Funniest Novelty Bets and Specials Odds

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Sportsbooks have come a long way and offer a ton of betting markets in many categories, from match result to goals, player/team props to Specials. The Special markets are also called Novelty bets. In this article, we will present you with some of the funniest and craziest novelty wagers we could find that bookmakers offered to their customers. Keep in mind that the list isn't numbered, so this isn't a Top chart. It's just a group of wagers that made us laugh.

The Funniest Novelty Bets in Football History

Football punters have always been crazy and creative. Bookmakers have experienced that in the fullest. When the “Request A Price” or “Request A Bet” feature depending on the platform you use which, was introduced many funny, crazy, or even hilarious bet requests were handed, and some bookies obliged. Sometimes the feature has a name with a hashtag in it because these types of requests are made via Twitter. Why not have a little fun while wagering, right? Here are some of the funniest and craziest Football novelty bets ever requested and accepted by bookmakers.

Xavi Alonso to score a goal from his half during the season

Believe it or not, the punter that made that wager had a great day when the match ended because he won £25,000 from a bet, he offered the bookie and luckily for him they took it at odds of 125-1.

Glen Johnson to score a late goal

Glen Johnson’s goal at the 87^th minute of a match in 2011 made many people happy. Overall, around the world, players earned more than nineteen million pounds from the goal. The largest prize was won by a player from Malta who won the unbelievable sum of £585,000 from paying just 80p on William Hill. The odds for that bet were 683,738/1, and that goal made this player very happy.

Suarez to bite someone during the 2014 World Cup

A Norway bookie – Besson offered this wager. More than a hundred people place a bet that he would and believe it or not he did. During his career, he got punished twice for it, but third time's the charm as they say.

Angola to win against Mali when they were down four goals

This bet would be an excellent example of the advantages of in-play betting. In 2010 during a match between Mali and Angola, where Angola was leading with four goals, a punter paid £4000 that Angola would win the game, with only sixteen minutes left until the final whistle blown. Believe it or not, Mali scored four goals, and the match ended in a draw. If they had scored one more goal, the punter would have gone home with a fatter wallet.

Peer to Peer bet over the Manchester United-Arsenal game

While not offered by a bookmaker per se, this bet became very popular when two people bet on the two teams to win. The first person staked their house and the second his card, and his wife. The village council sanctioned the wager, and after the game, one person lost their home.

The Funniest Non-Sports Related Novelty Bets

People enjoy placing bets on Specials or also called Novelty bets. There are many possibilities from topics relating to Dance and Award Shows to the Royal Family. There are even Politics-related novelty bets that people enjoy placing all over the globe. Outside of Football, there are also some hilarious and crazy wagers offered by bookmakers. Some of them are even disturbing. Let’s introduce you to some of them.

Proof of Alien Live/ When will Alien Life Get Discovered?

The universe is vast, and our galaxy isn't small. There is scientific evidence that supports the fact the over two billion planets in our galaxy alone can support life. Who are we to say that aliens don't exist? Some bookmakers are sure that there are so many possibilities, and they offered prices on when alien life would get discovered. All later years have less favorable odds.

When will the World End?

This topic of the world's end has been talked about for many years now. The year the event will take place seems to be a popular novelty bet worldwide. What would people do with their winnings once the world starts ending, we have no idea, but they sure think they can predict it. Many punters place insane stakes on this outcome, especially during 2012, but they have been disappointed. We will see what will happen in the next years and if someone would correctly guess when the world will finally end and get their reward in time.

Who Would be the Next James Bond?

The 007 movies have become very popular, and many people wait to see who will take on the role of the infamous James Bond in the next film. We know that Danie Craig was the last actor to play James Bond in the movie that is released later this year. Bookmakers are already offering wagers to see if people can guess which actor would have the honor next. It's pretty unusual, but many people bet on this before it was known that D. Craig would play him this year, and many will place a bet for the next Agent 007 movie.

Honorable Mentions

There are a couple of other ridiculous non-football related wagers that were placed over the years. Some of them are:

• When will polar bears go extinct?
• Barak Obama to get assassinated during his term
• A dead footballer to be named a football club’s manager
• Which would be the first animal species to be wiped out by The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
• Is Elvis Presley still alive?
• The color of the Queen’s hat during the Royal Ascot
• Whether it would snow on Christmas day
• Who would be the next pope?
• Who will sit on the legendary Iron throne and rule the Seven Kingdoms on the TV show Game of Thrones?