ROME (AP) — Next week’s conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics is a solemn affair steeped in centuries-old traditions.

But far from the Sistine Chapel where cloistered cardinals will cast votes, people are placing bets on who will be chosen as the next pope. From cash bets on websites to online games modeled after fantasy football leagues and casual wagers among friends and families, the popularity of guessing and gambling on the future of the papacy is increasing worldwide, experts and participants say.

It’s even topped the Europa League soccer tournament and Formula One drivers’ championship, said Sam Eaton, U.K. manager for Oddschecker, a leading online platform analyzing odds across sports, events and other betting markets.

“There’s a huge level of interest globally,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve had a market like this where we’ve had so many countries interested in seeing odds.”

Around the world, thousands of bets on the next pope

Hundreds of thousands of people from some 140 countries have visited Oddschecker to review each cardinal’s chances of becoming the next pope, Eaton said. He noted special eagerness in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States.

In the U.K., about 30,000 pounds (almost $40,000) have been wagered with one leading online betting platform as of this week, Eaton said – a far cry from 1.2 million pounds on the singing contest Eurovision but still noteworthy as a trend, with the conclave days away.

“Betting on the next pope is definitely a niche market in the grand scheme of things, but it generates global interest,” said Lee Phelps, a spokesman for William Hill, one of the U.K.’s biggest bookmakers.

“Since April 21, we’ve taken thousands of bets, and it’s the busiest of all our non-sports betting markets,” said Phelps, who expects a surge in interest once the conclave begins Wednesday.

Betting on elections, papal conclaves and all manner of global events is almost a tradition of its own in the U.K., but such betting is not legal in the United States. BetMGM, one of the world’s top sports-betting companies, said it would not have any bets up.

But Eaton noted that in the unregulated, illegal space, one of the biggest sites has $10 million wagered so far in pope bets.

Fantasy “teams” of cardinals

In Italy, betting on the papal election — and all religious events — is forbidden.

Some people in Rome are making friendly, informal wagers — the equivalent of $20 on a favorite cardinal, with the loser pledging to host a dinner or buy a pizza night out.

Others are turning to an online game called Fantapapa, or Fantasy Pope, which mimics popular fantasy football and soccer leagues. More than 60,000 people are playing, each choosing 11 cardinals – as if for a soccer team – whom they believe have the best shot at becoming the next pope.

They also draft the top contender, or captain. As with online wagers, the No. 1 choice for fantasy players has been Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, closely followed by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.

“It’s a really fun game to play with friends and have a laugh,” Italian student Federico La Rocca, 23, said. “Initially my dad sent it to me ironically, but now that it’s going to be the conclave, I decided to have a go and try it.”

La Rocca said he chose Tagle because “he looks like a nice guy and fun person.”

Players’ selections determine the number of points they rake in. But what’s the jackpot?

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

Vanetti said he and his co-founder are against gambling, but they wanted to create something fun around the event.

“It seems like in Italy there’s a certain inquisitiveness about the mechanisms of the Catholic hierarchy, but it’s a critical curiosity, a sarcastic and playful curiosity, so we were interested in this jesting spirit for such a solemn event,” Vanetti said. “In some ways it deflates the sacredness, in a nonaggressive way.”

Some concerns about betting on a solemn event

Beyond simply picking who the next pope will be, players and gamblers also can guess how many tries it will take the cardinals to choose the leader, which day of the week he’ll be elected, what new name he will decide on, or where his priorities will land on the progressive-conservative scale.

While the game and some of the bets have a novel or fun nature, anti-gambling advocates have raised overall concerns about legal gaming and the growing popularity of wagering on all manner of events.

A study published last fall found that 10% of young men in the U.S. show behavior that indicates a gambling problem, which is a rising concern in other parts of the world, too.

And for gambling around the papacy in general, some have raised religious concerns. Catholic teaching doesn’t go so far as to call games of chance or wagers sinful, but its Catechism warns that “the passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement.”

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

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Hui reported from London. AP writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Rome and Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed.

BOSTON (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what “binds us all together” after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

Pence received the award for his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump’s efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The award recognizes Pence “for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021,” the JFK Library Foundation said.

“To forge a future together, we have to find common ground,” Pence said. “I hope in some small way my presence here tonight is a reminder that whatever differences we may have as Americans, the Constitution is the common ground on which we stand. It’s what binds us across time and generations. …. It’s what makes us one people.”

His comments came hours after an interview with Trump aired in which he was asked whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Trump was noncommittal.

“I don’t know. I’m not, I’m not a lawyer. I don’t know,” Trump said when pressed in an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker. It was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday.

Pence never mentioned Trump during his 10-minute speech but made several references to the Trump administration.

Referencing what he called “these divided times, in these anxious days,” he acknowledged that he probably had differences with the Democrats in the room but also with his own Republican Party “on spending, tariffs and my belief that America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured.”

Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Pence refused, saying he lacked such authority. When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to “hang Mike Pence.” Pence was whisked away by Secret Service agents, narrowly avoiding a confrontation with the rioters.

“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,” Trump wrote at the time on X, formerly Twitter, as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family, aides and security detail inside the building.

Pence rejected the Secret Service’s advice that he leave the Capitol, staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential victory once rioters were cleared.

In describing his role, Pence told the audience that “by God’s grace I did my duty that day to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States of America.”

“Jan. 6 was a tragic day but it became a triumph of freedom. History will record that our institutions held,” he said in his speech. “Leaders in both chambers, in both political parties reconvened the very same day and finished democracy’s work under the Constitution.”

JFK’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, who along with his grandson Jack Schlossberg presented the award, said Pence’s actions that day were a reminder that you cannot take democracy for granted.

“At the time I thought Vice President Pence was just doing his job,” she said. “Only later did I realize that his act of courage saved our government and warned us about what could happen and is happening right now.”

The Profile in Courage Award, named for a book Kennedy published in 1957 before he became president, honors public officials who take principled stands despite the potential political or personal consequences. Previous recipients of the award include former Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.

Pence has emerged as one of the few Republicans willing to take on the Trump administration.

His political action group, Advancing American Freedom, campaigned against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation’s health agencies. He’s delivered speeches urging the president to stand with longtime foreign allies and posted an article he penned more than a decade ago on the limits of presidential power after Trump claimed that, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The 19th Annual Asian Fest will take place on May 10, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Indiana Historical Society, offering a free celebration of Asian heritage with cultural performances, food, and activities.

Organized by the Asian American Alliance Inc. (AAAI), the event coincides with Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and aims to showcase the richness and diversity of Asian cultures. Attendees can enjoy live music, dance, martial arts demonstrations, and authentic cuisine from various vendors. The festival also includes interactive booths and kid-friendly activities, making it a family-friendly event.

“Asian Fest serves as an important educational program for Hoosiers to learn about Asian cultures,” said AAAI President Rupal Thanawala. “One can learn about a new musical instrument, art form, language, food, and history.”

Jody Blankenship, CEO of the Indiana Historical Society, emphasized the importance of the partnership with the Asian American Alliance, noting that the society has been telling Indiana’s Asian stories for nearly a decade. “It just was a no-brainer for us to team up with the Asian American Alliance,” Blankenship said.

The event will be held at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, with free parking available in the IHS lot off of New York Street.

In addition to the festival activities, attendees can visit the entire museum free of charge, thanks to the Indiana Historical Society.

A unique feature of this year’s festival is the Shining Light Projection at the AES building, which tells the story of Asian Americans in Indiana and their contributions. This projection is displayed every night at 10, 10:30, and 11 p.m. throughout the month.

The festival also offers free health screenings, providing an opportunity for families to take advantage of health services while enjoying the cultural festivities. Thanawala highlighted the importance of involving younger generations in learning about other cultures and heritages.

Asian Fest 2025 promises to be a vibrant celebration of Asian culture, offering a wide range of activities and educational opportunities for attendees of all ages. With free admission and parking, the event is accessible to everyone, encouraging community engagement and cultural exchange.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored WISH-TV for its journalistic achievements related to coverage of the Richard Allen Trial.

The award was presented at the annual Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists on Friday evening.

As an integral part of the Delphi Trial Media Coalition, WISH-TV was front and center in the courtroom and behind the scenes of one of the biggest news stories in Indiana history.

The Delphi Trial Media Coalition were instrumental in planning and executing coverage throughout the trial. The Coalition worked with the Society of Professional Journalists to obtain press credentials, hire sketch artists and worked with the courts to access trial exhibits.

WISH-TV was the first media outlet to notify the community of the verdict both on-air and online.

WISH-TV were also honored for the following:

• Breaking News – Delphi Murder Trial/Kyla Russell, Kody Fisher, Kyle Fisher, Kevin Stinson, Danielle Zulkosky, Adele Reich, Chris Claffey
• Investigative – Flora Fire: A Chase for Answers/Dakarai Turner, Joy Hernandez, Kyle Fisher, Erika Facey
• Sports Reporting – The Zone/Brian Eckstein, Ross Bolin, Angela Moryan, Josh Bode
• Serious Feature Story – #MeToo Movement in the Mayor’s Office/Kyla Russell
• Continuing Coverage – Delphi Coverage/Kyla Russell, Kyle Fisher, Kevin Stinson, John LeSage
• Business Consumer Affairs Reporting/Adam Peterson, Phil Sanchez
• Education Coverage – Golden Apple/Hanna Mordoh

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Drivers on the east side of Indianapolis will need to plan for nightly lane and ramp closures this week on I-465 for concrete paving work.

Closures are planned as follows:

• Monday, May 5 to Sunday, May 11 (7 p.m. to 6 a.m.)
  • Lane closure on I-465 NB/SB from I-70 to Fall Creek
• Friday, May 9 to Saturday, May 10 (9 p.m. to 7 a.m.)
  • Ramp from Pendleton Pike to I-465 SB closed
• Friday, May 9 to Saturday, May 10 (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.)
  • Ramp from I-465 SB to I-70 EB/WB and Shadeland Ave. closed 
  • Three right lanes closed on I-465 SB from 38th St. to 30th St.
• Saturday, May 10 to Sunday, May 11 (7 p.m. to 3 p.m.)
  • Ramp from Pendleton Pike to I-465 SB closed
  • Ramp from I-465 SB to I-70 EB/WB and Shadeland Ave. closed
  • Three right lanes closed on I-465 SB from 38th Street to 30th Street

All work is weather-dependent and subject to change.

Drivers should slow down, use caution, and drive distraction-free in and near work zones.

DANVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A Hendricks County deputy shot a person outside the courthouse Monday afternoon, the sheriff’s department confirmed.

Online police reports show a shots fired call was made at the Hendricks County courthouse at 51 W. Main St. in Danville just before 1 p.m. Monday.

Capt. Jim Yetter with the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department told News 8 a deputy shot a suspect outside the courthouse at least once. He did not say what led up to the shooting or provide the suspect’s condition.

No one else was hurt in the incident. Yetter says the scene is secure but will be very active during the investigation.

News 8 has a crew heading to the scene.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed into law a new bill that creates a state-supported training program for run controlled burns, taking Indiana off the list of the few states that do not have a program written into law.

Controlled burns, also called prescribed fires, is most commonly used to burn away excess vegetation and fuel that can cause a wildfire.

Now, private landowners can have training to use controlled burns to manage their property. If a controlled burn follows the law, it will be exempt from any burn bans issued by counties or municipalities.

Indiana’s Division of Forestry at the Department of Natural Resources will run the training to be certified and manage burn plans.

The Indiana Prescribed Fire Council (IPFC), who promoted the bill, say the new law is a boon to Indiana’s ecology and economy. They say that with the increased private property rights, federal funding and insurance for controlled burns will flood into the state. Without more legislation promoting controlled burns, oak forests – a cornerstone of Indiana’s $10 billion hardwood industry – would dwindle.

“Without widespread application of prescribed fire, our future supply of oak timber is bleak. Prescribed fire is the most effective and efficient way to begin the next crop of oaks needed to fuel this industry,” IPFC wrote in a press release.

Armed with training from the DNR, you can help protect Indiana’s landscapes which depend on controlled burns. “This bill marks an important step forward for conservation and private land stewardship in Indiana. With clearer training standards and liability protections, prescribed fire can continue to be applied safely, effectively, and more widely across the landscape,” IPFC Chair Jarred Brooke said.

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Every month, WISH-TV highlights a local school district with “The Morning Bell,” a conversation focused on new or exciting programs and accomplishments within Indiana schools. 

On Monday, three Carmel High School students joined Daybreak to share how they’ve turned personal pain into purpose after one student, Caiden O’Connell, lost his grandmother to Alzheimer’s last August. Now, O’Connell, Wells Wright, and Will Spence are being recognized both in Indiana and on an international stage their powerful project supporting Alzheimer’s research.

“My grandmother battled Alzheimer’s for over seven years, and in August she passed away,” O’Connell said. “As I was going through that, we decided to kind of fight back and make a real impact in the community.”

That fight back took the form of a car detailing business, which the students launched last June. They spent the summer working with local companies, offering car detailing services to employees and donating 100% of the proceeds to the Alzheimer’s Association. “We were just detailing cars, you know, with each other and working hard,” Wright said. “Eventually we donated all of it. Then we started spreading awareness about our project as well.”

Corporate sponsors stepped in along the way, supporting both financially and with outreach efforts. The students also volunteered at a local memory care center to deepen their connection to the cause.

All their efforts paid off. The team raised an impressive $20,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.

“We were fortunate enough to raise about $20,000. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who donated to our cause,” Spence said.

Their work caught the attention of DECA, a national organization focused on business and leadership development for students. The team placed second at DECA’s International Career Development Conference in Orlando, which drew more than 25,000 students from around the world.

“We spent a lot of time on our presentation and our paper. We were lucky it went so well,” Wright said.

The students participated in “The Longest Day,” a signature fundraising initiative of the Alzheimer’s Association that leads up to the summer solstice on June 20. The effort is meant to symbolize the long days caregivers and patients endure while fighting the disease.

“It’s honestly really easy to get involved,” O’Connell said. “We detailed cars. You could bake cookies. You could run a race. Just do something you care about and use that to make a difference.”

What started as a coping mechanism for O’Connell has become something greater for all three students.

“It was kind of a way of coping and getting through it,” he said. “But after spending time with other people battling Alzheimer’s, it really felt close to home.”

Now, the students are preparing to head off to college—O’Connell to Indiana University, and Wright and Spence to Purdue—but they say their commitment to the cause isn’t ending.

“Hopefully we can stay connected and still find ways to give back despite our distance,” said Wright. “I know me and Will will continue to fight at Purdue.”

Their message to others is simple: don’t wait for the perfect plan.

“When we started, we never thought we would get $20,000. Our goal was just a couple hundred. But it snowballed into something bigger,” Spence said.

With heart, hard work, and a few good friends, even high school students can make a global impact.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Five lucky numbers were drawn from an Indianapolis gas station, which means you could have the winning ticket and can claim $120,000.

The winning Hoosier Lottery CA$H 5 ticket numbers are: 8-14-17-26-34.

Hoosier Lottery says the winning ticket was sold May 2 from a Speedway at 5959 Southeastern Ave.

Be sure to check your ticket and keep it in a safe place until you can claim your prize. If you’ve won, “consider meeting with a financial advisor and contact Hoosier Lottery customer service at 1-800-955-6886 for specific claim instructions,” Hoosier Lottery wrote in the winning announcement.

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, call a helpline for support at: 1-800-994-8448.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Prosecutors have filed a request to charge the juvenile involved in a crash that killed a former Hamilton Southeastern High School football star as an adult.

The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office said this in an update shared with News 8 Monday.

Mason Alexander, 18, died on March 1 after a vehicle he was a passenger in crashed into a tree and caught fire.

News 8 previously reported that around 9 p.m. March 1, a BMW occupied by the juvenile driver and Alexander was traveling southbound on Florida Road, near Geist Park and 113th Street. The BMW moved into the northbound lane to pass another vehicle while a Toyota RAV4 was coming northbound at the same time.

The BMW and the Toyota swerved to avoid a collision. Both vehicles drove off the east side of the road.

The Toyota hit a mailbox, while the BMW hit a tree and caught on fire.

The juvenile driver, who was detained on Thursday, has not been identified. They were being held in secure detention as of Monday.

Prosecutors in a delinquency petition asked the juvenile be charged with reckless homicide, reckless driving, and having fake government identification. These would be the proposed charges if the crime was committed by an adult.

They also asked the case be waived to adult court.

“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Mason Alexander,” the prosecutor’s office said. “This is an unimaginable loss, and we extend our deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved him. As prosecutors, we are committed to seeking justice in a way that honors Mason’s life and respects the seriousness of this tragedy.”

Related coverage

• Juvenile driver detained for crash that killed Mason Alexander, family says
• Hamilton Southeastern Schools mourns death of star football player
• Funeral home to host celebration of life honoring Mason Alexander
• Community pays tribute to former football star Mason Alexander
• Family, friends seek answers in death of ex-student-athlete Mason Alexander