When you think of a bookmaker, you will instantly think of sports betting. For many years, being a bookmaker has been all about taking bets on sports such as horse racing, greyhound racing, and football.
Over the past couple of decades, bookmakers have branched out and increased the number of sports they take bets on. Smaller niche sports like ice hockey, cycling and even betting on the Olympic Games are now available to those who wish to bet on those.
However, it is a different type of betting that is now catching the eye, something that could really grow over the next decade.
This is betting on entertainment shows, something that is traditionally not watched by sports fans.
So, this gives bookmakers a whole new market to offer their products to, potentially a lot of new customers and also something else to make their service really stand out.
Betting on Reality TV Shows
The biggest growth area for bookmakers inside the entertainment industry has certainly been with reality TV programs.
These are some of the most-watched TV shows, some of them are weekly while others are on every single day of the week.
Those who watch the shows will get attracted to the people on them, having a favorite person or couple that they like and want to win. Now, bookmakers give fans the chance to have a bet on their opinion, just like sports fans bet on their opinion of who will win games.
This isn’t just in one area either. With reality TV shows taking place around the world and at different times of the year, more often than not if you log onto a bookmaker’s website, you will find betting available for at least one show.
An Increase in Betting Markets
When sports betting started, it was simple and that is the case with entertainment betting right now. However, this is something that is expected to grow as people create a demand for more ways in which they can bet.
With entertainment shows, this would mean betting on things such as who will be voted off next, rather than solely betting on the winner. Look out for bookmakers to bring those markets in shortly, though it may only be the top bookmakers that offer them to begin with.
Shop around for this, some bookies provide better odds and some provide more betting markets, so take a look around and get yourself the best possible deal for your betting.
For now, the entertainment betting section of a betting website is small and simple, but when this increases they will all look a little different and that will mean it is time to shop around for great deals.
Awards Betting on TV & Film
Something else that people can bet on is the awards shows that take place on a yearly basis. These all give awards to actors, the best TV shows, the biggest films, and much more.
If you like to watch TV and films for entertainment then you are likely to know many if not all of the nominees for these awards and keep up to date with the latest TV and movie news.
You are also likely to have your own personal favorites and again this is where you can place a bet on your opinion of the shows, betting on the one you felt was the best.
These awards nights often make great viewing for TV and film fans, and if you are watching with friends or family and you have all placed a bet on what you think will win, this will make it even more exciting.
There are few options for improvement here, other than betting being available on more awards, as there are no alternative markets that could be created.
Despite that, it is expected that awards betting will continue to grow in popularity over the next few years.
What Could We See in the Future?
We are seeing the betting industry move towards markets where there is no sport involved. We have seen a big surge in the number of political betting markets available, eSports has also seen a big rise in fans and people betting, and the entertainment industry is also following.
However, the real future of entertainment betting seemingly lies with reality TV shows, something that the public loves to watch and take part in, so betting fits nicely with that.
There will be many who spend Monday morning at work talking to their friends about the reality shows they have watched over the weekend, and during the conversation, everyone will have a favorite.
For those who don’t like sports, and for that reason have never placed a bet, that could be about to change. As more people are aware of the ways in which they can bet on TV shows, especially reality TV, the number betting is expected to grow.