5 Weirdest Bets Ever Placed – From Raindrops to Elections

Though there’s much discussion of betting rules across our 50 states, the truth is you can bet on just about anything somewhere in the world. Fans of the weirdest bets possible are in luck. We’ve put together a list of some of the five wackiest things you can bet on now, plus some bonus bets we couldn’t not tell you about.

From the results of elections (2024 presidential race, anyone?) to weather patterns, happenings in the UK royal family and so much more – there is truly something for everyone to bet on if you search for it. Use our navigation links below to go directly to the bet that most interests you, or just keep reading. This is definitely one of the most entertaining articles we’ve gotten to cover so far, so we hope you enjoy!

One thing to keep in mind is that not all states offer legal online betting. To find out more about the rules in your state and to explore the top online sportsbooks, check out our guide.

• Top Five Craziest Bets People Have Placed
• Weird Things To Bet On Now
• Funniest Fictional Bets
• Placing Crazy Bets Online Legally

Top Five Craziest Bets People Have Placed

There have been some absurd bets placed over history. We’re talking world events, weather forecasts, economic markets, celebs and so much more. Many hilarious sporting competitions throughout the world garner bettors’ attention, too! All of the weirdest bets we’ll talk about below are actual events you can bet on through online sportsbooks, though be forewarned, not every sportsbook may have odds on every event. So what are the strangest bets that have been made? Read on to be surprised.

5. All Things Celebrity

For number five, we are highlighting the celebrity category. With celebrity gossip such a big topic for many people – not only fans of betting – it makes sense that this would be an extremely popular and accessible betting category. You can bet on several things happening to do with celebrity news. For example, you can bet on when certain celebrities will die (a bit morbid for our tastes, but it’s an option). You can also bet on celebrity divorces.

If you already love celeb gossip and follow all of the latest happenings on social media and news outlets, this might just be the wacky bet category for you! You can find these types of bets on some online betting platforms, while some celebs have their own specific pools to bet in which are organized by other groups, not necessarily affiliated with a sportsbook.

4. Do You Believe (In Aliens, Of Course)

One of the other top craziest bet categories has to do with extraterrestrial life. At the moment, you can find odds on many aspects of the alien persuasion. For example, you could bet on when the President will admit publicly that there is evidence of lifeforms from space.

Some people have bet on who will win a human vs. alien war (though, if aliens win, we’re not sure how they’ll get their payouts!). Sportsbooks have also offered bets on other granular questions like which country is likely to get attacked by aliens first (the US is up there, probably thanks to all of those foreshadowing films), and what famous person might get abducted by aliens first. All in all, these are pretty fun bets, though maybe slightly scarier to think about than celeb divorces – depending of course on how you feel about E.T.

3. The British Royal Family

We have to admit that we have a strange fascination with UK monarchs – perhaps because they once ruled over us as well, perhaps because some of them have chosen our country as their new home, perhaps because of The Crown.

As the latter has shown us, the Royal Family is full of scandal and fascinating stories. Queen Elizabeth II may no longer be with us (there were definitely bets on that – though many bookmakers refused as to not offend fans of the monarch), but new history can still be made – and you can indeed make the craziest bets on just about every aspect of their marriages, births, deaths, divorces, legal battles and, of course, emigrations to the US.

2. North Korea

Yup, that’s right. Keeping it in the political realm, it has apparently been quite popular to make bets concerning North Korea and specifically, its leader, Kim Jong-Un. As with the British monarchy, people have placed many of the craziest bets on various aspects of Kim Jong-Un’s rule.

For example, bets include how long he will be in power for and what reason will he give up his power (death is the most popular choice at the moment). People have even placed bets on whether he would play a round of golf with Donald Trump. There was a point in time where Paddy Power gave it decent odds, considering their mutual love of the sport and oddly cozy relationship.

Why are people interested in this particular person so much? We’re not sure, but perhaps it is similar to the fascination we have with royalty. Kim Jong-Un is an unusual character and somehow beyond belief. The very foreignness and unpredictability is maybe what makes these moments exciting to bet on.

1. Our Next Supreme Pontiff, a.k.a. The Pope

Betting seems to know no bounds sometimes. Indeed, you can bet even on one of the most important spiritual decisions that will affect many in the Roman Catholic faith all over the world: Who will be the next Pope? There are also of course side bets on when the next Pope will be named, how long the decision process will take and so on. Pope Francis has also made some decisions that are considered quite radical for many in the faith, on which side bets could also be placed.

Considering how much of a surprise it was for many when the current Pope was chosen for his post, this kind of bet could prove to be a fruitful, exciting, albeit weird thing to bet on. Anyway, let’s hope Pope Francis lays off the pasta and still has some good years in him yet.

Weird Things To Bet On Now

Aside from these many funny bets, there are still so many other strange things you can bet on today ranging from political outcomes to obscure sports and much more. For example, did you know that you can treat the stock market like a betting pool, and rather than invest, bet on things like which stock will end in the lower position of the market day by day?

Likewise you can bet on economic crashes or even the end of civilization – though as we pointed out earlier, if you win that bet, have you really won anything? On the lighter side of things, weird things to bet on include hilarious sports like wife-carrying (popular in Finland and Ireland, apparently), cheese-rolling and bog snorkeling. Wow! That is quite a lineup. Do you think they accept parlays?

As we get nearer to the 2024 US Presidential Election, betting on the outcome of the race will obviously be one of the more exciting timely bets one can make. Odds are also destined to shift, as they do, as we get nearer to the various stages of the race. As you can imagine, many different kinds of granular bets can be placed when it comes to this topic, from running makes to key states to popular third party candidates and more.

One interesting point to note is that many people bet on politics based only on supporting the candidate they want to win the race. But, we’d say if you can separate your bet from your actual wishes for America’s future, you might be able to treat it more like a sport and analyze all of the players in the game to make a tidy sum on a surprising outcome. Anyway, don’t knock it till you try it!

Ultimately though, the best things to bet on are really in the eye of the beholder. While many of these are uniquely weird and titillating, leading someone to get a kick out of placing the bet whether they win or lose, many bettors prefer good old fashioned sports betting. There’s nothing wrong with that, either! In fact, we’ll discuss down below where you can safely bet on sports now depending on your state.

Funniest Fictional Bets

Funny bets have a strong place in our cinematic history as well as in real life. Though real life is sometimes stranger than fiction, some of our favorite movie moments come from the idea of placing an unlikely bet! One of the best stories about gambling of all time comes from Guys & Dolls, originally a musical written by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The premise is that a group of gamblers and their fixer are having trouble finding a safe place to play craps in the city.

When the ringleader, Nathan Detroit, needs a cash infusion, he goes to gambler Sky Masterson, a guy so in love with betting that he will bet on virtually anything. Nathan has to think of something he thinks Sky will never win, so he challenges him to take a woman to dinner in Havana, Cuba. Sky agrees, but Nathan gets to choose the woman and chooses an uptight Christian missionary, Sarah Brown – basically the least likely woman in the city to agree to go out with Sky.

Hilarity (and romance) ensues, one thing leads to another, and sure enough, Sky convinces Sarah to join him for a night in Havana where she is surprised by how much fun she has as well. This is a classic story about an obscure bet that seems incredibly unlikely to pay off and how it causes strife and surprising connections between an eclectic cast of characters.

Placing Crazy Bets Online Legally

As you probably know, sports betting is not yet available in all 50 US states, though many are working on legislation so the rules are constantly changing. For that reason, we recommend always checking before you place any bets and making sure the sportsbook you choose is authorized by your state gambling authority.

At the time of writing, you can bet legally online in several states. They are: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wyoming.