Betting on Next Pope Identity

Pope John Paul II was the first pope in 400 years who was not originally born in Italy. So now the online casinos are taking bets on who the next pope will be and which nation he will come from. So long as there are odds on something, the sites will take bets on it.

According to papal experts, nine of the top twenty people that could be appointed as the next pope are from Italy. These large numbers of candidates that come from outside Italy have spurred on betting at the online casino. Right now Nigerian Francis Arinze has odds of 9/2 and is the favorite choice. France's Jean-Marie Lustiger 5/1 is the second favorite, with Germany's Joseph Ratzinger 11/2 as third most popular pick. Right now it´s hard to say who will take it.

A spokesperson for one online casino recently commented that although the Italians dominate numerically, there are still several very strong contenders from different countries who could come through to win. Therefore offering a 5/4 that the next Pope will be Italian, but 4/7 that he will not.

As the date for a final choice on who will be appointed as the next pope draws nearer, betting activity is also increasing. Right now it´s very hard to say if the next pope will be from or outside Italy´s boarders. If the online casino is any indication then according to the odds it look like the favorite candidate for pope will be coming from outside of Italy.