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As an avid fan of several different sports leagues, you’re likely wondering about what other gambling markets are out there. You might be surprised to learn that you can bet on some of the most bizarre sports on earth.
The truth is that sports gambling is a wide-open market – plenty of betting options are available for all kinds of competitions. With that being said, here are the seven strangest sports you can bet on.
Curling
Curling is an Olympic sport that requires players to slide stones made of granite across a frozen, icy surface onto the target area. The goal of the game is to score the most points, which is determined by where the stones land on the target.
Two teams of four compete against each other in a curling match, and they take turns sliding the granite stones. The skill in the game comes down to knocking the opponent’s stones out of the scoring area.
Curling is certainly one of the weird sports to bet on, but it’s actually popular around the world. The places where curling is prominent include North America, Scandinavian countries, and other countries near northern Europe, such as Poland and Germany.
The biggest competitors in curling include Canada, Switzerland, Germany, and the U.S. Sweden was the 2021 World Championship winner in the men’s division. Switzerland won the women’s division in the same year.
Jai Alai
Jai Alai is similar to racketball because it involves a rubber ball bouncing off walls in an enclosed space. The name translates to “merry festival” and the sport is played worldwide but is mostly popular in Florida.
The rules of Jai Alai are fairly simple. You begin by serving the ball and ensuring that it lands in the designated serving zone. The opposing player must then catch and return the ball before it touches the floor.
The object of the game is to win points by bouncing the ball off the front wall in a way that prevents your opponent from returning it. Whoever finishes the game with the most points ends up winning.
Arm Wrestling
At this point, no one can deny that arm wrestling is one of our pastimes, and you shouldn’t be surprised that it’s a professional sport. We’ve all played a round of arm wrestling at some point in our lives, even if we’re not very strong or stout.
It was only a few decades ago that arm wrestling became a professional sport. It includes four weight categories, and pro arm wrestlers compete in tournaments throughout the year. Referees also take part in the matchups, detecting any fouls that can (and will) occur.
The big events include lasers in the center of the table to ensure that no one gets out of line. In many cases, the matches will even end in less than two seconds. Pro arm wrestling is also unpredictable, which makes it even more exciting for gamblers.
The best pro arm wrestler in the world right now is Travis Bagent, who hails from West Virginia. The sport is very prominent in North America, although championship events often take place in Europe and Asia.
World Wrestling Entertainment
Many people in the U.S. don’t consider the WWE to be among the most obscure sports to bet on. That’s because you’re watching entertainers competing in matches that don’t have an actual competitive outcome. If anything, performers are vying for more air-time and bookings.
The truth is that the WWE will promote the wrestlers who draw the most interest from fans. Some of the best performers can elicit cheers and uproarious support from large crowds. Conversely, bad guys or heel turns will provoke plenty of booing.
Popular WWE events establish a similar formula to traditional sports betting markets. You often bet on who wins/loses their respective matches. However, your job is to determine which storylines are viable, rather than betting on the person who’s better at wrestling.
Everyone knows that the WWE has a ton of influence around the world – Superstars representing the organization are all global sensations. This includes many current performers, such as Drew McIntyre, Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns, and more.
Cornhole
Cornhole is a simple yet super fun game that anyone can play at their own leisure. It involves two teams of two and each person throws small bags filled with corn kernels into holes carved out of two slightly slanted boards.
Betting is mostly available for cornhole on a local level, but occasionally, sportsbooks will make odds available for championships. The American Cornhole League was founded in 2015, and it promotes the sport through tournaments and other competitive events.
Aside from the U.S., cornhole is also played in countries around the world, and many believe that it could become an Olympic sport. The American Cornhole League has already amassed more than 100,000 registered players.
Is cornhole a weird sport to bet on? It certainly is. However, this doesn’t take away from the fact that cornhole is exploding in popularity. You can expect it to become a much more recognizable sport in the coming years.
Cow Chip Tossing
This particular “sport” is also pretty simple to play and attracts a lot of players from different parts of the world. A cow chip throwing contest presents the ultimate test for anyone who wants to see how far they can throw a dried piece of cow turd.
The rules are also very easy to learn – each player will toss two cow chips per turn, and the one furthest thrown counts as the attempt. The person who throws the furthest cow chip wins. I know this all sounds silly and absurd, yet it’s so dang fun to play.
Wisconsin also holds the annual Cow Chip Throw and Festival in Sauk City, which attracts a ton of competitors. Here, you can gamble on the competition via a bingo-style format that factors in the location of where the turds will land.
In 2015, Drew Russel became the record holder for the furthest-thrown cow chip when one of his attempts exceeded 188 feet. Sportsbooks don’t typically cover cow chip tossing, but betting is likely available at local events and tournaments.
Rock, Paper, Scissors
Is it really at all surprising that adults continue to play rock paper scissors? It’s also not super surprising that we enjoy betting on such a strange sport. It’s even been rumored that NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan would bet $100,000 on rock, paper, scissors.
The top competitors in the game actually devote a lot of time to perfecting their strategies. Even if you don’t recognize rock, paper, scissors as a sport, you can’t deny that it requires a lot of competitive ability.
The World Rock Paper Scissors Society has been very successful at promoting the game. The organization explains that everyone has the chance to “be a professional athlete” without having to go through any rigorous training.
Conclusion
Are you ready to begin betting on weird sports? I encourage you to visit the best betting sites online where you’ll discover plenty of markets on obscure sports.
You’ll also find odds on markets involving mainstream sporting events, such as soccer, basketball, and baseball games.
The best part is that the bonuses of the top sportsbooks can be used on everything they offer, in most cases. You can get extra cash for both competitions like NFL, and sports like cow chip tossing!
