Entertainment betting is one of the coolest ways to get betting action in on things other than sports. When you have a prediction on something happening on TV, the entertainment business, politics or anywhere else not sports related, you should be able to get paid when you’re right. This is where entertainment betting sites come into play. If you want to see what action is available, check out our list of the top-rated and most trusted online entertainment betting sites below!
What is an Entertainment Betting Site?
So, what exactly is an entertainment betting site? Well, the term is a little misleading because there are no fully-dedicated entertainment betting sites. What we’re actually referring to here are online sportsbooks that offer extensive action on different entertainment bets. This can include bets on reality TV shows, award shows, political elections, and anything else that you can bet on that is not sports related.
In order for us to call a sports book an entertainment betting site, they need to offer great action on a lot of different entertainment areas. If they just offer action on one show or on one awards show, that’s cool, but not that great if you’re looking to bet a lot of entertainment. On that same token, we want to see more than at least one or two bets for each entertainment category (when possible).
Basically, to earn this title from us, an online sportsbook has to have extensive entertainment action available regularly. To get a recommendation from us, though, sites also need to be top and trusted online sportsbooks.
Online Betting SitesWhat Makes a Great Entertainment Betting Site?
As we already alluded to, just because an online sportsbook offers entertainment bets does not automatically mean they are a great betting site. There’s a lot more that is required for them to earn that distinction. First, they need to be a trustworthy sportsbook that knows how to treat their customers right. In addition to that, though, there are some specific criteria that we look for specifically pertinent to entertainment bets.
Below, we’re going to take a look at those specific criteria that we look at when we’re racking and stacking entertainment betting sites. These are not all of the criteria we look at, but these are the most important when it comes to assessing quality.
Availability of Betting Options
A lot of online sportsbooks out there will offer some sort of entertainment betting action, but it’s usually sparse and completely random on what they offer. You might see one political bet and then maybe one random TV show or something like that. While we commend them for at least getting some action on the board, it’s not ideal if you’re someone who is looking to heavily get involved betting entertainment bets.
What we’re looking for is extensive action on as much as there is to bet on. We do understand that there are times throughout the year where there isn’t that much available in the entertainment category. But, when there is stuff out there to be bet on (TV shows, elections, award shows, etc.), we want to see action on it.
Timeliness of Lines
For most sportsbooks, they’re on time when it comes to getting lines in on sports. They never want to be behind the curve and risk losing your action to another sportsbook. But, when it comes to entertainment bets, it can really be all over the place how quickly you get access to lines. Some sportsbooks are great about getting lines out quickly and allowing you plenty of ample time to make your picks.
Some sites, though, struggle to get things out on time and you’re left having to make a very quick decision before your event starts. This is usually because it’s low on their priority pole or they are just being reactive to all of the other betting sites out there. We don’t really like this and would prefer they put on their big girl and big boy pants and get us our lines in a timely fashion even if it means they have to make their own decision.
It should be quite clear where we stand on this issue. We want our lines out quickly with plenty of time to be able to make our decisions.
The Same Things for All Betting Sites
This has already been touched on, but it’s important enough that we need to revisit it again. In order for an entertainment betting site to be considered one of the best, they need to undergo a sportsbook review. We’re not too concerned about how many other sports they cover or the level of betting they offer on those sports (as we usually are).
We are extremely concerned with how well we can trust them, how well their operation is run, the quality and speed of their banking options, and the overall experience that the site offers. If they can’t get any of that right, it doesn’t matter how many entertainment betting lines they put out or how quickly they get them out to us.
This criterion might be one you didn’t think of, but it’s the most important for us when it comes to racking and stacking entertainment betting sites. If the foundational blocks of a betting site aren’t there, nothing else will convince us that they are a quality site.
Things You Need to Know Before Getting Started
While entertainment betting operates pretty similarly to betting on most other sports, there are a few things that are different that you should be aware of. In the sections below, we’re going to detail the top four things that you need to be aware of. We’re sharing these so that you can fully understand what you’re getting into and can get the most out of your experience.
Betting Caps
Almost every sportsbook under the sun has some sort of betting cap on their sports bets. Usually, though, this cap is so astronomically high that it’s not going to affect you unless you are a big-time player who bets huge. But, when it comes to entertainment bets, you can usually expect to see much lower betting caps usually around the $500 – $1,000 mark. Occasionally, you will see higher than this, and of course, you can also see lower than this depending on where you are betting.
Why is this the case? Well, with a lot of entertainment bets the risk of insider knowledge is extremely high especially in television and award show bets.
Entertainment bets are also things that could potentially be swayed by insiders as well. Sure, this can happen with sports, but it’s a lot harder to pull off when you’re doing something unscripted versus an actual game. For this reason and the aforementioned, sportsbooks are usually going to keep caps on the size of entertainment bets you can make.
The good news is that based on the average size of most bettors bets, a cap of $500 or $1k is really not going to be an issue when it comes to these types of bets. You will see people get closer to those limits when it comes to betting sports, but for most entertainment bets outside of politics, the bets are usually smaller and often used for recreational purposes.
The Site is the Ultimate Decider
When it comes to determining whether or not you won a sports bet, it’s a pretty easy process. You look at the scoreboard, and if the team you picked to win won by the right number of points, you win! But, when it comes to entertainment bets, sometimes it can get a little confusing. For example, let’s say that you are betting on who the winner of a reality TV show will be. Let’s say that at the last minute the show’s writers decide that they’re going to have two winners. Do you win your bet if you have one of those two winners?
You would argue yes, but we assure you that a sportsbook is not looking to pay out multiple people on a bet because they’d lose money just because the rules got changed last minute.
TV shows, and other entertainment companies could not care less about affecting the betting action at sportsbooks. Heck, most of them probably have no idea that the bets are even taking place.
So, how does this get sorted out? Well, the ultimate decider is going to be the sportsbook. Yes, it will be in their best interest not to upset their customers with an unfair ruling which is great. But, at the end of the day it will always be up to them. If they make a ruling on a weird situation like this and you don’t like it, you’re not going to have any recourse. So, what we recommend you do is make sure to read how they handle things like this, and also make sure you’re with a reputable entertainment betting site who isn’t going to look for chances to take advantage of you.
Don’t Forget the Fun
The last thing we want to make sure we cover is what the purpose of making entertainment bets actually is. Can you bet entertainment bets profitably? Yes, but that’s only true for certain areas of the industry. If it’s a TV show that is scripted you’re betting on, it’s going to be tough to be profitable unless you can predict where the writers are going to go with something. If it’s something like politics, you can probably find a way to make educated picks, but the oddsmakers are probably going to be pretty good at what they do too.
We’re not telling you this to deter you from getting involved in entertainment betting. We’re telling you this to remind you that the reason most people get into it is for fun. It can make boring shows or politics that much more exciting. Unless you’re heavily into politics, election night coverage will never be more exciting than when you have money riding on the winner.
In Conclusion
Well, the only thing that’s left for you to get started betting entertainment bets is to get started! Remember, the level of action is going to vary greatly, and it will often only be put up seasonally so check back often if you are looking for action on something. Find something you want to bet on, make a prediction, and get out there and start making some money!
