People all around the world enjoy sports betting, a practice in which they cheer on their favorite teams and participate in the action by placing bets and perhaps winning money. World sports betting, as a respectable form of entertainment, offers a number of sports that differ from the traditional sports betting we are all familiar with, such as tennis, horseracing, and soccer betting.
Online bookmakers are always seeking ways to differentiate themselves from the competition, and one of the ways they do it is by offering weird sports you can bet on, which aren’t available anywhere else. For instance, people who wish to bet using cryptocurrency will have to search for the best crypto betting sites in 2021. If you visit any large bookmaker, you’ll be surprised at how many different types of bets are available.
As you might imagine, most of the world’s major sports are covered, but an increasing number of bookies are also offering some incredibly esoteric sports that are only played in a handful of nations at most. Others were formerly considered “niche” but are now rapidly expanding. In any case, here are the 5 weird sports you can bet on online using crypto.
Table of Contents
1. Netball
Although you may have seen children playing netball at school, this sport is not only meant for children. Netball is, in fact, an IOC-recognized sport, with members of the International Netball Federation advocating for its inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics. Granted, they’ve been attempting to qualify for the Olympics since 1995.
Netball’s resemblance to basketball is one of the major challenges it faces in its quest for Olympic qualification. Furthermore, because netball is primarily a female sport, it has struggled to attract sponsorship money, a large audience, and other resources. Some have blamed this on sexism and other rubbish, but the truth is that netball isn’t the most attractive sport and only attracts participants from half of the population. Plus, it’s difficult to compete for viewers with basketball.
Despite these issues, netball retains its popularity, and enough people are interested in the sport that some bookmakers have begun to provide netball crypto betting markets. You won’t find fresh wagers every day, but the World Netball Championships, ANZ Championship, Commonwealth Games, Netball Superleague, and World Netball Series are generally available.
2. Cornhole
Cornhole is a simple game in which teams of players – generally two individuals – compete to hurl 16oz bags of corn kernels through holes carved into slanted platforms known as “dummy” boards in order to score points. Three points are awarded for a bag of corn that is placed in the hole; one point is awarded for a bag placed on the board. The winning team is the one who scores 21 points or more first.
Since its inception in 2015, the American Cornhole League has worked to promote cornhole as a sport by providing an app that allows users to manage and share cornhole leagues and tournaments as well as events and betting odds.
During a cornhole tournament in Shekou, the Shekou Cornhole Federation produced a list of odds for the next event, which went down in history as one of the oldest gambling papers in history, with team names such as We So Corny, The Natural Corn Killers, Game of Throws, and Breaking Bags!
3. GAA Hurling
Hurling, a historic Irish sport, resembles a rough and tumble mix of rugby, lacrosse, and football. According to legend, this game has been played in Ireland for more than 3000 years. Players are handed a wooden stick with which to hit a sliotar (a baseball-like object) across the field and into the opponent’s goal (3 points) or above their goal (1 point).
It’s a fast-paced game that’s said to be entertaining to watch. A well-hit sliotar can reach speeds of over 150 km/h, and players can shoulder check one other. The sport is played by people all around the world, but it is by far the most popular and well-known in Ireland. Major Irish sporting events can draw crowds of up to 85,000 people.
4. Pesäpallo
Pesäpallo is the name given to the game, which includes bases, pitchers, and hitters. The field, on the other hand, changes form completely, and the pitcher only throws the ball straight up in the air in front of the hitter. As a result, the offensive has more influence over the game, which leads to some intriguing strategic confrontations.
Although Finland is the sport’s birthplace, other countries have their own pesäpallo leagues and enthusiasts. Teams from Estonia, Australia, Finland, Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland have competed in the pesäpallo World Cup, which is held every third year.
The biggest domestic tournament is known as “Superpesis,” and it consists of 14 men’s and 10 women’s teams who compete for an annual title. You can normally wager on each Superpesis match, making predictions on who will win the league on online betting sites that cover this sport. If it happens to be a World Cup year, you can bet on those games as well.
5. eSports
You won’t be referring to eSports as “weird” for much longer if recent growth trends continue. For those unfamiliar with the term, eSports refers to competitive video gaming in games like League of Legends, World of Warcraft, and others. Major gaming tournaments are increasingly becoming spectator events. The 2014 League of Legends World Championship was held in a World Cup football stadium in Seoul, which was completely sold out.
Although it may seem strange, eSports will not be fading out in the near future. Moreover, eSports are now being televised on big television networks, and you can even wager on upcoming competitions, which is even more astounding. Following the competitive gaming industry for a while, you’ll notice certain teams and big-name players that you’re familiar with. When significant matches are approaching, people talk and dispute over them, just as they would with any other sport. To be expected, bookmakers have taken notice of the excitement and some are now offering online betting on electronic sports.