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The Independent
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
There's now fantasy football for the Conclave – here's how to play
While betting on the next papal election is discouraged in the Vatican 's home country, thousands of Italians have found a different way to engage with the upcoming conclave: Fantapapa. The online game, inspired by fantasy sports leagues is blending the worlds of church and football. International gambling companies are offering odds on potential successors to Pope Francis, with cardinals convening on May 7. However, licensed Italian gambling platforms are abstaining from taking bets on the "papabili," as the papal contenders are known. Fantapapa provides an alternative for those seeking a pre-conclave gaming experience. Similar to Fantasy Football, players create a team of 11 papal candidates and win points if a team member is mentioned prominently in media within Italy and beyond. Extra points are allocated if one of your picks is elected, with bonuses for correct guesses on other elements such as the name taken by the new pontiff. "As of now (Cardinal Matteo) Zuppi is the preferred candidate and, notably, most of the followers on our Instagram profile are women," Pietro Pace, one of the creators, told Reuters. Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna and the head of the Italian bishops' conference, is a well-known figure in the country. Pace, an AI architect at Microsoft, and Mauro Vanetti, a video game developer, started working on the platform in February when Francis went into hospital. The game, which is free to play and carries no adverts, went online shortly after he died on April 21, and the number of users approached 60,000 last week. "There are no prizes, it's just for fun and for the eternal glory," Pace said. Betting on the conclave is not illegal in Italy, but it is discouraged. "In Italy there is no law expressly prohibiting betting on the election of the pope," explained Nicola Tani, head of 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," Tani added. For gambling companies elsewhere, bets on the pope fall into the novelty category of one-off events that cannot be judged by conventional statistics or sporting form. Sums wagered are relatively small. On Polymarket, a blockchain-based prediction market, the "Who will be the next Pope?" market has seen a modest $10 million in total volume. By comparison, a possible Fed decision on interest rates in May has seen almost $30 million in bets. Who are the favourites for the next Pope and what are the odds? "There's already plenty of speculation on the next Pope, and currently we make the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, our favourite at 9/4," said Lee Phelps, spokesperson for British-based gambling group William Hill. He added that "Luis Antonio Tagle is second in our market at 3/1 and would become the first Asian Pope in history, while Matteo Zuppi and Peter Turkson are both priced at 6/1.' Tagle is from the Philippines. Turkson is from Ghana and would be the first Black pope in modern history.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ahead of the conclave, Italians are playing the game Fantapapa based on fantasy soccer
They're getting a kick out of selecting the next pope. Italians are flocking to play Fantapapa, an online video game inspired by fantasy soccer, where players create a team of 11 papal frontrunners they think could be the next pontiff. More than 60,000 users in Italy are participating in the game, where cardinal position matters — the team captain has the greatest chance to be elected pope, and a goalkeeper is least likely. Once the team is set, players get to predict the new pope's name and whether he will be more progressive or conservative, what day he'll be selected, and how many rounds it will cardinals to decide during the conclave, which begins May 7. Each correct guess earns points — but winners don't get any prizes. 'It's just for fun and for eternal glory,' game co-creator, Pietro Pace, told Euronews. Fantapapa was launched due to the success of Fantacalcio, a fantasy soccer game, and Fantasanremo, a song fantasy game played during Italy's Sanremo Music Festival. Fantapapa allows players to create a team of 11 cardinals they think could become the next pope. AP 'We tried to apply the same logic to the conclave in essence,' Pace said. The papal contender most chosen by Fantapapa enthusiasts is Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who is also the favorite amongst those betting on the election. In the second spot is Archbishop of Bologna Matteo Zuppi, and in third, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines. The papal contender most chosen by Fantapapa enthusiasts is Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. AP Game co-creator Mauro Vanetti said the idea came from the significance of the papal election around the world. 'We know that the religious hierarchies are part of the power in this country and also, let's say, at an international level, so it is a historic event and it seemed interesting to us to take it from a light-hearted side, but also based on real data,' he told the outlet.
Euronews
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Thousands of Italians play Fantapapa, a fantasy football-like game to predict the next pope
ADVERTISEMENT More than 60,000 users in Italy are playing Fantapapa, an online video game inspired by fantasy football that requires players to assemble a team of cardinals whom they believe have the best chance of becoming the next pope. To participate, players must choose 11 cardinals whom they see as the frontrunners in the upcoming conclave, set for next week. They must then also designate a "captain" — the cardinal they imagine is the one most likely to become the next pontiff — and a "goalkeeper," or the one who they think is the least papal. Once they've hand-picked their "team," players get to predict the new pope's name, whether his priorities will be more progressive or conservative, what day the pope will be elected, and how many attempts it will take the cardinals to decide on the new pontiff. Each correct prediction scores points, resulting in a league table — and eventually, a winner. Co-creator of the game, Pietro Pace, said they were inspired by the success of Fantacalcio, a fantasy football game, and Fantasanremo, a song contest fantasy game. "We tried to apply the same logic to the conclave in essence," Pace said. Another co-creator, Mauro Vanetti, said speculation about the next pope was a major topic of discussion in Italy. He explained that the game's creators aimed to explore popular sentiment, while simultaneously respecting the solemnity of the matter. "We know that the religious hierarchies are part of the power in this country and also, let's say, at an international level, so it is a historic event and it seemed interesting to us to take it from a light-hearted side, but also based on real data," Vanetti said. Screenshot of Instagram Fantapapa page with drawing of three top Cardinals for the Conclave, as of 28 April: Matteo Maria Zuppi, Piero Parolin, and Luis Antonio Tagle. Instagram Fantapapa via AP The conclave, where the College of Cardinals gather to elect the new pope, will begin next Wednesday. Over a hundred cardinal electors will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, and will participate in multiple rounds of voting until one cardinal receives a two-thirds majority. While the conclave process is shrouded in mystery, making it hard to predict what might be the cardinals' final decision, this has not stopped participants from choosing their favourites. So far, players' top choices include the late pontiff's secretary of state, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, closely followed by another Italian, Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, and third in line, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Italians play ‘Fantapapa' video game to choose their next pope
As about 135 cardinals prepare to elect the next pope, thousands of Italians are already doing the same in an online game. Instead of placing bets on the next pontiff, 'Fantapapa' allows users to pick their favourite candidates for an 11-a-side team, playing on Italy's passion for football and the Church. The free game, which mimics fantasy football leagues, was launched shortly after Pope Francis's death on April 21 and hit 60,000 users this week. 'People are intrigued by Vatican power dynamics,' Pietro Pace, one of the game's founders, said. 'Playing allows them to try to get inside these dynamics and remove some of the mystery that shrouds them,' he told AFP. It asks players to choose a team of 11 cardinals, including a captain (the 'most papable' cardinal) and a goalkeeper (the least likely winner), providing an insight on users' favourite frontrunners.
