Bookmakers accept bets on almost anything — and creative bettors have pushed that to its limits. While most people stick to football results or horse racing, others went much further: betting on the next pope's chosen name, the end of the world and exactly how many children a celebrity couple would have. Some of those bets paid out.
The weirdest sports bets ever accepted by bookmakers
1. The next pope's name — and the bettor who got it exactly right
When Pope Benedict XVI resigned in February 2013, British bookmakers opened markets on who his successor would be. Paddy Power went further, offering odds on the name the new pope would choose for his pontificate.
An Irish bettor wagered that the chosen name would be Francis — a name no pope had used in over 800 years, and one almost nobody considered likely. Paddy Power paid the bet correctly. According to reports in the Irish press, the bettor received several thousand euros from a modest stake.
2. Bets on the end of the world — Ladbrokes paid out "for now"
In 2012, with the supposed Mayan prophecy about the end of the world on 21 December, Ladbrokes opened a market on whether human civilisation would survive the year. The odds for "the world continues into 2013" were 1.01 — essentially free money.
Hundreds of bettors placed symbolic wagers. The world continued. Ladbrokes paid — but a company spokesperson commented to the press that it had been "the market with the most predictable outcome in our history."
3. Chewbacca for US President — someone bet seriously
Before the 2016 US election, Paddy Power accepted bets on unlikely presidential candidates — including Chewbacca from Star Wars, at odds of 500-1.
Several bettors placed small wagers "for a laugh." Chewbacca did not win. But the story was widely reported as an example of the British political betting market, which accepts virtually any real or fictional candidate at sufficiently long odds.
4. How many children Kim Kardashian would have — a market opened and closed multiple times
British bookmakers, particularly Betfred and William Hill, ran markets for years on celebrity life events: marriages, divorces, number of children, baby names. Kim Kardashian was one of the most frequent subjects.
Bettors who followed celebrity media closely and placed bets before markets closed managed, in some cases, to gain a genuine edge. William Hill eventually restricted these markets after identifying suspicious patterns of bets placed very close to public announcements.
5. The colour of the King's tie at the Christmas speech
Every year, British bookmakers open markets on the monarch's Christmas speech — including the colour of clothing worn, specific words that will be said, and the speech duration in minutes.
In 2022, bettors who correctly predicted that King Charles III would wear a blue tie for the first Christmas speech of his reign received modest but real returns. The market has existed for decades and is taken seriously by a niche community of British "novelty bet" specialists.
6. Elvis Presley was alive — Ladbrokes accepted this until 2002
For years after Elvis Presley's death in 1977, Ladbrokes maintained a market on whether he was alive or dead. The odds on "Elvis is alive" reached 1,000-1 in some years. The bookmaker closed the market in 2002 — officially because "the evidence that Elvis is dead is solid enough to close the debate."
No bettor ever won this market — at least none that was publicly reported.
7. The exact length of the royal wedding dress
At the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011, British bookmakers opened dozens of markets — including the exact length of the veil and train of the dress, in metres. Paddy Power reported receiving bets on this market from bettors in more than 40 countries.
Anyone who correctly backed the 2.70-metre train received odds of 12-1. According to Paddy Power, it was one of the highest-volume royal wedding markets in history.
8. Snow in London at Christmas — the classic British novelty market
Every year, British bookmakers open the "White Christmas" market — whether snow will fall at specific UK locations on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. The market has existed for decades and is followed religiously by amateur meteorologists and specialist bettors.
In 2010, when snow fell extensively across the UK during the festive period, bettors who had backed snow in multiple British cities received significant returns. Ladbrokes estimated paying out over £1 million on this market that year.
What these markets reveal about betting
These examples show something important: bookmakers are not limited to sport because they have a genuine interest in expanding to any event where there is uncertainty and public interest. The model is always the same — margin built into the odds, volume of bets, guaranteed profit over the long term.
For the bettor, novelty markets are rarely advantageous. Bookmakers apply significantly larger margins to these markets than to traditional sports. The exceptions are bettors with genuinely superior information — such as those who work closely with public figures.
Placar Frio focuses on the opposite: markets where historical data is sufficiently abundant to identify real patterns — football, where hundreds of matches per week produce solid statistical evidence.
Gamble responsibly
Unusual market bets may feel harmless because they seem like fun — but the financial risk is real regardless of the market. Never bet what you cannot afford to lose.
If gambling is affecting your life, seek help: BeGambleAware: www.begambleaware.org | GamCare: www.gamcare.org.uk | US National Helpline: 1-800-522-4700