Bettors love to bet, no matter how absurd the sport happens to be.
We take a look at some of the most entertaining sports to bet on – and some sports betting storylines that took the bookies by surprise.
Curling
Around halfway through the 2018 Winter Olympics, the bookies assumed that they had figured it all out.
After American duo Matt and Becca Hamilton opened their Olympic run with a disappointing appearance in the Mixed Curling event, the bookies were ready to collect on a decent number of lost bets.
But then it came time for the Men’s Curling event – an event the bookies hadn’t really paid much attention to because of the “long shot” participants. Very few expected John Shuster and his team to make any sort of noise on the ice, and what with the US having never won more than a bronze, the bookies assumed again that loads of losing bets would be in the bag.
But on that fateful day, team-US shocked the world when they won the gold at Gangneung Gymnasium. Bookies could do little else but to cut their (massive) losses and pay the betting crowds.
WWE Pro-Wrestling
While betting on WWE events is more a thing of entertainment than anything else, they remain extremely popular among sports bettors.
When betting on WWE Professional Wrestling, it is important to keep in mind how the “back-room” combat and jabber affect the odds.
During the 2005 fight between Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan, many assumed that Hogan was booked for a losing fight against his younger opponent. But those who knew Hogan and his creative control over his own events, also knew that Hogan had a grander plan.
And it worked a charm.
Cornhole
Cornhole isn’t exactly a sport played in major arenas. It involves teams of players hurling bags of corn at holes carved into what’s known as “dummy boards”.
Cornhole betting is usually local and takes place at county fairs. Even so, when the odds do happen to get published, betting on these events can be a great deal of fun.
Harness Racing
Harness racing is big among bettors in countries like New Zealand, Finland, and Sweden.
A popular harness racing game to bet on is V75, which allows punters to pick five or seven horses to win consecutively.
What is truly entertaining about harness racing is the fact that the rules are different in most countries where the races are staged. In the US, for example, only Standardbred horses are permitted to compete, while in Australia and New Zealand, the metric system is used.
Jai Alai
Jai Alai is possibly one of the strangest sports ever played.
Playing involves bouncing a batt off a walled-in space with the use of a hand-held wicker basket, or cesta. A game is played in a format of round-robin, and typically involves eight teams made up of two players each. The first team to reach a score of between 7 and 9, wins the game.
While Jai Alai is played all over the world, it is especially popular in countries like Spain and France.