(Nexstar) – Online gambling is taking over the world of sports, but some sites allow you to place bets on anything other than sports. Shortly after it was announced that Pope Francis had passed away, the online gambling website posted a betting favorite to replace him.
According to Oddschecker.com, Italian Pietro’s parole was at the top with +320 odds as of Wednesday afternoon, followed by a Philippine Louis Antoniotagle of +400.
Betting on who the next Pope is is not part of the new trend. In fact, some studies argue that betting on the next pope can be traced back to the 16th century.
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According to Frederick J. Baumgartner’s “Locked Doors: History of the Pope Election,” evidence of the Pope’s succession and how long the Conclave can be wagered can be traced back to 1502.
According to Baumgartner, Roman bookmakers will have knowledge of the litigation in between and will bet by revealing their odds. One bookmaker was reported to have made 20,000 skdi in Conclave in 1549.
It was not long before Pope Gregory XIV was staked on the Pope’s case in 1591. The punishment would be excommunicative.
The prohibition continued until the code of the Canon Act of 1917, which was the “first integrated Canon Act in the Roman Catholic Church.”
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This codification will be replaced and obsolete from the previous code.
In modern times, online betting has increased the amount of gambled in conclave results. More than $11 million has been wagered on the Catholic Church’s next leader, according to Polymarket, a crypto-based platform that allows users to wager on events.
Betting on Pope Francis’ successor depends on where you are. It is not illegal to wager on a conclave in Italy, but the practice raises eyebrows. Those trying to line up their money have transformed into a fantasy sports style game called “Fantapapa.”
In the US, gambling in the Pope election is not offered domestically as it is considered outside the scope of traditional sportsbooks. Those trying to make a bet should use international alternatives.
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