Football, basketball, and horseracing are all standard and expected sports betting options, but there are far more sports betting opportunities than most people realise. Read on as we explore some of the strangest sports in the world that you can bet on.
1. Cornhole
You may have also heard of cornhole by one of this game’s many other names, including corn toss, bean bags, bean toss, or soft horseshoes. The game’s objective is simple: toss bags of corn into the hole on a wooden platform placed 30 feet away from the cornhole player. It’s a popular game for crowds as it can be played tournament style, giving a huge number of people an opportunity to win.
While you might come across the game at a family reunion or fair, the game is so beloved that it is considered a professional sport in the United States with an official organisation and regional, state, and national tournaments. Being an official sport, it’s also one you can bet on, as surprising as it may seem.
2. Cow Chip Tossing
Another fair or carnival-like game turned official sport is cow chip tossing. This game involves throwing a piece of dried cow dung—yes, you read that right—as far as possible. It might not sound like it, but a few techniques exist to succeed at this sport, like checking to ensure your cow chip won’t break apart in the air. This official sport may be unsavoury, but it draws a crowd and even has world championship-level events.
3. Rock Paper Scissors
Playing a game of rock paper scissors might take you back to the schoolyard, where disputes were settled with a round of the game, but it turns out it is more than child’s play—it’s an official sport with a global association. The Rock Paper Scissors Association organises tournaments worldwide, and those wanting to make the tournaments even more exciting can place wagers on the outcomes.
You might also know this sport by its other popular name, ro-sham-bo. It’s unknown where the term “ro-sham-bo” comes from, but it has been linked to the game since the early 1900s. While there are theories of where it comes from—perhaps it was named for a French nobleman who fought during the American Revolution or was an Americanized version of Japan’s name for the game “Jon Ken Pon”—no concrete evidence has ever been found.
4. Reindeer Racing
Reindeer racing is a competitive sport from Finland, though it might sound like something from a Hallmark Christmas movie. It’s steeped in tradition and has been an ongoing sport for the Sámi for centuries. Since the early 1930s, it has become more widely known and regulated. The sport is competitive, with races reaching speeds of over 30 kilometres an hour! Racers, wearing skis, harness themselves to a reindeer and crouch behind the animal as it runs the track. It requires a great deal of balance and strength, and like the other sports listed here, spectators can place wagers on the outcomes.
5. Quidditch
While many Harry Potter fans would have loved to receive their admission letter to Hogwarts, they’ve had to settle for the muggle version of Quidditch instead. Quidditch has become not just a trendy sport but also a regulated and official one that people love to bet on.
Of course, adaptations had to be made to make this game possible for non-magic folks, but the heart of the game remains: Two teams play to earn points and catch a golden snitch while running with brooms between their legs.
6. Mountain Unicycling
Just in case mountain biking doesn’t have enough challenges, the truly daring can take it up another level by mountain unicycling (while the rest of us watch comfortably from the sidelines, placing wagers on the outcome through the types of sites reviewed on casinos.com).
Major events for this sport, which is also known as “Muni,” often combine other unicycling activities, like track racing and jumping events. Every two years, a world event (known as Unicon) occurs in a new country, and in 2024, it’s scheduled to take place in the United States. And yes, it’s an event where you can try your sports-betting luck.
7. Cheese-Chasing
Every year at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, UK, a cheese-chasing or cheese-rolling event takes place. It involves sending a wheel of cheese rolling down a steep hill, and a group of people run down after it to catch it. It’s a unique event that has become a major tradition that draws interest from people worldwide.
Inevitably, people get hurt as they hurtle down the hill, but thankfully, injuries are usually not too serious, allowing the excitement and fun to carry on. While it’s not an official sport, it is an event that draws thousands and has everyone guessing who the winners will be, whether they’ve placed a friendly wager or not.
8. Bog Snorkelling
Bog snorkelling involves jumping into the murky water of a bog and snorkelling to the finish line. As unexpected and uncommon as this sport may be, it does draw enough snorkellers for there to be World Bog Snorkelling Championships—and you bet punters can place a wager on the event.
Bonus: The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl itself may not be a strange sporting event to bet on, but some of the possibilities for placing wagers are unexpected. For instance, when Rhianna was the half-time performer, it was possible to wager on her hair colour for the performance. Beyond the performance, there are also opportunities to bet on the colour of the drink poured over the coach to celebrate the big win and the result of the coin flip. For these unexpected betting opportunities, the Super Bowl has earned a honourable mention on this list.
Conclusion
From corn and cow manure to mountain cycling and bog swimming, there’s no shortage of strange sporting events that entertain and delight us or offer us a chance to win extra cash.
