From the next Dr. Who and the next pope to the exact date the world will end, these are the most random things to bet on
13 Bizarre Things You Can (Legally) Bet On
Updated on Apr. 21, 2025
Celebrity deaths
You may have heard about celebrity death pools and wondered if they were real or not. Well, they are, and Stiffs.com is one of the sites where you can place your bets. Its current contest is the Lee Atwater Invitational Dead Pool, where you pick 10 famous people you think will pass between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1. Each entry costs $15, and the person with the list of the most deceased celebrities wins prizes. What’s more, “each year’s champion also gets his or her name engraved on The M.T. Graves Memorial Trophy, the most coveted prize in all Dead Celebrity Land,” according to the site.
Wife carrying
In Ireland, it’s all the rage to bet on the sport of wife carrying, which involves a man carrying a woman (it doesn’t actually need to be his wife) down a 253-meter obstacle course. The winner is the couple who reaches the finish line first. According to Leith Hill Trail Runners, the U.K. Wife Carrying Race was voted by Runner’s World as the Best Adventure Race in Britain in 2011.
Cheese rolling
Yes, cheese rolling really is a sport, and one of the many random things to bet on! The southwest English region of Gloucester hosts the unique event each spring. And it’s exactly what it sounds like: Competitors must roll big ol’ chunks of round cheese down a hill, and the person with the fastest time wins.
Bog snorkeling
If you’re confused, you’re not alone, but this is indeed a real event. The Rude Health World Bog Snorkeling Championships is held annually in the United Kingdom, and it is actually so popular that Lonely Planet described attending the event as one of the top 50 must-do things from around the world in 2014. So here it is on this list, as one of the strangest things you can bet on—and one of the U.K.’s strangest traditions.
The next pope
When a pope dies, the Vatican kicks off a whole process by which a new pontiff is chosen—and yep, some people put cold, hard cash on their guesses for the next head of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis passed away the day after Easter, on April 21, and the bets have already started. According to Odds Checker, Pietro Parolin, who has served as the Vatican’s Secretary of State since 2013, has the highest probability at +350 odds.
All things Kim Jong-Un
Kim Jong-Un is another hot subject for the gambling crowd, and you can bet on nearly anything concerning him, including:
- When he will cease to be in power (2031 or later has the highest odds)
- How he will cease to be in power (bookmaker Paddy Power says death leads the pack)
- Whether he will challenge President Trump to a round of golf (both are golf fans, so Paddy Power gives it good odds)
The end of the world
Do you belong to a doomsday cult and have inside knowledge on the end of days? If so, you’re sure to find websites where you can bet on the world’s demise (which hopefully won’t be too soon). Paddy Power had set the odds that the world would end by 2018 at 500–1. Phew—glad that was wrong!
Proof that there’s intelligent life on other planets
It’s one of the greatest unsolved science mysteries: Is there intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? Well, people have thoughts on when that information will come to light, and they’re placing their bets on the gambling site Bovada. What else are they betting on? Whether certain landmarks (like the Empire State Building and Big Ben) will turn out to be alien spaceships and whether certain celebrities will reveal that they’re actually from outer space (Tom Cruise, Donald Trump and Howard Stern are currently leading the pack).
The next Dr. Who
If you spend evenings at the pub arguing about who will be the next to play the Doctor after Ncuti Gatwa, you might as well bet on it! According to Gambling.com, Matt Smith, who played the Eleventh Doctor, is a favorite on betting websites to replace Gatwa, with Hugh Grant following behind him.
Everything about the royal family
Do you love the royal family or have strong opinions on what the future looks like for Megan and Harry? Well, you’ll be happy to know that royal family news is one of the many things to bet on! You could have bet on the name of Harry and Meghan’s second child on Odds Shark. Catherine was in the lead, but as we know, they went with Lilibet for the name of their adorable baby girl.
The stock market
Sure, you could play the stock market by buying index funds, and you could legally “bet” on individual stocks by purchasing ones you like—but you could lose your shirt. Want to play for fun and prizes only? Then check out Predict Wall Street, which sponsors weekly stock prediction contests. It’s free to play, and you could win up to $100 per day.
Ferret bingo
Yes, ferret bingo really is a thing. According to Casino.org, a ferret is placed into a cage with several numbered exit tunnels, and the exit tunnel it chooses is then confirmed as the winning number. People take this event so seriously that there have been allegations of “tunnel tampering” in the past.
Hollywood successes—and failures
For movie buffs who find the stock market a bit dry, there’s the Hollywood Stock Exchange, which allows you to buy and trade stock in movies, television shows, and actors and actresses. If the show or star is a hit, your shares rise. If the property is a bomb, you lose. The site’s motto is: “It’s not who you know but who you own.” While the site offers ways to win money, you won’t be betting any of your own hard-earned cash—and that means it’s legal everywhere.
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Sources:
- Oddschecker: “Next Pope Odds: Who Will Take Over in Vatican After Passing of Pope Francis?”
- Stiffs: “About”
- Leith Hill Trail Runners: “UK Wife Carrying Race”
- Cheese Professor: “The Challenge, the Chase, the Cheese: What Is British Cheese Rolling?”
- Rad Season: “What Are the Strangest Traditions in the UK?”
- Paddy Power: “Paddy Power Sets 500-1 Line on World Ending in 2018, as Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un Lock Horns”
- The Sports Geek: “Aliens Betting Odds – Is There Life Out There?”
- Casino.org: “8 Bizarre Things You Can Actually Bet On”
- The Hollywood Stock Exchange
- Gambling.com: “Doctor Who Odds: Matt Smith and Hugh Grant Among Contenders”
- SBD: “Kim Jong-Un & Trump: Odds, Props, & Predictions”
