Novelty Betting Guide 2024

Written by: Sarah Sheikh, Content Researcher and Writer
Last updated:
8 minute read

Novelty betting is one of the more exciting gambling markets outside of traditional sports wagering. This type of wagering encompasses several things, like betting on TV shows, movies, award shows, celebrity gossip, and more. In most cases, the options to bet on are only limited to the imagination of the oddsmakers. If you’re into pop culture, politics, and entertainment – This is a betting market for you.

Novelty bets are interesting not only for amusement but also for the gambling profits. Sports gambling sites have come a long way since the early days of online sports betting and have now become so competitive that they are always trying to one-up each other regarding betting options. That’s one of the reasons you will see so many off-the-wall stuff wagering choices when it comes to the novelty betting world.

Best Novelty Betting Sites 2024

Rank
Payment Grade
Rating
Bonus
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  • 1
    A+
    4.9/5.0
    50% Up To $250
  • 2
    A+
    4.9/5.0
    100% Up To $2,500
  • 3
    A+
    4.8/5.0
    50% Up To $250
  • 3
    A+
    4.8/5.0
    100% Up To $500
  • 4
    A+
    4.2/5.0
    125% Up To $1,250
  • 5
    A
    4.7/5.0
    100% Up To $1,000
  • 5
    A
    4.7/5.0
    50% Up To $1,000

How To Place A Novelty Bet

Even if you’re not familiar with traditional sports betting, understanding odds correctly and making sense of novelty bets is a painless process. There is an easy step-by-step process of signing up, funding your account, and placing a bet. If you’re a seasoned bettor, these steps may seem basics to you, but we would still recommend reading them as they’re centered on sports betting basics, along with novelty betting.

  1. Choose A Betting Site – Depositing at the first online sportsbook you come across is a significant mistake that bettors make. It can sour their entire experience when it comes to betting sports online if they sign up with a bad operator. Luckily, we have reviews for just about every betting site online and offer our readers the best options.
  2. Look For Novelty Betting MarketsOnce you have found a reputable betting site and with fast payouts on our review page, then it’s time to look at their betting market selection. If you’re heavily interested in novelty betting, then be sure to check those markets and be sure they have the events that you want to bet. This is best to do before you make a deposit.
  3. Sign Up and Make Deposit – Depending on your location, cashier options will be different. Most Europeans should opt for e-wallets, but Americans have a variety of options including credit and debit cards and cryptocurrencies. We recommend cryptocurrencies as they have no fees for depositing and withdrawing.
  4. Choose Your Betting Market – Novelty bets, in most cases, are not featured prominently on the sportsbook’s main page. You will have to scroll through the menu and find the markets. Usually, betting sites have their wager menu on the left side of the screen, and it is grouped by sport. Look for entertainment or novelty bets, then expand the market.
  5. Place Your Bet – After deciding on your wager, click the bet you want to make and add it to your bet slip. After that, you will be prompted to choose your bet amount. Be sure your selection and the bet amount are correct before hitting submit or confirm. Many betting sites now have single-click confirmations, instead of two-clicks, so this is especially important.

Top Novelty Betting Sites 2024

Rank Novelty Sportsbooks Deposit bonus Highlights Get Started
1 Deposit bonus 50% Up To $250 Highlights
  • Recognized brand
  • Very fast payouts
  • Low rollover offers
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2 Deposit bonus 100% Up To $2,500 Highlights
  • Lots of bonuses
  • Offers VIP program
  • Reliable software
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3 Deposit bonus 50% Up To $250 Highlights
  • One of the largest sportsbooks online
  • Large betting limits
  • Post odds earlier than others
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4 Deposit bonus 100% Up To $500 Highlights
  • Reputable history
  • Valuable bonuses
  • Pays on time
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5 Deposit bonus 125% Up To $1,250 Highlights
  • Competitive odds
  • Solid banking options
  • Crypto-friendly
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6 Deposit bonus 100% Up To $1,000 Highlights
  • Trustworthy, USA Accepted Players
  • Easy Bitcoin & Credit Card Deposits
  • Excellent Parlay Odds
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7 Deposit bonus 100% up to $1,000 Highlights
  • Great betting software
  • Excellent software for live betting
  • Big welcome bonus
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8 Deposit bonus 50% Up To $1,000 Highlights
  • One of the fastest paying sportsbooks
  • Early odds for most events
  • Large sign-Up bonus and reload bonuses
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The best novelty betting sites will have the most betting options when it comes to novelty and entertainment betting, along with the highest limits. Limits can vary massively on smaller markets, so finding a site that takes substantially higher limits than another is a huge positive, especially if you’re a profitable bettor who wants to wager large amounts of money.

Novelty Betting Markets

The most prominent odds are available on award shows and reality TV competitions. Those who want to bet on moves and TV shows will find themselves in heaven when it comes to novelty betting. However, there is a lot more to bet on in the world of politics, pop culture, and so on.

Betting on Television

betting on tv shows

Betting on television shows, such as reality TV, has become one of the most popular novelty betting markets in recent years. Betting on the winners of the Bachelor, the Bachelorette, Big Brother, and so on are markets that are available at every sportsbook these days. As far as television awards shows, gamblers will also find odds available on the Emmy Awards, Golden Globes, and possibly the Critics’ Choice Awards.

Betting on Movies

wagering on movies

The most common way to bet on movies in novelty betting markets is wagering on the Oscars. It’s by far the event that garners the most betting handle when it comes to wagering on motion pictures. Although, there can be a lot of other betting options when it comes to movies. Wagering on which actor might get a big role in an upcoming film or betting an over/under on the amount a movie might make in its first weekend are all markets we have seen appear in recent years.

Betting on Celebrities

how to bet on celebrities

There is a billion-dollar industry surrounding celebrity gossip, and that has also spilled in betting markets. Betting on celebrity relationships or who a star might date next are now commonplace across online betting sites. Avid readers of TMZ will be right at home when looking at wagering on celebrities. Whatever the hot topic is in the entertainment world – there will almost always be a betting market available.

Novelty Betting Types

Those familiar with sports betting will be able to jump right into wagering on novelty markets. Traditional wagers, such as straight bets on outrights and over/under betting are mainstays in novelty betting. Entertainment betting is simple to understand and is straightforward, whether you’re new to betting or an experienced sports gambler.

Straight Bets

The most common type of bet you can place. A straight bet when it comes to novelty betting is usually an outright, which means the bet has a definitive outcome and cannot push. Betting on which performer will win the best actor award or best picture at the Academy Awards is an example of a straight bet.

Over/Under Bets

Totals or over/under bets in novelty betting don’t change much compared to wagering on a game or team total. The only difference is the sport, or even you’re betting. There are all sorts of options for totals for pop culture and entertainment. The amount of money a movie makes at the box office to the weight of a new royal baby.

Propositions Bets

Props are wagers unrelated to the final score of an event or in the case of entertainment markets, not the main attraction. There is always an extensive list of props for significant entertainment events, such as celebrity weddings. Betting on what color the Queen’s hat will be for a royal wedding or the clothing of a halftime performer during the Super Bowl are extremely popular novelty prop bets.

Novelty Betting Tips

Betting on sports versus wagering on novelty bets, such as TV shows, movies, and pop culture is a bit different. You will need to develop a different strategy compared traditional sports betting, but much of the basics remain the same. If you’re already into the entertainment world, but lack betting knowledge, the sections below will help you turn your knowledge into profits.

Betting Tip#1Soak Up The Entertainment World

If you’re going to be betting on pop culture and the entertainment world, you need to gain as much knowledge as possible in these areas. Focus on your strengths at the beginning, be that be movies, TV, or pop culture, then expand into other areas of entertainment. The more knowledge you have when it comes regarding entertainment, the more informed you will be on the subject you’re betting.

Betting Tip#2Look for Sportsbooks with Lots of Novelty Betting Options

We always recommend choosing top betting sites over lower tier ones, but it’s also essential to look at entertainment betting options before you sign up. If you’re looking to bet a specific event or want to wager on lots of novelty bets, be sure the sportsbook offers these before making a deposit.

Betting Tip#3Line Shopping

Line shopping is essential as it will allow you to get the best price on each wager you place. It’s also especially crucial for smaller market sports, like novelty markets, where there can be substantial differences in odds between competing sportsbooks. If you line shop, you will also have money at several different sportsbooks which will allow you to get money down on a market if you have maxed out your limits elsewhere.

Top 5 Greatest Novelty Bets

Novelty bets are part of popular culture. There are always some interesting ones each year, and some were such a hit that they are now a regular part of betting markets across the world. There has already been a lot of years of novelty betting over the years. We have narrowed down the novelty bets over the years to our top 5 of all-time.

  1. Will It Snow On Christmas? – Lots of betting sites offer odds on whether it will snow on Christmas Day. This market originated in the United Kingdom and has been available for decades but has spread to other parts of the world. This bet is geographic in nature, so it may not always be available, depending on where you’re located.
  2. Game of Thrones – Gamblers have been wagering on the outcome of the show for several seasons now. Bettors can not only choose who is on the Iron Throne at the end of each season but also can make bets on which character is next to die.
  3. It’s the End of The World? – Yes, it’s possible to bet on the end of the world. How one would collect the 80/1 or so odds after the world ends is clearly not something gamblers think about. This market is a bit less popular since the 2012 Mayan prophecies that predicted the end of the world, but some betting sites out there have it each year.
  4. The Royals – Betting on the Royal Family is a decade long tradition. Wagering on the color of the Queen’s hat at Ladies’ Day has been a bet that has been around since the 1970s. Of course, there are loads more betting options regarding the Royals. Gamblers can wager on the sex of the next royal baby or even which monarch will succeed Queen Elizabeth.
  5. Super Bowl Gatorade – Who doesn’t love a Gatorade shower for a winning coach? This tradition happens after just about every year after the Super Bowl. Of course, oddsmakers have turned this into another option to bet. Not only can you bet of the winning coach will get a Gatorade bath, but the color and flavor of the Gatorade.

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About the Author

Sarah Sheikh

Sarah Sheikh

Content Researcher and Writer

Sarah has been researching and writing for the iGaming industry for more than 10 years. She writes both betting and casino content for SBS with a unique honest perspective.

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