Wagering on who might be chosen as the next the next Pope has surged, surpassing established sports markets such as the Europa League football and Formula One Drivers’ Championship.
Following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21st, the Conclave of 133 Cardinals is now engaged in the traditional process of selecting a new leader for its 1.4 billion followers, and this has prompted a wave of global gambling interest.
Sam Eaton, UK Manager at Oddschecker, a platform that tracks betting odds across various markets, says that this papal betting frenzy has outstripped typical sports betting interests, highlighting that “hundreds of thousands of users from 140 countries have explored the odds for each Cardinal.”
This trend is particularly pronounced in the UK, Ireland and the US. In the UK alone, around £30,000 was bet on one major platform just last week.
However, the legality of such wagering varies. In the US, betting on papal elections remains illegal. Italy also prohibits gambling on religious events, but informal betting persists.
Enthusiasts engage through platforms like Fantapapa, a fantasy game where over 60,000 participants draft teams of 11 Cardinals.
Pietro Parolin from Italy has emerged as the current favourite, with Luis Antonio Tagle second in this novelty market.
