The Gamblers

Some people will literally bet on anything:

“Immediately after the death of Pope Francis was announced, Google searches for “bet on new pope” spiked to nearly an all-time high, with the previous high coming back in September 2011 amidst the filing of a formal complaint to the International Criminal Court accusing then-Pope Benedict of crimes against humanity for their roles in the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic church,” reports the culture site Whiskey Riff. .... Whiskey Riff points out that there’s a reason why people are looking to bet on the next pontiff: Of course sports gambling has become a massive industry in the United States since being legalized back in 2018, with 30 states allowing online sports betting and over $121 billion reportedly being wagered in 2023. But sports bettors are kind of in a slow season right now. There’s the NBA and the NHL playoffs, and of course MLB, but with March Madness wrapping up a couple weeks ago and no football, it seems bettors are anxious to find something else to throw their money on – including the papal conclave. On some level, I get it. Gamblers want their “fix,” and they want their chance to win big money. But we’re talking about someone who died in the early morning hours. Regardless of what you think of Pope Francis — and I’ve seen enough ugliness in our normally civil and thoughtful comments section to know that the opinions are strong — doesn’t it come across as disrespectful to bet on his successor when the ink is barely dry on his death certificate?

Never let good taste get in the way of a bet...