Entertainment betting online is a key part of the sportsbook lineup due to how popular certain events can become. As its genre denotes, entertainment is a broad category and encompasses anything from television shows to movies to reality TV to awards. If you think about it, some TV formats are just like pro sports seasons and people, bettors or not, have been predicting award shows since they started. Let’s take a quick tour of what’s available.
What is Available for Entertainment Betting?
We have the odds for 97th Academy Awards right here. The odds were last updated on March 20, 2024:
Oscars 2025 Betting Odds To Win Best Picture
| 97th Academy Awards |  |
|---|---|
| Dune: Part Two | +285 |
| Megalopolis | +650 |
| Joker: Folie A Deux | +750 |
| Kinds Of Kindness | +1000 |
| Mickey 17 | +750 |
| Blitz | +1000 |
| A Real Pain | +1500 |
| The Apprentice | +2000 |
| Maria | +2500 |
| Gladiator 2 | +2500 |
Defined as anything that is designed to “keep the audience’s attention”, entertainment varies from any type of program or event broadcast to the masses. Basically, anything that is consumed for pleasure, outside of sports, falls under this category.
Entertainment betting is thus an umbrella term that doesn’t denote a specific interest. Still, despite the numerous types of events – beauty pageants, award shows, music, movies, pro wrestling – it remains a niche. Betting limits are usually lower and the markets are more straightforward if not limited.
Despite its “special” status in online sportsbooks, entertainment betting still follows the format of its sports counterparts.
Moneyline Betting
Simply put: moneyline betting is when you pick a winner of an event. It usually refers to picking a winner between two sports teams or competitors but in entertainment betting, it can mean who wins in a given category.
The odds you will see are based on an American format. The favorite, the more likely winner, is represented in a minus number. This shows how much you need to bet to win $100. A -200 favorite means that you need to bet $200 to profit $100.
On the flip side, the underdog is the less likely winner and is shown as a plus number. It indicates how much you win if you bet $100. A +500 underdog will yield $500 if you wager $100.
The odds are implied probability converted for wagering purposes. The concept is based on trying to even the risk and reward. Likely winners will attract more bettors hence why their odds are low and you will need to wager more money to win less. Unlikely winners, on the other hand, need a better return to justify their probability.
Because of the nature of entertainment events (it is not a live head-to-head matchup with the results determined solely by playing the game), moneyline betting is not as common. Instead, we have props and futures.
Entertainment Prop bets
Prop bets are short for “proposition” bets or “exotic” wagers. These types of bets are based on a “what if” condition. You are betting on whether something will occur or not occur that may or may not be related to the outcome of a competition or event.
Popular prop bets include betting on if a celebrity will utter a specific quote (e.g. Black Lives Matter) or do a certain action (e.g. Raise fist, cry) or what color a presenter’s suit will be or if anyone will mention Donald Trump.
Prop bets can be bizarre and arbitrary and you may even possibly open your own prop bet if the sportsbook you choose provides that option. These bets represent just how to open online wagering can be.
But note that the betting limits tend to be much lower with prop bets than your standard moneyline bets.
Futures
Futures, as its name indicates, is a prop bet made for an event that is still far away from happening. The distance is usually at least several months or years from taking place.
These types of bets tend to be rare and are mostly available for the biggest events only (e.g. Oscars, Miss Universe, etc.)
You can place a bet on Futures the moment it open. But do note that sportsbooks reserve the right to change the odds at any time or take them off the board.
Entertainment Totals (Over/Under)
Totals are a staple bet type where you bet whether an event will go over or under the total number set by the oddsmaker. This is usually a 50/50 proposition and only has two options as opposed to other bet types outside of the traditional moneyline.
Here are some totals that have been used in past entertainment events:
- The number of times a word is used in an awards show
- The number of wins for a movie during the Oscars
- The number of European countries in the Final 15 in Miss Universe
Totals are usually set with a decimal (e.g. +7.5) to prevent a “push” when the actual result is similar to the number hence it is neither over or under.
Entertainment Betting: the popular markets
Dancing With The Stars Odds
With close to 30 seasons in its belt, Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) continues to be one of America’s most popular reality TV contests. DWTS pairs celebrities from all backgrounds – sports, reality TV, movies, etc. – with professional dancers and pits them against each other.
Contestants are eliminated every week based on a combination of judges’ votes and popular votes from the audience. Dancing With The Stars Odds feature markets such as outright bets on who wins the contest, the totals on a contestant’s score, and the finish of a contestant.
Got Talent Odds
The “Got Talent” franchise has become a global phenomenon and is like the American Idol of all talents. Contestants compete to be awarded prize money and a primetime spot in Las Vegas if judges deem their “talent” to be the best.
Contestants advance based on a combination of judges’ votes, popular votes, and the “Golden Buzzer”, a special feature where a judge gets to advance a contestant immediately. Bettors can bet on a multitude of Got Talent odds including outright winners, the type of act that wins, and totals for a particular talent advancing to a stage.
Grammy Odds
Grammy odds represent your chance to bet on the top music awards show. Arguably next to only the Oscars in popularity, the Grammy’s have been around since 1961 and has been the stage for some of entertainment’s most unforgettable moments.
Plenty of Grammy odds include betting on outright winners for the main categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist, etc. They also include prop bets on performers and totals on how many awards a popular artist will take home.
Miss Universe Odds
Miss Universe is still the reigning beauty pageant in the world. While it may be losing some luster in places like North America and Western Europe, it remains a global phenomenon and is also a popular betting event.
The most popular Miss Universe odds involves betting on the outright winner, but there are also totals on how many contestants from a continent will advance to the final round, or what continent the winner will come from.
Oscars Odds
The most prominent awards show is none other than the Academy Awards a.k.a. the Oscars. The previous year’s top movies are awarded based on the selection panel from the Academy. Fans and bettors alike have a field day predicting the category winners.
Oscars odds include betting winners from the categories, props on presenters’ outfit choices, winners’ speech lengths, and totals on the host mentioning specific people or events.
WWE Wrestlemania Odds
The biggest sports entertainment event is none other than Wrestlemania. The epic showdown between WWE’s best wrestlers and sports personalities gets publicity from every type of media.
And yes, it is a scripted event with outcomes predetermined but that won’t stop the plethora of markets it opens. Wrestlemania odds include Moneyline bets on singles matches, outright bets on multiple-wrestler matches, and totals on things like finisher use and gimmick phrase usage.
The Voice Odds
The Voice became quickly a very popular tv show since most people love music. Sportsbooks know that and they quickly made available The Voice Odds.
There is an array of prop bets around The Voice odds. The oddsmakers don’t limit themselves to the American edition of the show. They offer odds for The Voice UK, The Voice Australia, and much more.
Other Entertainment Betting Odds
Occasionally, popular TV shows and reality shows will appear under entertainment betting odds. Shows like The Bachelor, Game of Thrones (or whatever the popular show is at the moment), and Survivor will have betting markets dependent on the book.
If you have a favorite show or event, check the entertainment odds.
Where to bet Entertainment Betting odds?
Entertainment betting odds are part of every major online sportsbook around, including the ones on our table here. Even though they aren't sports, they have become a major part of online betting due to how popular they have become. Who doesn't enjoy picking award winners?
Note that not all books will carry the same types of events for entertainment betting. This is why we laid out the books here so it's convenient to check on each one to find the best odds and markets for the event of your choosing.
Check each book to see how the odds stack up. Entertainment events, especially Wrestlemania, can be all over the place as not every book covers them. If you're an expert in a particular event, stick to it.
Best yet, you can sign-up for more than one book. This ensures you have access to as many odds as you can find and you get to avail of more than one signup offer or promotion.
Take with a grain of salt the odds you see. Entertainment betting is limited with its lower betting limits and should any leaks occur, odds are quickly taken off the board. Have fun and treat this is a hobby.
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