It’s all very well betting on football and other sports, it’s even fun. But sometimes you want something a little more unusual to put your dollars on, especially if there are some long odds on it coming true. Admittedly, this makes the possibility of it actually happening pretty slim – but beating the odds is what gambling’s all about.
So here are three different bets that you might like to think about. But, in the case of the final one, maybe that’s not such a great idea.
Aliens to land on Earth
We’ve long been obsessed with the thought of alien life existing out there in the universe. You only have to look at the sheer number of books and films on the subject to see that. From H.G Wells’ The War of the Worlds to Spielberg’s E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, visitors from outer space have variously been seen in fiction as aggressive, cute or just curious. But, when it comes to whether they exist in reality, there’s been no definite proof. The math is certainly in their favor. With billions of planets estimated to exist in the universe it’s hard to believe that there isn’t at least one which is home to some form of life. So if you think they’re looking for us as hard as we’re looking for them, you’re sure to be find a bookmaker willing to offer odds.
Michelle Obama to become President
November’s election is shaping up to be what could diplomatically be described as interesting. Donald Trump is sure to pull out all of the stops to try to gain a second term in the Oval Office and Joe Biden certainly looks like a credible challenger to prevent this. So you might think that the odds on the next US president might not offer too great an opportunity. But that’s to overlook some of the surprising outliers in the contest who might just run as independents. Michelle Obama was remarkable as First Lady and since then her stature and reputation has grown and grown. So at odds of 100/1 at the end of August she could well be worth a speculative few dollars. Because in politics, like in life, anything is possible.
The world to end
Sorry to end on a bit of a downer, but for some time now it has been possible to place bets on when the world may come to an end. Whether it will be with a bang or a whimper isn’t specified, nor has it been clarified how exactly you would pick up your winnings, or even what use they might be to you. With some scientists estimating that we have 20 years to save the world from environmental catastrophe this, unfortunately, looks like one bet that could actually come true – although scientists have not always got thing right in the past.
So there you have them, three off-the-wall bets, two of which would make the world a more interesting place, and the third that would make it no place at all.