When it comes to betting, you probably think about sports, horse racing, or casino games. But people who like a flutter online aren’t necessarily always just looking at Boylesports football odds or Grand National bets – the world of betting can be wonderfully weird. From unlikely predictions about the future to crazy challenges, there have been plenty of strange bets that have gained a lot of media attention.
So, with that being said, here are some of the strangest bets ever made.
A Man Bets on Having a Superstar Footballer as a Grandchild
Back in 1989, a man called Peter Edwards made a £50 bet at odds of 500/1 that his then-18-month-old grandson, Harry Wilson, would one day play football for Wales. Apparently, he just had a hunch and a belief that Harry had a special footie talent. Fast forward 13 years, and Harry actually made his debut for the Welsh national team at just 16 years old—and his grandad won a very cool £125,000. Talk about a grandparent’s intuition!
An Alien Invasion Wager
In what you might call the most “out-of-this-world” bet ever placed, a Brit-based bookie once took a bet on the possibility that there might be an alien invasion. One punter decided to bet £100 that aliens would land on Earth before the year 2020. And while most bookies offered odds that went up to as much as 5,000/1, unfortunately, the bet did not pay off, and the £100 was lost. However, it does go to show that there really is a bet and a market for everything and everyone.
The James Bond Name Bet
After his son was born, a die-hard James Bond fan placed a bet that his child, who they’d actually named James Bond, would end up becoming a real-life secret agent. Although the odds were astronomical – at 50,000/1, the bet still stood, and the bookmakers accepted it, under the condition that the boy would need to work for MI6 before the age of 30.
The child is still under 30, so technically, this is a bet that could still be won!
The “Naked Marathon” Challenge
Friends make silly bets all the time, but there was one man who decided to take it to the next level when he bet that he would run the London Marathon naked— in only body paint —if his favourite football team was relegated from the Premier League that season.
Unfortunately for him (but to the amusement of his friends), his team did get relegated and, true to his word, he completed the marathon in full naked painted glory – and raised thousands for charity in the process.
The End of the World Bet
It probably comes as no surprise that there are people who have tried to bet on the end of the world – and bookmakers have received actual requests to bet on doomsday scenarios. Of course, bookies are smart, and they know it’s a win-win situation for them. After all, if the world actually did end on the predicted day, they wouldn’t be around to pick up their winnings anyway, so for the punter, it’s basically a lost bet no matter what happens!
The Twin Wager
There was also a gambler who placed a rather unique bet that his wife would end up giving birth to twins. Not only that, but he also included some pretty detailed specifics—he bet that they’d be twin girls and they’d be born on Christmas Day. As you can imagine, the odds were sky-high, but incredibly, there was obviously some divine intervention or maybe time travel does exist – as the outcome matched his bet exactly. He ended up walking away with a huge payout and a great story to tell at the dinner table.
The £50 That Turned into £1.3 Million
Finally, in 2011, a guy named Richard Hopkins thought that he could see something special in a young driver who happened to be called Lewis Hamilton. He placed a bet that Hamilton would place on a podium before the age of 20, win a Formula 1 Grand Prix by the time he was 23 and become World Champion by the age of 25. As we all know, all three ended up coming true, and the bet won him millions.
So, there you have it. Some of the strangest bets ever – and some that have even paid out big!
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