2025 has certainly brought some surprises…
In case you missed it, a new Pope was elected on Thursday, named Leo. Pope Leo XIV is notable for being the first American to hold this position. However, that’s not the main focus here.
What’s really interesting is how some bettors scored big after wagering on Villanova alumni to be the next Pope. Yes, that’s right; people actually placed bets on who would become the Pope! And a few did it successfully!
Most bets were placed on Cardinal Pietro Parolin, but there were also some fortunate gamblers who put their money on Robert Prevost. Just hours before the white smoke signaled the election’s result, Prevost was sitting with only a 0.3% chance, according to a cryptocurrency-based prediction market.
To put it simply, those who risked their money on Prevost made out incredibly well.
Here’s a breakdown of the situation:
Reportedly, someone bet $526 on Robert Prevost with just 1% odds. Remarkably, they ended up winning $52,641.
If I had the option to bet through the app I was using, I absolutely would have taken a shot! Given the circumstances, I probably would have put some coins on American candidates simply because of their nationality, convinced that one of them might actually clinch the win.
In short, I missed out on a golden opportunity and now I’m feeling pretty upset about it.
