Hot British Betting Topic: Archbishop of Canterbury?

New pick asks gamblers who made money on him to donate it to charity
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 10, 2012 8:29 AM CST
Hot British Betting Topic: Archbishop of Canterbury?
This Nov. 11, 2011 file photo shows the Right Reverend Justin Welby.   (AP Photo/PA, Owen Humphreys, File)

The man picked to be the next archbishop of Canterbury has made a public plea, but it's not exactly on a churchly topic. Justin Welby took to Twitter to ask everyone who made money gambling that he'd be the new archbishop to donate the winnings to their local church, reports the Telegraph. It seems that in the days leading up to yesterday's announcement, British bookmakers got so overwhelmed with wagers on the topic that they had to shut down betting.

What's weird is that the bookmakers say people who never placed bets before opened accounts to do so, convinced that Welby would be the one. That, of course, has led to speculation that church insiders were trying to cash in, notes the BBC. At least Welby has a sense of humor about it: "It's a very strange feeling when you find yourself having odds quoted on you at a bookie," he said. "Generally speaking I am not a horse, I think that's a really important point to get across." (More Justin Welby stories.)

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