Rome - Next week's conclusion is that Pope Francis is a solemn event as the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

But the junction of the cardinal church far from Sistine Chapel votes, people are betting on who will be elected as the next pope. Experts and participants say speculation and gambling are increasing globally from cash bets on the website to online games that replicate fantasy football leagues and casual bets from friends and family.

UK OddsChecker UK manager Sam Eaton said it even surpassed the Europa League football match and Formula 1 championship.

“There is a lot of interest globally,” he said. “I don’t think we have a market like this, there are a lot of countries out there who are interested in seeing the odds.”

Hundreds of thousands of people from about 140 countries visited the odds to review each cardinal’s chances to become the next pope, Eaton said. He noted the special desires of Britain, Ireland and the United States.

Eaton said that in the UK, about 30,000 pounds (nearly $40,000) are bet on a leading online betting platform.

"The next pope's bet is definitely a grand niche in a planned niche," said Lee Phelps, spokesman for William Hill, one of the UK's largest bookmakers.

"We have taken thousands of bets since April 21, which is the busiest of all our non-sports betting markets," Phelps said.

Betting on elections, the Pope’s conclusions and various global events is almost the British tradition of its own, but in the United States, such gambling is not legal. Betmgm, one of the world's top sports companies, said it will not bet any.

But Eaton notes that one of the largest sites has bet $10 million on the Pope bet so far in an unregulated, illegal space.

In Italy, betting on the papal elections and all religious activities are prohibited.

Some in Rome are making friendly, informal bets – the equivalent of $20 for favorite cardinals, and losers promise to host dinner or buy pizza nights.

Others have turned to an online game called Fantapapa or Fantasy Pope, which mimics the popular fantasy football and football leagues. With over 60,000 people playing, each picking 11 Cardinals - as if for a football team they think they have the best shots in becoming the next Pope.

They also drafted top contenders or captains. Like online betting, the fantasy player’s first choice is Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, followed by Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

"It's a really fun game," said Federico La Rocca, 23, an Italian student. "Initially, my dad was ironic that it sent it to me, but now it's going to be a meeting and I decided to try it out."

La Rocca said he chose Tagle because “he looks like a good guy and a funny guy.”

Players’ choice determines their score. But, what is the jackpot?

Mauro Vanetti joked: “Eternal glory, he created the game earlier this year when Francis was hospitalized.

Vaneti said he and his co-founders opposed gambling, but they wanted to create something interesting in the game.

"In Italy, there seems to be some curiosity about the mechanisms of the Catholic hierarchy, but it is a critical curiosity, a satirical and playful curiosity, so we are interested in this solemn event," Vanetti said. "In some ways, it deflects the sacredness in a non-aggressive way."

In addition to simply choosing the next pope’s identity, players and gamblers can also guess how many attempts the Cardinal needs to choose a leader, what day he will be elected, which new name he will decide, or where his priorities will land within the scope of progressive conservatism.

Despite the novel or interesting nature of games and certain bets, advocates against liars are increasingly popular with legal games and swings over various activities.

A study published last fall found that 10% of young people in the United States indicated a gambling problem, which is also an increasing focus in the rest of the world.

Some people have attracted religious attention for the entire Pope’s gambling. Catholic teachings do not make accidental game or bet crimes, but their teaching theory warns: “The passion for gambling has the potential to become a kind of slavery.”

It says that gambling becomes “morally unacceptable” if it seriously affects a person’s livelihood.

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Hui reported from London. Rome's AP writer Giovanna Dell'Orto and Las Vegas' Mark Anderson contributed.

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The Associated Press’s religious coverage is supported through the Associated Press’s conversation with us and has been funded by Eli Lilly Endowment Inc. The Associated Press is fully responsible for this content.