Roma AP —
The conclave that begins this May 7 to choose the successor of Pope Francis as the leader of the 1,400 million Catholics in the world is a solemn issue impregnated with hundred traditions.
But far from the Sistine Chapel, where the enclaustrated cardinals will cast their votes, people bet on who will be chosen as the next Pope. From cash Bets on websites to online games inspired by the fantasy football And casual bets between friends and family, the popularity of guessing and betting on the future of the papacy increases worldwide, experts and participants say.
He has even surpassed the Europa League football tournament and the Formula One pilot championship, said Sam Eaton, manager of the United Kingdom for Oddschecker, a leading online platform that analyzes probabilities in sports, events and other betting markets.
“There is a great level of interest worldwide,” he said. “I don’t think we have had a market like this where so many countries are interested in seeing probabilities.”
Hundreds of thousands of people from about 140 countries have visited Oddschecker to review the possibilities of each cardinal to become the next Pope, Eaton said. He pointed out a special enthusiasm in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.
In the United Kingdom, around 30,000 pounds (almost US $ 40,000) have been opted with a leading online betting platform until this week, said Eaton, a figure much lower than 1.2 million pounds in the Eurovision singing contest, but still considerable as a trend, with the conclave a few days.
“Betting on the next Pope is definitely a niche market in the great scheme of things, but generates global interest,” said Lee Phelps, a spokesman for William Hill, one of the largest betting corridors in the United Kingdom.
“Since April 21, we have received thousands of bets, and it is the most active non -sports betting market,” said Phelps, who expects an increase in interest once the conclave begins on Wednesday.
Betting in elections, papal conclaves and all kinds of global events is almost a tradition in the United Kingdom, but such bets are not legal in the United States. Betmgm, one of the world’s main sports betting companies, said it will have no available bet.
However, Eaton said that in the unregulated and illegal space, one of the largest sites has received US $ 10 million in bets on the Pope so far.
Expert reveals how the smoke announces to the new Pope is manufactured
Expert reveals how the smoke announces to the new Pope is manufactured
01:07
In Italy, bet on the papal choice – and in all religious events – is prohibited.
-Some people in Rome make friendly and informal bets, the equivalent of US $ 20 for a favorite cardinal, with the loser committing to organize a dinner or buy a pizza night.
Others resort to an online game called Fantapapa, or fantasy potato, which mimics the popular fantasy football. More than 60,000 people are playing, each choosing 11 cardinals – as if it were a football team – who believe they have the best opportunity to become the next Pope.
They also choose the main contender, or captain. As with online bets, the number one choice for players of the fantasy football It has been Cardinal Italian Pietro Parolin, closely followed by Cardinal Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle.
“It’s a really fun game to play with friends and laugh,” said Italian student Federico La Rocca, 23. “Initially my dad sent it ironically, but now that it will be the conclave, I decided to try.”
La Rocca said she chose Tagle because “it looks like a good guy and a fun person.”
The players of the players determine the amount of points they accumulate. But what is the main prize?
“Eternal Gloria,” joked Mauro Vanetti, who created the game when Francisco was hospitalized earlier this year.
Vanetti said he and his co -founder are against bets, but wanted to create something fun around the event.
“It seems that in Italy there is some curiosity about the mechanisms of the Catholic hierarchy, but it is a critical curiosity, a sarcastic and playful curiosity, so we were interested in this spirit of joke for such a solemn event,” Vanetti said. “Somehow deflate the sacredness, in a non -aggressive way.”
Beyond simply choosing who will be the next Pope, players and trainers can also guess how many attempts will take the cardinals choose the leader, what day of the week will be chosen, what new name will decide or where their priorities will be in the progressive-conservative scale.
While the game and some of the bets have a novel or fun character, defenders against the game have raised general concerns about the legal game and the growing popularity of betting on all kinds of events.
A study published last autumn found that 10 % of young men in the United States show a behavior that indicates a game problem, which is a growing concern in other parts of the world as well.
And as for bets around the papacy in general, some have raised religious concerns. Catholic teaching does not qualify the games of chance or bets as sinful, but its catechism warns that “the passion for the game runs the risk of becoming slavery.”
He says that the game becomes “morally unacceptable” if it seriously affects a person’s sustenance.
