Now we all know you can bet on the World Cup Final and Super Bowl Sunday, but if you're looking for something a little more unique, there's an endless list of strange things to choose from.
Most bookies have a page dedicated to the weird and wonderful novelty prop bets that span a wide range of markets, from politicians to movie castings. If you want to bet on something, the likelihood is you probably can, somewhere...
Today we're going to run through a few of the craziest novelty bets in history, then take a look at some of the novelty wagers you can make today.
Who will Jeff Bezos date next?
As the richest person in the world at some point or another, Jeff Bezos understandably draws a lot of attention. Much of the media turns their gaze away from his business ventures and towards his personal life.
Now, with hundreds of billions of dollars, it's no surprise Bezos is quite the catch in the eyes of many, and following his divorce from ex-wife MacKenzie, some betting sites began wondering who he would end up with next.
I'm not sure where people were getting their information from to inform their betting strategy, but nonetheless, some bettors began wagering on who Jeff Bezos would date next.
Will Polar Bears go extinct?
While some people still deny that climate change is a real thing, the rest of us are pretty sure it's a problem and as the ice caps continue to melt, many species are seeing their homes slowly disappear.
In 2011, some sportsbooks offered bettors the opportunity to put money on whether Polar Bears will soon go extinct. Not exactly the nicest thing to imagine, but I guess some wagerers would like to make money regardless of the situation.
Will people successfully raid Area 51?
For most of us, Facebook is pretty much obsolete, minus a few birthday reminders. But one thing it's still great for, is collecting together some of the craziest individuals on the planet in online groups.
Back in 2018, we saw this in full swing, as the open event ‘Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us' received over 2 million RSVPs.
As the event grew larger, bookmakers saw the opportunity to make some money and released odds for a variety of prop bets regarding the so called 'raid'
Now, the bookies slightly underestimated just how many people were crazy enough to show up - with the over/under set at just 49.5 people, taking the over here would've paid some seriously crazy returns.
In the end, roughly 2000 people showed up to the event, but it ended up being more of a party than a raid. Either way, you would have had a nice payout if you took this bet.
Will Barack Obama be assassinated?
When Barack Obama became the first black president back in 2008, most bookmakers quickly confirmed they would not be offering odds on him being assassinated.
Paddy Power on the other hand decided to go for it. The bookie was offering 12-1 odds that the President-elect would, somewhat euphemistically, 'not complete his first term in office'. They eventually removed the bet on the grounds that it was quite offensive, but only after PaddyPower made headlines around the world.
After all, this is probably what they were hoping for. No publicity is bad publicity, right?
Will Donald Trump give fast food to Kim Jong Un?
Over the years, Donald Trump has repeatedly made headlines for his controversy, but it doesn't stop at politics. Trump has been the subject of countless weird wagers in the betting markets, so many that it was tough to choose just one for this list.
Trump's second meeting with Kim Jong Un, sparked a multitude of strange prop bets, including whether the US President would deliver fast food to North Korea's leader.
For whatever reason, the bookmakers favoured Trump to take a slice of western cuisine with him. Ultimately, he left the burger at home and the meeting was a failure. Perhaps he should have taken a happy meal with him if he wanted to convince one of the world's most dangerous dictators to suspend their pursuit of a nuclear weapon.
Current Novelty Bets
Rihanna's Super Half-Time Show
Of course, the usual bets will be available for the world's most famous American football game - such as simple money lines, spread bets and the classic Gatorade shower being poured on the winning coach. But you can already place some prop bets on Rihanna's Half Time show.
You can put your money on simple things like song choice and performance duration. But you can even bet on whether she'll have a wardrobe malfunction. Bit strange...
The Next Pope
This may be nothing new to the betting experts out there, as this has been a thing for a while, but you can currently bet on who will become the next Pope.
There are roughly 30 Cardinals and Archbishops listed in the odds, but the favourite right now sits atop the group with odds of +350.
What's more - you can even bet on what their Papal name will be. This is the name given to them once they are announced Pope. Of course, the odds favour the usual 'Francis', but the bookmakers think Leo is equally likely.
The 2023 Oscars
As the biggest awards night in the Film industry, the Academy Awards always have a multitude of prop bets available.
You can currently bet on the four major Oscars:
Best Picture
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director
The Next UK Prime Minister
Given the current political unrest and economic situation in the UK, it's no surprise that people are already looking for someone to replace Lizz Truss as Prime Minister.
Many believe she's quickly shown that she isn't fit to run the country, and the bookmakers have taken their opportunity to cash in on the whole fiasco.
You can currently bet on who will become the next PM from a long list of individuals, plus there's even a whole section dedicated to 'Lizz Truss' specials.
