Want to learn about unusual bets? Place a couple of your regular ones on 20Bet and entertain yourself by reading our post.
Sports betting isn’t always about who wins the match. Sometimes bookmakers take such unusual wagers that they sound more like a plot from a comedy movie. Here are 10 real-life examples that actually happened.
1. Betting on Mike Tyson’s Bite
In 1997, before Mike Tyson’s rematch with Evander Holyfield, someone bet that Tyson would bite his opponent. The odds were huge because it seemed absurd. But in the third round, Tyson actually bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear — and the bet paid off.
2. A White Christmas in London
In England, people love betting on the weather. Once, many placed wagers that it would snow in London specifically on Christmas Day. The chances were slim, but snow did fall, and bookmakers had to pay out generously.
3. Leicester Winning the Premier League
Before the 2015/16 season, the odds for Leicester City to win the league were 5000 to 1. No one believed it, but the club sensationally won, and those who bet on them became rich.
4. Hot Dog Eating Contest
In the USA, there’s a championship for eating hot dogs as fast as possible. One daring spectator bet that reigning champion Joey Chestnut would break his own record. He did — devouring 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
5. Politics Mixed with Sports
In Ireland, a fan placed a bet that during a national team match, one of the players would publicly support a certain politician. And indeed, after scoring a goal, a player took off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt with a political slogan.
6. The Color of Gatorade
In the USA during the Super Bowl, it’s tradition to dump a bucket of sports drink over the winning coach. Someone bet that it would be orange. And it was — earning the bettor a tidy profit.
7. Prince William’s Baby
Bookmakers in the UK took bets on the gender and name of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s baby. One person guessed both the gender and exact date of birth — and won big.
8. High School Team Beats Professionals
In Canada, an exhibition hockey match was held between a high school team and a local veterans’ club. A bookmaker jokingly set odds for it. The high schoolers won, and whoever took the risk cleaned up.
9. Usain Bolt and Chicken Nuggets
Before the 2008 Olympics, someone bet that Bolt would publicly profess his love for fast food on camera. After winning the sprint, he said in an interview that he ate chicken nuggets. The bet was counted as a win.
10. Boxer in Pink Shorts
A British fan bet that boxer David Haye would enter the ring in pink shorts in support of a breast cancer awareness campaign. Sure enough — he did.
The world of betting isn’t just about match scores or tournament winners. Sometimes wagers are so strange they become legends themselves. And as history shows, sometimes the craziest ideas turn out to be the winning ones.