Fantapapa: when the pope, betting, and fantasy football collide
Italians may not be allowed to bet on the new pope, but that hasn’t stopped them from making predictions. The online game Fantapapa has already attracted over 60,000 users who are trying to guess who will succeed Pope Francis.
While operators around the world are offering betting odds on the conclave, letting players wager on who might become the next pope, Italian authorities have discouraged the practice. As with political elections, the Customs Agency, which regulates betting in Italy, has asked operators to avoid offering odds on the papal election, considering the matter “too sacred.”
Will he wear glasses?
As a result, Italians have turned to Fantapapa, an online game inspired by fantasy sports leagues. Just like building a fantasy football team, players select a team of 11 papal candidates on a green board that reflects the concept’s football heritage.
Out of 135 possible contenders, they choose 10 likely candidates and one goalkeeper, who represents the least electable.
Players don’t win money, but they earn points for accurate predictions. And for those who guess the new pope correctly, the game’s creator promises not just fun—but “eternal glory.”
Participants can also make predictions on a range of details: Will he wear glasses? What name will he choose? What will his first words be? Which religious order will he come from?
A well-timed success
Pietro Pace, one of the creators and an AI specialist working at Microsoft, told Libération that they began adapting the fantasy football format a few months ago.
“We started developing the game when the pope was hospitalised in mid-February. Around that time, Italians began discussing the conclave—in bars, among friends, and at work. Since fantasy football is hugely popular here, we thought about adapting the format.”
The game went live on 22 April, the day after the pope’s death.
In Italy, Fantapapa has become a natural outlet for those following developments at the Vatican with the same enthusiasm that Americans reserve for the NBA playoffs. As news coverage of the upcoming conclave grows, the free-to-play game has also attracted attention beyond the country’s borders. While most users are Italian, the creator noted, “we’ve also noticed a very active Spanish-speaking community on X (formerly Twitter).”
Zuppi in the lead
According to Pace: “As of now, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi is the preferred candidate—and interestingly, most of our Instagram followers are women.”
Other top picks include Pietro Parolin (Secretary of State of the Holy See), Luis Antonio Tagle (Bishop of Imus, Philippines), and Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem)—predictions that closely mirror those on international betting platforms.
The conclave is set to begin on 7 May.
