Things to Bet On: Weird Betting Markest You Never Knew About

Most people associate betting with sports. Placing a quick flutter on the Premier League seems almost instinctive for most people, but – did you know? There are many different things to bet on, and they are not just sports.

You could, for example, place a bet on who the next James Bond actor would be, or try to guess the Eurovision winner, back your favorite Love Island couple, or even bet on the Oscars. Not all jurisdictions around the world allow you to bet on just anything you want to, let alone some crazy bets!

However, betting has long left the confines of traditional sports and is now headed for the entertainment sector. You may, in fact, even bet on scripted events such as World Wrestling Entertainment. Short on bet ideas? Don’t be, because we have much to offer you!

Things to Bet on That Aren’t Sports

With sports betting booming, the betting markets have expanded exponentially. Although many jurisdictions such as the United States mostly allow sports bets for the most part, there are many opportunities to find alternative betting markets that draw inspiration from politics and the entertainment world.

Many of these bets are built around the cult of personality. Donald Trump Jr, a former President of the United States, is often cited by bookmakers, and recently, as one of the two running contenders for the presidency in 2024.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg once excited bookmakers by suggesting that they would be happy to do a cage fight, with some of the cheekiest operators launching markets immediately, and accepting moneyline bets on who would win on the off chance the tech billionaires fought.

Yet, those are some of the craziest bets you will see out there, along with President Joe Biden becoming an Air Force pilot after retirement.

Most of the things you can bet on are much more grounded in the realm of the plausible, such as betting on the Oscars, the winning contestants of Survivor or Love Island, and even Eurovision, a European song competition.

You may similarly explore bets that have to do with who the next James Bond actor or the next Bond girl would be, or even make bets with friends that do not need to be hosted by any particular platform.

Up next, let’s take a closer look at some of the things that you can bet on specifically and what markets are offered.

Oscar Betting Odds

The Oscars are one of the most significant events in the entertainment industry that you can bet on. They celebrate cinematographic ability in a way that nobody else can and are fertile ground for many different betting markets.

The betting markets we have featured here are just an example of what you could experience when looking into an Oscar betting market. Here are some examples:

• Best Picture
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Director

There are evidently more markets you can explore, but they may come down to the individual sportsbooks and their preferences. FanDuel and DraftKings, for example, frequently feature such entertainment markets and make it easy and simple to bet on the outcomes of the Academy Awards.

Survivor and Love Island Betting

Live reality TV was not always a popular format. It was generally looked down upon when it first started, but ever since it was introduced, reality TV has become a staple of the entertainment experience.

In today’s saturated world, reality shows such as Love Island and Survivor, Big Brother, and others, are an indispensable part of popular culture, and they have also seeped into entertainment betting.

Hence, you can bet on things like Love Island Winner Odds for both Male & Female Categories, Big Brother Winner, Survivor Winner, and so on. The betting markets can get very creative, with props offered for specific outcomes.

This is usually done at the discretion of the sportsbook, because for better or for worse, many of these events are scripted. Some of the drama you will see on-screen has been artificially created by writers and producers in the hopes of eliciting a "viral" moment from contestants.

The fact remains that you can still bet on these shows for a chance to win a bet!

Bet on the Next James Bond Actors and Actresses

Another massively popular market to bet on is James Bond. You could place a bet on the next James Bond actor, or the next James Bond girl, as the femme fatales features in the movies are usually referred to.

The pool of contestants is usually quite extensive, and there is often a bit of controversy about who gets the part. The market is vibrant and especially popular with bookmakers who have a well-established track record of running entertainment bets.

With the James Bond franchise running for several decades now, and more movies in the works, the next James Bond actor odds and the next James Bond girl odds will remain as popular as ever – even more, as more sportsbooks pick up entertainment markets.

Bet on the Eurovision

Right, so if you want more things to bet on, you ought to check out the Eurovision contest. This contest is mostly about musical talent, but not always – neighborly relationships between the countries could also influence the vote for one contestant or the next.

This means that although still technically a contest, the odds may not always reflect public moods accurately. After all, half the votes come from Europeans tuning in to watch the contest and sending a text message.

Things can quickly turn sour for bettors, as Eurovision odds change a lot, but the fact of the matter is that you will have no reason to skip this market, especially if you are fed up with traditional sports betting already and want to add a bit of excitement.

Bet on the WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment is indeed one of the most fun formats you can bet on. It is a scripted event, and as such you won’t find too many ready markets for the event, but enough to sustain a thriving WWE betting ecosystem! Some sportsbooks are happy to accept wagers on all sorts of fights and big showdowns.

Speaking of big events, the four WWE must-see contests are the Royal Rumble, Summerslam, Survivor Series, and Wrestlemania. The majority of bets will come down to you backing a wrestler to triumph, but there are plenty of proposition bets.

Although the WWE is a scripted event, it has a robust reputation for keeping the outcomes of a fight secret, and all fighters are perfectly aware of the career consequences they bear if the information leaks. With this said, there is always a chance to bet on some fantastic fights and shows part of the WWE format.

Sports Personality of the Year

Another massively popular market is the Sports Personality of the Year Award, which can be bet on. There are tons of awesome picks here, as the world of athletic competition is filled with successful individuals who are known for their prowess in their respective sports.

This is an outright winner market, which means that you simply pick a person to back and bet as much money as you wish. If you win, the sportsbook will pay out and honor the wager. The market is not particularly competitive, but it does attract a lot of interest and total handle for the majority of operators.

Friendly Bets Between Guys and Girls

Not least, you can always take bets outside of sportsbooks and bet against your friends or anyone else. The obvious choice here is flirty bets, whereas you bet your colleague of the opposite sex that they would go out on a date with you if a certain condition is met.

These bets can be easily a little uncomfortable so please make sure that you are not making people uncomfortable and remember to try and read social cues.

Other than that, there is a long-standing tradition of people placing bets between coworkers, for events such as the National Football League in the United States and Premier League in the United Kingdom, for example. There are tons of bets to make with friends on any major competition.

Many studies say that friends are betting against one another outside the office and in their homes to amplify the fun they get out of betting on major sporting events, too. All in all, there are many opportunities to place bets – and they do not necessarily go through a licensed sportsbook.

Things to Bet On: A Conclusion

All in all, there are tons of crazy bets you can place - between friends or at a sportsbook. Sportsbooks are looking to broaden their appeal to a more casual audience that may still be tempted into placing a wager. This could be a bet on the Oscars, a bet on politics, or something else entirely. There are so many things to bet on that your best bet would be to actually check out what your local sportsbook is offering!

Things to Bet On FAQs

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