When someone mentions sports the first thing that comes to our mind is usually one of the major sports with a large fan following. Football, basketball, baseball, American football, tennis, and all of the Olympic sports are some of the most important pastime activities in the world. However, there are numerous other that are quite popular in certain parts of the world, with traditions longer than many of the mainstream activities and disciplines.
Since they are so popular and loved, it also means that their fans also like betting on the outcomes just like the fans of popular sports like betting on their versions. Therefore, with the spread of online betting and gambling, you can now gamble on some rather weird and unordinary sporting events you never knew existed.
In this article you will learn everything there is about strange sports you can now bet on online. Virtual betting services and websites are more popular than ever, which paved way for all sorts of gambling and betting opportunities to become more prominent. To find out even more about this and place some bets on the sports you find interesting, we highly encourage you to visit sportni-portal.com. Let us now explore the weirdest sports to bet on!
1. GAA Hurling
Hurling is a traditional sport in the country of Ireland, and at first glance, it looks like a strange combo of rugby, lacrosse, and football. Weirdly, this is exactly what it is! According to popular Irish folk tales and poems, the sport has been played there for 3000 years or so. Equipment includes wooden sticks that are used to hit the baseball-looking sliotar ball. Scoring goals is the best way to win the game as it awards 3 points while scoring above the goal awards a single point. The sport is quite fast and contact-heavy, which makes it amazing to spectate and cheer. The best players are able to hit the sliotar extremely hard and make it go over 150 km/h. Shoulder checking is the base of contact and best believe the players take full advantage of it! The biggest games in Ireland draw in as many as 85,000 people in the audience. The sport checks all the boxes that make something worth betting on, excitement, competitiveness, and unexpected outcomes.
2. Pesäpallo
If you thought baseball is only played in the USA, you were missing out. The Nordic country of Finland has its own version and answer to the popular American sport called Pesäpallo. Played in much the same manner albeit, with a different type of uniforms and equipment, the sport is also popular in Australia, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland. It is these six nations that also compete in the World Cup that takes place every three years. In Finland, there is a domestic competition for 14 men’s and 10 women’s teams, and it is immensely popular. Online betting includes placing wagers on individual Superpesis League matches, championship winners at the end of the season, and many other more specific bets. The World Cup year is the best time to place bets as it features the most exciting national games apart from the yearly domestic leagues and cups.
3. Netball
Basketball without dribbling and backboards, with lower rims and played by more women than men? Yeah, it exists, and it is called netball. Right now it is trying to become an Olympic sport but it still needs more traction and prominence to do so. It is unique enough to distinguish itself from basketball mostly because it eliminates one of the most important things in dribbling and jumping. It is not nearly as exciting because of that but it is still great for online betting. The audience is mostly comprised of hardcore fans, mostly women. Wagers may be hard to find unless you live in Australia or New Zealand where the World Netball Championship, Commonwealth Games, and the World Netball Series are really popular. National leagues are also great for a bet or two.
4. Gaelic Football
If two footballs in soccer and American football are not enough for you, what say you about the more specific version that is Gaelic football? Again dominant mostly in Ireland, from the very name you can conclude that it quite an ancient discipline. The point system is similar to Hurling as a goal awards 3 points while scoring above it awards 1 point. Top matches draw as many as 80,000 spectators and the games can get truly physical. It is a cross between rugby and soccer if that makes any sense to you. You can either kick or throw the ball, so make of that what you will. Online betting is really diverse and you can pick and choose what to place your money on, which is arguably the most important thing for most sports betting enthusiasts.
5. eSports (Video Games)
The newest addition to the umbrella term that is sports are video games, that is, a competitive version of the most popular online games. Right now, the most played ones are also the most-watched ones, therefore the most bet on as well. These include League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, DOTA 2, Fortnite, World of Warcraft, PUBG, Valorant, Apex Legends, and a few others. Major competitions are getting bigger each year, with League of Legends World Championships being the most dominant, with crazy prize pools and immense venues. A great example is the 2014 edition that sold out the World Cup football (soccer) stadium in Seoul. Video games in form of esports are definitely here to stay, and their future is brighter than many other traditional sports. This means that betting on them is perhaps the best and most lucrative way of sports gambling especially if you like video games anyway.
Conclusion and Takeaways
As you can see, fellow gamblers and bettors, there is a lot more to try than the most obvious sporting competitions, events, and disciplines everyone is familiar with. These unorthodox and lesser-known sports often offer better odds and chances at winning in order to draw more viewers and spectators, so taking advantage of them seems like a good opportunity from time to time. Who knows, maybe you become a lifelong fan of a strange sport after you score a small fortune from betting on it!
