Fantapapa on the rise in Italy, while others gamble on the next pope

In Italy, betting on the next pope is not culturally approved, but the void has been filled with the emergence of Fantapapa, an online game inspired by fantasy sports.

Many international betting operators are offering odds on who will be the successor to Pope Francis, following his death on April 21, with plenty of interest in the contest. 

Gambling on the next pope is not illegal in Italy, but it is not considered to be appropriate. However, the agency responsible for authorizing advance betting markets has intervened.

“There is no law expressly prohibiting betting on the election of the pope,” detailed Nicola Tani, head of Italian specialist media outlet Agipronews.

“However, the Customs Agency, which authorises the subject of bets in advance, has informally asked gaming licensees to avoid offering odds on the election of the pope, as is the case for Italian political elections,” he added.

Enter Fantapapa. 

The game is a clever play on the concept of fantasy sports combined with the emotional and cultural resonance of the church in Italy. 

Instead of placing bets on the new pontiff, players select a team of 11 ‘papabili’ – papal contenders – with points awarded for significant coverage or speculation on team members from the Italian and international media.

Extra points are up for grabs for the eventual successor, as well as the name chosen by the new pope and other novelty themes.

A papal conclave will convene on May 7, with 120 of the Roman Catholic Church’s 138 cardinals forming the collective inside the Sistine Chapel to commence the vote. 

Cardinals over the age of 80 are not eligible to participate in the voting process. 

Pietro Pace, one of the creators of Fantapapa, told Reuters, “There are no prizes, it’s just for fun and the eternal glory.”

“As of now (Cardinal Matteo) Zuppi is the preferred candidate and, notably, most of the followers on our Instagram profile are women,” he added.

Pace, a Microsoft AI architect, and Mauro Vanetti, a video game developer, ramped up work on the platform when Pope Francis was admitted to hospital in February and released the title shortly after his passing.

Fantapapa is free to play and carries no ads, with more than 60,000 players engaged as of this week.

Image credit: Vatican News

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