Basically, of course, you can place bets on just about anything. In addition to soccer, tennis, basketball etc., international bookmakers also like to include more unusual markets in their programs if they sense a certain level of public interest. A good example of this at the moment is the relationship status of US basketball player Angel Reese. The 22-year-old professional player is considered an up-and-coming star, has a lot of publicity and is currently single. This prompted US bookies to quickly provide odds for potential partners. A good reason for us to take another look at the craziest “sports bets”.

In the fall of 2024, the sports betting world is once again showing its most dazzling side and nothing seems to be safe from the creative ideas of bookmakers. Particularly in the USA, where basketball is an integral part of pop culture, the private stories of players quickly come into the betting spotlight. A current example of the providers' ingenuity is provided by the rising star of the WNBA, Angel Reese. The 22-year-old professional basketball player, who recently started playing for the Chicago Sky, recently caused a sensation with a personal statement in her podcast “Unapologetically Angel”: she is currently single, but this should not last - her potential partner just has to be the “right type”. The bookmakers' reaction was not long in coming. They took Reese's relationship status as the starting point for a new betting market in which the talented athlete's potential future partners are traded.

But what is behind this trend? Sports betting providers are always on the lookout for markets that not only appeal to sports fans, but also reach a wider audience. In addition to classic events such as the outcome of sporting events or political elections, so-called special bets - bets on unusual events - are becoming increasingly popular. These range from the colour of Queen Camilla's hat at her next public appearance to the first names of the children of prominent couples. Placing bets on the next boyfriend of a professional sportswoman may sound bizarre, but it follows a clear economic logic: the more attention a topic receives in the media, the greater the interest in the associated betting markets. In particular, the combination of sport and celebrity status, as in the case of Angel Reese, makes for ideal marketing.

At 1.91 metres tall and with an impressive portfolio of sporting successes, Reese is one of the most promising players of her generation. So it's no wonder that speculation about potential suitors is rife. According to betting providers, the favourites include Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons and Victor Wembanyama, the French superstar of the San Antonio Spurs. However, these betting markets are by no means pure entertainment: they also reflect the interest and power of social media, which fuels such trends and keeps the players in the public eye.

The ‘betting on the love lives’ of celebrities is just the tip of the iceberg. At the same time, bookmakers offer an enormous number of other curious options. Creativity knows almost no bounds. For many bettors, it's less about winning and more about the entertainment value - and the opportunity to be amused by the sometimes bizarre excesses.

That still needs to be said: Such tips are not permitted in Germany and are therefore not available from bookies licensed in this country (at least not for the German market).

Curiosities among international sports betting providers in autumn 2024

International sports betting providers are known for their creativity when it comes to providing unusual odds outside of the typical sporting events. In doing so, they not only make use of current social trends, but also pop culture phenomena and downright fantasy scenarios that sometimes seem completely absurd.

In autumn 2024, there will be a variety of rather bizarre betting options:

  1. Weather betting on Western European airports: Believe it or not, the weather is a popular topic with betting providers. This autumn, you can bet on which airports in Western Europe will reach a temperature of between 4 and 28 degrees. With odds between 2.80 and 5.00, the bookies offer various options for airports such as Frankfurt, London-Heathrow or Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
  2. Nobel Peace Prize 2024: The list of nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize is quite something. The top candidates include the now deceased Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny (1.50), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj (3.50) and environmental activist Greta Thunberg (26.00). This bet is not only a statement about the political landscape, but also shows how social and geopolitical developments are integrated by betting providers into their programmes, which actually happens relatively often.
  3. Ben Affleck's next relationship: The private relationships of celebrities are always the subject of speculation - even among bookmakers. In the case of Ben Affleck, the odds for a possible return to his ex-wife Jennifer Garner are 5.00, while a renewed liaison with Jennifer Lopez is at 9.00. The craziest option? A relationship with Elton John, which has odds of 151.00.
  4. Elon Musk vs Nicolás Maduro - fight of the year? Even if it sounds like a joke, betting providers have actually created odds on a potential fight between entrepreneur Elon Musk and Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro. The odds of this actually happening are 11.00. The background to this is Musk's regular provocative statements, which continue to cause a stir.
  5. Who would win a war against aliens? This bet has been available for some time now and always provokes laughter. It was already taken up in our last article on curious ‘sports bets’. So, who would win a war if aliens attacked the earth? The odds are still 1.25 for ‘humans’ and 4.00 for ‘aliens’. This bizarre bet is a perennial favourite and illustrates the mixture of science fiction fantasy and pop culture that betting providers like to serve up.
  6. New ‘Gladiator’ film - first animal scene and number of ‘Empire’ mentions: There are plenty of bets on certain details for the cinema release of the new ‘Gladiator’ film. For example, the odds on the first animal to be shown are 1.95 for a horse, 3.00 for an elephant and 4.00 for a lion. How often the term ‘empire’ will be mentioned is also the subject of a bet. There are odds of 1.77 for ‘Under 6.5’ and 1.91 for ‘Over 6.5’.
  7. Jennifer Lopez's next relationship: Jennifer Lopez also has a curious selection of possible next partners. In addition to Eminem (9.00) and Bad Bunny (13.00), the selection also includes spectacular outsiders such as Donald Trump (251.00). This once again shows the humour of the bookmakers, who seem to know no bounds when creating such markets.
  8. Next James Bond theme song artist: While fans are still speculating about which artist will sing the next Bond song, the bookmakers have long since set odds for it. Dua Lipa leads with 2.50, followed by Taylor Swift (6.00) and U2 (13.00). This type of bet is particularly popular with film fans.
  9. Next James Bond villain: The next Bond villain is also hotly debated. The current favourite is Cillian Murphy with odds of 6.00, followed by Robert De Niro (13.00). A particularly curious candidate is Adam Sandler, whose odds are estimated at 34.00.
  10. Oasis: A dream of many Britpop fans could come true if Oasis actually headline the Glastonbury Festival. The odds for a ‘yes’ are 6.00. The question of the first song is also particularly exciting. ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ is clearly ahead with odds of 2.00, while “Live Forever” is more of an outsider at 13.00.
  11. TikTok ban in the USA: The debate about a possible TikTok ban in the USA continues. Betting providers are giving odds of 5.00 that the app will actually be ‘switched off’ for US citizens by the end of 2024. This tip shows the extent to which social networks and their regulation have become a topic of public interest and therefore also of betting offers.

Conclusion

These bizarre betting options illustrate that international bookmakers have long since ceased to focus solely on sporting events. Their repertoire extends to social and political developments, pop culture trends and even fictional scenarios that you would expect to find in a science fiction film. In doing so, they react to current events and skilfully exploit the media attention surrounding celebrities and global discussions to arouse the public's interest.

Whether it's about the next relationship of a Hollywood star, the outcome of the Nobel Peace Prize or even the question of who would win a war against aliens - the bookies offer a suitable bet for almost every taste. This variety not only provides entertainment, but also shows how dynamic and creative the industry is. In the end, the impression remains that nothing is too special to come onto the market as a betting option - and this is precisely the special attraction for many betting enthusiasts worldwide. There will certainly be plenty of fun things for us to discover in the future.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/elon-musk-tesla-motors-man-famous-7465608/

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