps, you might have never thought possible. We will take a look at a few of those right below.
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Proof of Intelligent Life On Other Planets
There are many people who believe there’s life out there in outer space. Who knows? They could be right. Who are we to say we’re alone in the universe? In any case, you could place a bet on intelligent extra-terrestrial lifeforms being found in the future. You would have to do a bit of searching but there are a few sportsbooks that offer odds on whether or not proof of life in outer space will ever surface.
There have been countless claims of UFO sightings over the years but, so far, no one has been able to prove it. If it ever comes to that, though, we imagine there are lots of people who will be cashing out. Of course, they might not care about the money should the alien life turn out to be evil.
Wife Carrying
Sounds like a gentlemanly thing to do right? Especially if it’s over a puddle of water. Wife carrying is actually a sport that’s been around in Northern Europe for a while and bet on in Ireland. Paddy Power offers odds on wife-carrying over there.
Yep. Wife Carrying (its actually a real sport) pic.twitter.com/W0XhB9EzNY
— Essential OILers (@OilersEssential) March 12, 2021
The name is pretty self-explanatory. Contestants don’t actually have to be married to the person they’re carrying but they do need to get through various challenging obstacles to win the game. Other countries such as Estonia, Australia, and Finland are big on wife carrying, with Finland the home of the Wife Carrying World Championship.
Ferret Bingo
Yeah, you read that correctly and, as it turns out, ferrets aren’t even the only animals that could be used for bingo purposes. Apparently, cow patty bingo is a thing too.
Where the ferret version is concerned, folks bring their pet ferrets to the meet, they’re placed in mazes and the first ferret to make its way out of the bespoke hodgepodge is declared the winner. Yes, you could bet on this – but you’ll have to do a bit of digging to find a sportsbook presenting odds on the strange sport.
As for cow patty bingo, this one’s more similar to roulette than bingo. It works by viewers observing cows out in a marked field and betting on the spot they’ll choose to relieve themselves over.
The Next Pope
Religious folk should probably stay away from this one. But if you’re on the outside looking in and fancy a bet on who the next Vatican leader will be, you could have a crack at it. A number of American bookmakers have odds going on who the next Pope will be. It’s probably the most difficult bet you’ll ever have to place but the payout could be life-changing if it turns out that you’re right.
The End of the World
Not sure why any bookie would offer odds on such a thing. But if you’re keen on giving away money, you might as well. It’s guaranteed to be the one bet you’re never going to collect on, whether you win big or not.
Just how does one get paid on a bet pertaining to the end of the world should life suddenly fail to exist? If you find such odds on any bookmaker’s site, it should serve as a warning sign.
