Bet On Events
2 days ago But other betting options are more than either you or I can imagine, Bob. If a wager can be made “on an uncertain event,” to quote Merriam Webster’s definition, it will be. The best place to bet on current affairs is at online betting websites. If you’re new to sports betting or wagering on events, the process is simple. Signing up, funding your account, and placing a wager on an event can be done in a matter of minutes. Many bettors outside the United States have the option of wagering directly on election outcomes and other political events at their sportsbook of choice. Political props at the sportsbook look much the same as other props you’ll see related to sports and entertainment. Here are some common political prop bets you can expect to see.
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Sports betting is big international business, and by ‘big’ we mean astronomical! The estimated global income for the sports betting industry is somewhere between $700 billion and $1 trillion a year. In 2017, a record-breaking $4.68 billion was wagered in Nevada sportsbooks alone!
What is everyone betting on? Which sporting events take the biggest bucks in the world of sports betting? We’ll take a look at some of the world’s most popular sports and discover just how much money is wagered.
The FIFA World Cup
Football (soccer) is the world’s most popular sport, and it makes sense that it pulls in the most money. Each year, it’s estimated that soccer makes up 70% of the above-listed $1 trillion!
The FIFA World Cup is the ultimate tournament in the football calendar, occurring every four years. Despite a runtime of just one month, the World Cup provides an enormous amount of betting opportunities.
Bet On Events
The competition kicks off with 210 countries participating in the qualifying rounds, then battling it out through different stages to make the final 32. Bettors from around the world are able to place wagers each step of the way. Although there aren’t any official figures as to how much is bet worldwide during the entire tournament, it’s estimated to be more than $260 million.
The Super Bowl
If we focus on the American scene, the National Football League is king. Bets on the NFL make up almost half of all sports bets placed, with the Super Bowl being the single most popular betting event during the sporting year.
The 2018 Super Bowl LII, which saw the Eagles stick it to the Patriots, brought in a record-breaking $158.6 million worth of wagers at Nevada sportsbooks. This staggering figure broke the record of $138.5 million wagered during the Super Bowl LI the previous year.
Of course, these are only the official (legal) figures. According to estimates made by the American Gaming Association, the real total wagered was likely in the region of $4.76 billion.
March Madness
The NCAA tournament is one of the highlights for sports fans and bettors alike. 68 teams battle it out through seven single-elimination rounds in one month with the hope of being named national champions.
Figures from the American Gaming Association (AGA) predicted that more than $10 billion would be wagered on the 2018 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. A mere fraction of that amount (3%) was probably bet legally.
However, considering that betting is legal in only one state then $300 million total bets on one sporting event is madness!
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is one of the most important horse racing events in the United States and is, in fact, one of the longest-running sports events in the country. The event takes place on the first Saturday of May at the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
The ‘Run for the Roses’ (also known as ‘the fastest two minutes in sport’) draws a crowd of more than 150,000 spectators to the racetrack. This isn’t even counting the huge number of home viewers: The 144th Kentucky Derby pulled in 16.2 million viewers on NBC.
Churchill Downs reported record-breaking wagering with $209.2 million in bets over the 14-race card. The main race alone pulled in over $139.2 million in wagers, breaking the previous record of $137.9 million set in 2015.
The Grand National
Keeping with the equestrian theme, The Grand National is Britain’s own horse-racing extravaganza. It’s reportedly one of the world’s most challenging horse-races, with two laps of a racetrack which is 4-mile 514 yards (6.907 km) long and includes 30 jumps.
It’s a hugely popular event that’s attended by members of the Royal Family, as well as other A-list celebrities. In addition to seasoned horse racing enthusiasts and betting pros, it draws in upwards of 600 million viewers, making it the most watched TV event in the world.
It also beats the betting figures for our own Kentucky Derby. The 2017 Grand National reportedly saw wagers totaling £300 million, which is roughly $400 million!
Sports Betting is Big Money
The figures in sports betting are staggering, to say the least. Bet big or bet small, it all adds up to a multimillion-dollar industry. Of course, there are those professional bettors who seem to live by the motto ‘bet big or go home’. Discover the biggest bettors in history right here.
Most people tend to associate betting with sports. Sports betting is a burgeoning industry in the United States, and we always hear stories about how Americans wager billions of dollars on the Super Bowl every year. Of course, sports and entertainment are inherently linked. Sports are entertainment, after all.
All of the best sports betting sites also offer other kinds of entertainment betting options. That means you can actually place real bets on your favorite TV shows, movies, awards shows, and even politics. You will surely recognize the following sites, which are the industry leaders in the world of online entertainment betting:
Betting Site | Bonus | Bet Now | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | up to €30 Free Bet | Go to Site | |
| 2 | 22Bet | 100% up to €122 | Go to Site |
| 3 | 100% up to €200 | Go to Site | |
| 4 | 10Bet | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
| 5 | 100% up to €50 | Go to Site |
Chances are, you spend a lot of your spare time arguing with your friends about who will win the Bachelorette, or who should take home Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Why not try to back up some of those hot takes by putting some money on them? Betting on football makes watching football more exciting. The same can be said about betting on other forms of entertainment.
Entertainment Betting Options
The advent of the internet means being able to bet entertainment has never been easier than it is today. Now, instead of making a pilgrimage to the Nevada desert, you can bet on just about anything under the sun from the comfort of your couch. Just fire up your laptop or your preferred mobile betting app and you’re on your way!
Betting on entertainment events has been a mainstay in Europe for years, and it’s just now starting to gain a real foothold in the United States as well. Betting has exploded into the mainstream since the US Supreme Court voted to allow states to legalize recreational betting in May of 2018. While land-based sportsbooks are still prohibited from taking bets on things like American politics, there’s nothing stopping the top offshore sites from doing so.
So, what kinds of entertainment betting online options do you have?
Reality TV Betting
For better or worse, reality television has been a staple of American pop culture for the better part of two decades and counting. Shows like Survivor, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, The Amazing Race, and American Idol have become well-known commodities in the entertainment industry.
So, it makes all the sense in the world that you can bet on The Bachelor and the rest of these shows, too!
The aforementioned top entertainment betting sites will typically post odds for betting on reality TV shows at the beginning of their respective seasons. The odds will then update with each passing week until the conclusion of the season. For example, you can bet on which of the 30 candidates will take home the coveted “final rose” at the end of the season, and the odds will change as the field continues to narrow as the season progresses.
Of course, the betting value will dissipate as each season progresses, so get your bets in early! The following are just some of the reality TV shows with odds offered at most of the best entertainment betting sites:
- The Bachelorette
- The Amazing Race
- Eurovision
- Britain’s Got Talent
Place Bets on Movies and Scripted TV
While reality TV makes sense as a betting option considering it’s “unscripted,” you can still bet on scripted TV shows, too. Take Game of Thrones as an example. The final season of the acclaimed HBO series was a massively popular television betting option.
Betting on which of the show’s main characters would be the first to die or which character would ultimately rule Westeros at the end of the series were a couple of the more well-known entertainment prop bets offered at just about every viable site that offers TV betting odds.
You can also place bets on feature films. Massively popular franchises like Star Wars and The Avengers have been prominent for those who want to bet on entertainment online. Before the release of Avengers: Endgame, for example, fans could wager on whether main characters like Captain America, The Hulk, or Iron Man would die.
Casting decisions, such as whether Daniel Craig will continue in his role of James Bond in the next Bond film, are also among the popular movie betting options you’ll find.
Major Awards Shows Betting
Awards shows go hand-in-hand with entertainment betting online. As mentioned, you have almost surely spent plenty of time debating with others about who should win Best Actor, Best Director, or Best New Artist at awards shows like the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Grammys.
Obviously, you can bet on these outcomes, as well. Shows like the Academy Awards have a habit of running long, but putting a little money on the line in order to raise the stakes can make the viewing experience a lot more fun and interesting.
You can obviously wager on who will win certain awards, but the best sites that offer awards show betting odds also offer fun ancillary props. For example, some sites offer you the chance to bet on what color dress Jennifer Lopez will don at the Grammys. Or, you can bet on whether the longest acceptance speech will run over or under two minutes in length.
Other Entertainment Betting Options
Betting on TV shows, movies, and awards shows is plenty of fun, but those aren’t the only ways to bet on entertainment. There are several other miscellaneous categories that don’t necessarily fit under the television or film headings.
Betting on politics has become hugely popular over the past few years. The world of politics has become incredibly divisive in the US, which has naturally led to increased interest in the political betting market. Election outcomes and whether a president will get impeached are just a couple of the more popular political betting options.
If politics aren’t your thing, you can also wager on more lighthearted things like the winner of Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest or the National Spelling Bee. You can even bet on whether Elon Musk will successfully land on Mars, or which member of the Royal Family will be the next to become betrothed.
- Celebrity Betting
- Crossfit Games
Entertainment Betting Blogs
Our team of writers is dedicated to getting you the best analysis when it comes to betting on TV, movies, politics, and everything that falls under the entertainment umbrella. Identifying useful trends or potential value in the odds is something that can give you an edge as a bettor. Let us do the hard work when it comes to breaking down the odds. Check out our constantly updating array of entertainment betting blogs.
Entertainment Betting FAQ
Just about all entertainment bets fall under the props or futures categories. You're almost always betting on potential outcomes, especially when it comes to movies and TV.Betting on which actor will be the next James Bond is a futures bet, while betting on whether an acceptance speech will run over/under two minutes is a prop bet.
Bet On Events This Weekend
Frankly, we would not recommend a betting site without first taking on a proper vetting process. Every site we reference has to meet certain standards when it comes to safety.If a site is sketchy and potentially puts your personal information at risk, you won't be hearing about them from us. That's why using our list of the best entertainment betting sites on the web is recommended.
Bet On World Events
With the way sports betting is growing in the US, there's a decent chance you already live in a state that has made online betting legal.If not, you likely won't have to wait long until your state legalizes it. However, most of the sites we recommend operate in an offshore capacity. There are no laws in place that restrict you from placing bets at these sites.
Bet On Events 2020
Betting on politics is illegal in the United States, but there is nothing illegal about betting on TV shows or movies.