Most of us enjoy the occasional gamble; whether it’s playing the lottery, visiting a casino, such as HotSlots, or an occasional trip to Bingo. While betting on events such as sports, however, there are those who prefer to move to their own beat and, in this article, we’ll shine a light on some of the more unconventional things that people gamble their hard earned money on.
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Wife carrying
Yep, you read that right. Wife carrying is an actual event in Ireland whereby men carry a woman (not necessarily their own, actual wife) over a 253 metre obstacle course. Not only is this a real thing but, it’s actually sponsored by betting giant Paddy Power, and Irish folk bet thousands of Euros on the sport every year. In 2019, the race ended on a double whammy when winner, Chris Hepworth, proposed to his fiance, Tanisha Prince, on the finish line.
Bog snorkeling
Say what? Bog snorkeling is a UK event which involves ‘swimming’ two consecutive lengths of a 60 yard waterlogged trench carved from a peat bog. Competitors are armed with diving masks and flippers and the winner of this fragrant event is the swimmer who finishes in the shortest time. This Welsh event takes place over the August bank holiday and is sponsored by an online betting firm who nabbed the rights for £5,600. Each year, around 150 people from around the world compete in the event and fans gamble several hundred thousand pounds on the outcome.
The British royal family
This one probably won’t come as a big surprise, as the British royal family are in the news almost every day. Gamblers with money to burn regularly place bets on anything from members of the royal family going bald to the next royal divorce and betting shops and sites are only too eager to take people’s hard earned cash. However, the one wager that no UK bookmaker will offer odds on is that of the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
Ferret Bingo
Yes, really. We’re not sure who came up with this one but, ferret bingo involves placing an unsuspecting ferret into a cage which features several numbered exit tunnels. Gamblers then place bets on the numbered tunnel that they believe that the ferret will use. While this may sound comedic, it’s actually deadly serious – in fact, a number of times, investigations have been launched after allegations of ‘tunnel tampering’.
Cheese rolling
You may not brie-lieve it but, in Gloucester, in south west England, locals look forward to this much feted event every year. How does it work? Competitors roll huge rounds of cheese down a hill, with the player with the fastest time being crowned the winner. Eager punters bet thousands on this annual event, with the biggest single bet to date standing at £500. The winner of this year’s competition was American Abby Lampe – and an eight pound round of cheese’. Not just bizarre, this event can also be dangerous as many competitors suffer minor injuries. Following her win, Abby said that she was “A little bruised and a couple scratches, but my morale is high!”
Kim Jong-Un
There seems to be no end to the world’s fascination with Kim Jong-Un, Supreme Leader of North Korea and, of course, his infamous hair ‘do but, the controversial leader also keeps the bookmakers busy. On a daily basis, gamblers across the globe place bets regarding Kim Jong-Un, including:
- When he will relinquish power (the highest odds are on 2031 and beyond)
- How he will relinquish power (death, according to odds published by Paddy Power)
- The chances of him challenging Donald Trump to a round of golf (good odds, apparently)
The end of the world
Pretty much since time began, people have been predicting the date that the world will end – and some go one step further by betting big on their forecast. If you have an idea of when doomsday will be upon us, most betting shops and websites will be happy to relieve you of your cash and, if you win, only one question will remain – just exactly how you plan to collect your winnings!
Alien life forms
If you ever run out of things to bet on on this planet, don’t despair – a number of bookmakers and websites will allow you to place a bet on your prediction for when Earth will make contact with life forms on other planets. While bets are placed on extraterrestrial life forms across the world, Australia – and Darwin in particular – take this incredibly seriously with surprisingly short odds at just $8. If you do fancy a flutter on the chances of ET paying us a return visit, you may do so – however, it’s worth bearing in mind that you will have to produce some pretty compelling evidence in order to collect.
Doctor Who
Since William Hartnell first donned his famous scarf in 1963, fans across the world have been obsessed with cult classic TV programme, Doctor Who. So far, 13 actors have played the famous Doctor, including the first female portrayal by Jodie Whittaker and fans spend a considerable amount of time and money on forecasting – and gambling on – which actor will be the next tenant of the tardis. As Jodie Whittaaker’s reign comes to an end, bookies are offering odds on a number of candidates, including Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton and, even model and TV personality, Katie Price !
A sporting chance
While all of these things are for grabs for gamblers, they may be a little out of left field for some. If you prefer to place a more sensible bet, there are still plenty of choices this month including football matches and the commonwealth games. Sports bets are, of course, always big news and bookmakers say that they received record numbers of bets for the women’s Euro final last month (one bookie said that a massive 46% of all bets taken last week were on this event alone).
Odds are
As we’ve mentioned, few reputable betting shops and sites will accept bets forecasting the death of the Queen but pretty much anything else is up for grabs. Visit any betting site and you’ll find any number of options to choose from – and you don’t have to stop there.
Some bookmakers will even allow you to start your own bet – known as request a bet or bet building. With this option, you can request to begin a new bet with a bookie – for example, you may want to start a bet on the chances of bog snorkeling becoming an Olympic sport. The bookmaker will then take your bet and put the event up for grabs to its other customers.
Whether you decide to bet your money on a national sporting event or something more obscure, it’s important to remember that you’re spending real money – and that you may lose your hard earned cash. It’s therefore vital that you never bet more than you can afford to lose – however good the odds might be.
