What Odds New Pope by Good Friday?

Pope Benedict XVI has officially retired, but there are still many questions to be answered, such as who the 115 cardinal electors vote in as next pope, when they will make a decision, and what his nationality will be.

Papal voting preview

On Monday, cardinals from all over the world will meet in Vatican City to begin the process of choosing a successor for Benedict, who shocked the world last month when he became the first head of the Catholic Church to resign in more than 600 years – rather than taking the usual path of serving until death.

Unlike a regular national election or sports event, there is no set time for this process. With no obvious frontrunner and at least a dozen or so names considered possible successors, the cardinals could take time to make their choice. This might be frustrating more than one billion Catholics, but it does provide great betting opportunities.

William Hill Pope Betting

William Hill online sportsbook is offering a number of specials on the Papal betting, including 1/100 odds that there will be a new Pope in place by Good Friday (16/1 that there will not). It is offering 16/1 that the Pope is decided in the first ballot, and 8/1 for the second. Always the innovator, it is offering 500/1 on a female or British pope by the year 2100.

In the odds for who will replace Pope Benedict XVI, Hill offers the following: Peter Turkson, 5/2, Angelo Scola, 11/4, Tarciso Bertone, 4/1, Angelo Bagnasco, 5/1, Marc Ouellet, 6/1, Peter Erdo, 9/1, Christoph Schonborn, Gianfranco Ravasi, Leanardo Sandri, 14/1, all others 20/1 or over.