If you’re thinking to yourself ‘what can I bet on?’ don’t worry. There are plenty of out-of-the-ordinary things you can place bets on, though this hasn’t always been the case.
Betting on sporting events dates back more than a century in the UK, with horse racing and then football the key drivers of an industry that remains as profitable as ever to this day.
As time passed by more and more sports were added to bookmakers’ portfolios, and here we are today with a stacked A-Z of markets to bet on.
But never ones to rest on their laurels (or their profit margins), sportsbooks have devised a number of novelty markets to pique the interest of potential punters who are searching for something a little bit different to have a flutter on.
Here are nine of the most bizarre things you can place bets on in 2017:
1. eSports
In this digital age, is it any surprise that we can bet on people playing computer games against one another?
Titles such as League of Legends, Counterstrike, Dota 2 and Heroes of the Storm are all big business these days. Opportunities exist with a number of bookmakers to place bets on the various esports matches and competitions that take place throughout the week.
2. Politics
Betting on political events has grown in popularity in recent times and why not: these tend to be profitable ground for punters.
In the past year or so we have seen two political ‘underdogs’ winning – the Brexit vote in the UK and Donald Trump taking down the US Presidential race – and both of those secured outstanding payouts for those brave (crazy!?) enough to wager upon them.
3. Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest was founded in 1956….and betting markets on the ever-popular singing show have been live almost ever since.
The foundation of the semi-final stage of the competition has made this easier in recent years. It enables punters to see the acts in action before the big day – perfect for identifying any potential toe-tapping champions.
9. The Lottery
If actually playing the lottery isn’t enough of a ‘gamble’ for you, then how about betting on the outcome of the draw?
You can wager upon the colour of the first ball drawn or the bonus ball, and whether it will be an odd or even number. What will the highest and lowest numbers be? Will they be odd or even?
If you want to enhance your enjoyment of the lottery draw, betting on its results could be for you.
There are tons of markets you can place bets on, from the strange to the downright bizarre; if you have an unusual hobby then who knows, maybe you could profit from it!?