Wagering on who the next pope will be has surpassed even some well-established markets like the Europa League and the Formula One drivers’ championship.
People Bet on the Next Pope
With Pope Francis’ death on April 21, the Catholic Church began a centuries-old process of selecting the new leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. However, many people have started betting and trying to predict the next pope. From cash wagers on betting websites to online games inspired by fantasy football leagues and friendly bets among relatives and friends, the global fascination with predicting and gambling on the next pope is on the rise, according to experts and enthusiasts.
According to Sam Eaton, UK manager at Oddschecker, a major platform that tracks betting odds across sports, events, and other markets, this trend has even surpassed interest in the Europa League and the Formula One drivers’ championship. Eaton also explained that hundreds of thousands of users from around 140 countries have visited Oddschecker to examine the odds of each cardinal becoming the next pope.
Interest has been especially strong in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States. In the UK alone, bettors have placed around £30,000 (nearly $40,000) on one major online platform last week. While that figure falls short of the £1.2 million (around $1.6 million) bet on the Eurovision Song Contest, Eaton said, it still signals a notable trend with the papal conclave fast approaching.
What About Wagering in Italy?
While betting on elections, papal conclaves, and a wide range of global events is something of a tradition in the UK, such bets remain illegal in the United States. BetMGM, one of the world’s leading sports betting companies, confirmed it would not be offering any markets on the papal selection.
Similarly, in Italy, it is illegal to wager on the papal election, or any other religious event, for that matter. However, some people in the country are placing casual, unofficial bets, putting down around $20 on the cardinal they believe will be chosen. Others are getting involved through an online game called Fantapapa (Fantasy Pope), which is modeled after fantasy football and soccer leagues.
Over 60,000 participants are playing, each selecting a team of 11 cardinals, just like drafting a soccer lineup, based on who they think has the strongest chances of becoming the next pope. Each team’s captain is essentially the papal candidate that people bet would become the next religious leader. Currently, Similar to online betting trends, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin has been the top choice among fantasy players, with Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle coming in a close second.