TV Series Betting 101: Where and How to Bet on TV Shows in 2022
Hopefully you have upgraded to something a little better than this, but even if you haven’t you can still bet on some TV action!
When traditional sports were under lockdown because of COVID, betting on other things became more popular. That included a range of entertainment bets, including wagers on television and film.
Even though traditional sports have been back for a while now, over the past few years, we have continued to watch betting on streaming series increase in popularity. It seems like there is action on a wider range of shows than ever before.
Given that is the case, this seemed like a good time to put together a 101 guide on how to bet on television and streaming series.
Below, you can find some top sites for wagering on shows. You can scroll past the recommendations to find our full betting guide.
Where to Bet on Streaming Shows
Bovada
Bovada is the top US-facing sportsbook and has been for many years now. While there are quite a few reasons why that is the case, one of the biggest is that they offer so much to bet on.
In fact, you will find more entertainment bets at Bovada than you will at most sportsbooks, including wagers on television and streaming programs.
At the time of this writing, we are seeing bets on the Game of Thrones series House of the Dragon and the Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power.
Bovada also is offering reality TV betting on Survivor and The Amazing Race.
When joining Bovada, you will be able to claim a $250 Welcome Bonus if you are depositing regular cash, or a $750 Welcome Bonus if you are depositing bitcoin. This site also offers generous casino bonuses and a rewards program.
BetOnline
BetOnline has been around for more than 25 years, during which time the site has built a reputation for consistently delivering a quality betting experience. They take customers from the US and Canada and are especially great at credit card processing for fast and easy transfers.
You can find “Entertainment” under “Other Sports” in BetOnline’s sportsbook section. At the time of this writing, this section lists wagers for Celebrity Jeopardy. While that is all we see at the moment, we know that at other times, BetOnline has also offered wagers on shows like Game of Thrones. So, their selection is always worth checking.
When you sign up, you can claim a 50% Welcome Bonus of up to $1,000. You also can get a 100% Match on your first crypto deposit. The site offers generous reload bonuses of 25% for regular currency and 35% for crypto, as well as exciting casino promos.
Cloudbet
Gamblers who are looking for a bitcoin-centric sportsbook that offers entertainment bets can pay a visit to Cloudbet. This site keeps your funds in cold storage for extra security and offers some of the biggest bonuses we have ever seen. The minimum deposit is only 0.001 BTC, so no matter your account size, you can join!
While we are not seeing any bets at the time of this writing, we know for a fact that Cloudbet does sometimes offer wagering on various shows.
Coming back to promotions, you can grab a Welcome Bonus as large as 5 BTC when you sign up for an account. There is also a loyalty club as well as additional promotions.
MyBookie
Here is a site where you can enjoy a large selection of entertainment bets as well as stellar customer service. As with Cloudbet, we are not seeing any TV bets at the time of this writing, but we know that MyBookie regularly offers them. In the past, they have accepted bets on Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, The Mandalorian, and other shows.
When signing up on MyBookie, you can get Double your first deposit or a 10% Cash Bonus up to $200. 25% Sports Reload Bonuses are offered to returning customers. There are casino promotions as well.
BookMaker
We have become dedicated fans of BookMaker for their fast, reliable payouts and their selection of bets. We also appreciate their honesty and fairness. If you win big here, there are no concerns about being given the boot. BookMaker will respect your luck and continue to offer you the best possible experience.
Under “Entertainment,” you will find that BookMaker has a whole section dedicated to “TV Gambling Online.” Some shows they have offered bets on include Game of Thrones, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, Dancing With the Stars, and The Bachelorette.
On signing up at BookMaker, you can get a Welcome Offer of 20% up to $500. There are also reload bonuses and racebook rebates.
Also, we see that you’re into betting on things that aren’t necessarily sports really – Did you know you can Bet On a Coin Toss in Space?
What Series Can You Bet On?
If you read through our recommended betting sites for the shows above, you already have a pretty good idea of the types of series that you can wager on. We can split these into three main categories:
- Reality shows
- Game shows
- Fictitious shows with narratives (i.e. comedies, dramas, etc.)
Some TV series we have seen bets accepted for in the past and present include:
- Game of Thrones
- Stranger Things
- The Mandalorian
- Andor
- Survivor
- Dancing With the Stars
- The Voice
- America’s Got Talent
- The Bachelor
- The Bachelorette
- House of the Dragon
- Rings of Power
- Cobra Kai
- Westworld
Those are just some examples! If a show is especially popular or gets a lot of press for whatever reason, there is a good chance you will find one or more sites accepting wagers on it either before a new season or even during a season.
It is important to note that wagering on various shows comes and goes on each betting site. Even if nothing is posted at the time you check, you may find a lot to bet on at a later date. You are going to want to make it a habit to check what is available on a frequent basis since it is always changing.
“Sweep the leg, Johnny, and get yourself a Gambling Bonus while you’re at it!”
Types of Bets You Can Place on Popular Series
The types of bets you can make on different shows really depend on the specific type of show and what is going on in that show.
- To-Win
If you are betting on a reality show or game show, you may be able to place wagers on who will win. You might also be able to bet on who will be eliminated next, etc.
For narrative-driven shows, you might be able to bet on which will be the winner in a particular category at the Emmy Awards.
- Head-to-Head
Occasionally, you may find head-to-head betting on TV shows. For example, you might wager on which of two shows will receive a higher rating from IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes by the end of a specified time period.
- Over/Under
There may sometimes be occasions where you can make over/under or “totals” bets.
For example, MyBookie once challenged punters to guess how many nosebleeds the character Eleven would have on Stranger Things Season 4.
- Prop Bets
The vast majority of bets you can make on TV shows, especially those which are narrative-driven, are proposition bets (usually just called “props”).
These can vary wildly from show to show. But some examples of typical TV prop bets might include:
- Will (character) appear in the next season of (Show)?
- Will (character) die in the next season of (Show)?
- Who will be the next character to die in (Show)?
- Who will die first: (character A) or (character B) in (Show)?
- Which new character will show up in the next season of (Show)?
Sometimes, you will see super-specific props for various shows. To give you some examples, here are some bets that Bovada has offered on Westworld Season 3:
- What type of job will Caleb accept next on the RICO app?
- Which host character from Season 2 is Charlotte being controlled by?
Naturally, it would be quite challenging to wager on these types of things if you are not watching, as you would utterly lack context. But for fans who are closely following shows, these types of props can be a lot of fun (and sometimes even profitable).
Why Bet on TV and Streaming Shows?
Who knew that this guy and his little green friend could win you some cash?!
If you have never wagered on television before, here are some reasons to give it a try:
- Something different.
- Stay busy off-season.
- Unique props.
- You might already be watching.
- A new way to emotionally invest in your favorite shows.
- Discover new shows.
- The occasional consolation prize.
Wagering on a series can give you something completely new to try. In fact, that can be the case season after season. Some TV shows transform tremendously between their first and final seasons. So, there is never a dull moment, and the experience stays fresh.
Perhaps the primary sport on which you wager is currently off-season, and you are bored waiting around for the next season to begin. But maybe your favorite TV show is just about to start a new season. This is the perfect moment to re-watch some past seasons and place some wagers.
Many of the most unusual and distinctive proposition bets you will ever have a chance to place are those for popular TV series.
If you are already investing time and attention into a series, it makes sense to try and leverage some of that to make money if you can. Since you are already pouring hours into following the show, why not see if you can get lucky?
Just as placing wagers on a sport is a way to increase the emotional stakes and make the experience of following that sport more intense, the same can also apply to streaming shows you enjoy. The characters have a lot on the line, and you probably do too emotionally. If you put your money on the line as well, you will be even more eager to see what happens in the next season or episode.
While you are betting on your favorite shows, you may start becoming curious about some of the other shows you see bets available for. You might even start researching them to see if you can get in on the action at all. As you do, you could develop a genuine interest in watching them. Sometimes, this might lead you to get to experience shows you would have otherwise missed altogether.
It is always crushing when a favorite character dies a horrible or pointless death in a TV series. But hey, if you are pretty sure that death is right around the corner, at least if you bet on it you will get a payout to console you if it comes to pass. If it doesn’t, you will lose the bet, but hey, at least your favorite character will still be breathing.
Strategies for Betting on Game Shows
If you are betting on game shows, here is what will help:
- Learn The Game Show’s Format Inside and Out.
The better you understand exactly how the game show works, the more you will grasp the challenges the participants are facing and their opportunities. This knowledge may also help you to assess each of their individual strengths and weaknesses and how those will impact their play.
- Study Game Strategy.
This is James Holzhauer. He won all kinds of dough on Jeopardy and probably helped some gamblers win as well!
Each aspect of a game show may present participants with a range of possible strategies. After you understand the show itself deeply, you will need to learn about the strategies that the players might employ.
For example, the most crucial moment in Jeopardy is Final Jeopardy, when players must make wagers on their final responses. Also critical are bets on Daily Double.
You can do some research to find out common strategies that players may employ, as well as specific strategies that repeat contestants tend to rely on.
For instance, you might be familiar with the name James Holzhauer. This guy is famous for having a winning streak on Jeopardy that lasted 32 games in 2019. He has a background in sports betting and poker. His winning strategy involved a combination of intense academic study and tactical wagers that allowed him to leverage Daily Double and Final Jeopardy as much as possible.
The more you know about how the participants in a game show will play, the easier it will be for you to figure out who is going to come out on top.
- Follow the Contestants.
The best way to figure out what strategies the contestants rely on is to take a look at their track records.
You might also see if they are talking about their approaches to the game show at all in interviews, blog posts, etc.
Strategies for Betting on Reality Shows
Reality show betting strategy comes down largely to learning how eliminations work and then trying to determine what will happen based on how people feel.
In reality shows, judges, contestants, or even audience members might be responsible for voting on eliminations.
If you can, try to get your finger on the pulse of public opinions when it is the public who votes.
You may be able to do this effectively by looking on social media, blogs, and articles to see what people are saying. Pay close attention to emotional undercurrents, since those will usually drive votes.
If it is the contestants who are responsible for handling eliminations, watching the show each week will let you follow the development of relationships between contestants. This may give you some insights into future eliminations.
Strategies for Betting on Story-Based Series
When a show features a fictional narrative, there is actually a surprising amount you can do to be strategic in how you wager on it. Here are some suggestions.
- Re-Watch Old Seasons.
Finding time to re-watch TV has become harder over recent years because there is simply so much new, amazing content to keep up with.
And that is a tragedy because the quality of shows is at such a point where many of the most amazing details and nuances are only evident on re-watches.
Consider betting as an incentive to go back and re-watch past seasons of a show before you wager on an upcoming season.
By doing so, you could easily give yourself an edge over the majority of bettors, who are not going to take the time to do this.
In fact, a lot of the information in the past seasons will make more sense to you given the context of knowledge you have from later seasons.
You might also discover that information that seemed extraneous at the time is highly relevant to the present and future of the series.
So, watching those seasons again can give you some incredible insights, especially regarding the overall theme and direction of a show.
Indeed, you should not neglect the importance of the theme! This is a really common mistake when people make predictions about TV shows.
A show that has spent seasons building a particular theme is unlikely to suddenly do a complete 180-degree turn in the final episodes. It is not impossible, but it is not something you would usually want to bank on.
It is also quite common for viewers to misread themes. Pay attention not only to what topics are confronted on the show but to the tone around those confrontations. Even something as simple as how scenes are lit or what the soundtrack is portraying can give you massive hints as to what is on the horizon in future seasons.
From the show “Westworld”.
I’ve heard nothing but great things, I may give it a shot one day.
- Focus on Details, Patterns, and Symbolism.
For shows where the writing team knows future details or even the ending in advance, they might sometimes sprinkle in little hints throughout the series. These hints might take the form of veiled symbolism, but an eagle-eyed viewer could catch them and correctly interpret them.
- Be On the Lookout For Familiar Literary Conventions.
TV shows are packed with literary conventions and tropes. Many of these may end up having a direct bearing on future events and the fates of individual characters.
For example, one common thing you will see TV shows do is a loop back to familiar situations or imagery from the first season during the last, just in a different context. Circular structures like these may lead to some predictable elements.
Or, here is another example. Say three characters in a show have a love triangle, and the writers have convinced us that the character who is being fought over really loves both of the others. Neither of them is problematic in any way, and the writers are never going to sell us a choice. Moreover, let’s say this is a show where there are no poly themes or representations likely.
Well, the writers might still try to sell us an unnatural choice between the rivals. In fact, it is a strong possibility. But often in a case like this, one of the members of the love triangle is going to die or leave the show in some other fashion. It is often the simplest and most believable way to resolve the triangle and move on.
- Learn Who Has Creative Control.
Who holds creative control in a series can vary dramatically from one program to the next. Power could be highly concentrated or spread out. It could be mostly in the showrunner’s hands, or be subject to heavy oversight from executives.
Sometimes it can change as well. One show might have the same showrunner from start to finish, while another could trade the role off to someone new each season.
If creative control is concentrated and the same person is in charge throughout a show, it may be quite consistent. But if power shifts a lot, you could see major changes in tone, characters, plot, and even philosophy within a show. Studying what the showrunner for the upcoming season believes regarding storytelling and life, in general, can give you major hints about the show’s future direction.
- Watch Other Shows By the Same People, and Read Their Interviews.
What other shows have the showrunner, producers and writers worked on in the past? Look up their lists of credits, and see if there are common threads that tie these projects together in terms of theme, structure, etc.
This strategy may be especially helpful if creative control is highly consolidated, as we just discussed, or if you see repeat collaborators working together.
You might not have time to watch all their old shows, of course, but if you are already a big fan of their work, it might not be that far out of your way to start catching up on their past projects. It may not help you with the upcoming season, but it could be the time the next one rolls around.
- Keep Up With Relevant Social Media Posts and Interviews.
The internet is flooded with predictions about upcoming seasons for shows with the rumor mill working continuous overtime. Sometimes, you might actually run into some correct predictions or leaks looking at this content, so it is worth following. But a lot of it can also be really misleading.
One thing you can do that might give you access to better information is simply to keep up with the social media accounts of people who are actually involved with working on the show in some way.
Most actual announcements these people make will make their way to the news, but sometimes they might leak things by a mistake that people do not notice. They might also offer their thoughts on things they do not know (i.e. actors making predictions about what is next for their characters before seeing scripts), or offer hints about what is coming up that are not full-on leaks but do provide real information.
The more closely you follow these comments as you are wagering on streaming series, the more insights you will have to help you make your own predictions.
- Find Out About What Goes On Behind the Scenes.
You may get a leg up on your bets as well as any competition by paying attention to these guys!
As you follow the news on a show’s development cycle, you may find out some things about what it is like to actually work on the series.
In some cases, you could see a picture of harmony and fellowship. But in others, you could find out differently. Perhaps there is frequent fighting in the writing room. Maybe cast members do not get along with each other. Or maybe a showrunner is not staying on budget.
Issues like these betray instability. When things are unstable off-screen, they tend to become unstable on-screen as well. There may be high cast turnovers in the future, or the executives could end up firing members of the production team. These changes could lead to character deaths, radical plot changes, and so forth.
- Reflect On Other External Forces That Could Influence Writing.
In an ideal world, creators would be free to simply portray their creative vision on the screen. But we do not live in that world. There are always socioeconomic forces at play, and sometimes it is those forces that end up determining the course of a series.
Some of those forces might include:
- Popular trends in storytelling.
- Political and cultural issues are at stake.
- If a series loses its viewership, it will be canceled.
For example, sometimes we see piles of shows and films with tragic endings in a short time span, etc.
Series will often confront these issues and take a particular stance on them, which may give you an indication of what is likely to happen or not happen in the stories.
It is not in anyone’s interest for that to happen. That means that when the public complains loudly about the direction a series is going in, there is a chance that sometimes the writing team will respond by making a U-turn.
So, be mindful when you are betting on television of this context and how it may be evolving from season to season as events in the real world unfold. The fictional worlds of television do not exist in a vacuum.
Always Shop the Odds
Whether you are wagering on reality shows, game shows, comedies, or dramas, one thing is always going to be true: those who shop the odds will give themselves the best chance of making bank!
This is just a reality with any type of betting! Hopefully, you are also shopping for value whenever you bet on sports.
Bet on Popular TV and Streaming Series Now
Excited to bet on shows like Stranger Things, House of the Dragon, Celebrity Jeopardy, Survivor, and more? To get started now, click on any of the links in this post. We recommend joining multiple sites so you have the widest possible variety of wagering opportunities for the largest number of shows! This is also the key to shopping the odds and claiming more promotions.
And Some More “Non-Traditional” Stuff You Could Bet On: