You are right, betta is boring, unless you put two males together, which I would not recommend.

One of the attraction people have with betta, besides the variation, is the set up. Betta require little space, though larger environment is much better for it's health, than the goldfish which pollute water much quicker compared to betta.

Of course if you are into planted tanks, goldfish is a no-no, unless it's hardy plants like anubias and ferns. Beta could be placed in a planted aquarium, like I did before.