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Entertainment Betting: Odds on the Oscars, TV Shows, Time Person of the Year and More

Oscars Best Picture favorite: The Odyssey -180

Time Person of the Year favorite: Zohran Mamdani +250

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Betting goes far beyond sports, and markets around pop culture moments or events have taken off in recent years. Entertainment betting lets you put money on the Oscars, the Grammys, the winner of Survivor, Time’s Person of the Year, the next James Bond, and plenty more. These are markets where paying attention to the news and the buzz can give you a real edge over the sportsbook.

This page brings together the markets on all of your favorite events, an idea of when odds go live on certain events, and our expert analysis on where the value does, or doesn’t, lie.

What Is Entertainment Betting?

Entertainment betting covers any market outside of sports and politics: awards shows, reality TV, movie casting, Time Person of the Year, and big one-off events like the Super Bowl halftime show. You bet on the outcome just as you would a game, usually picking a winner from a list of contenders at moneyline odds.

The offshore sportsbooks we recommend also give you access to markets you won’t find at state-licensed sportsbooks, which means odds on the Oscars and your favorite TV shows are all on the table. BetOnline covers dozens of these betting markets every year.

Entertainment Betting Calendar

WhenMarket
Early DecTime Person of the Year
Dec 18Avengers: Doomday
Early JanGolden Globes
Early FebGrammys
Early FebSuper Bowl halftime show
Mid-MarchOscars
SpringSurvivor, American Idol
SummerLove Island, Big Brother, WSOP Main Event
July 4Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest
SeptemberEmmys
FallSurvivor, Dancing With the Stars

Odds usually open months before each event and move the most in the final few weeks, as nominations, leaks and early results come in. That’s when the best value tends to appear, and when you need to be quickest to grab it.

Awards Show Odds

Oscar Odds

The Oscars are the biggest entertainment betting market of the year. The 2027 ceremony is on Sunday, March 14, and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a heavy Best Picture favorite at -180, while Best Actor is a wide-open race. See our full Oscar odds and predictions for every category, key dates, and how the odds move through awards season.

Grammy Odds

The Grammys take place in early February, and sportsbooks price the big four categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. Grammy betting rewards anyone who follows the charts and the critics, because the Recording Academy often goes its own way. We’ll add our full Grammy odds and predictions as the markets fill out.

Golden Globe Odds

The Golden Globes in early January kick off awards season and are the first real test of the Oscar contenders. Markets usually cover the film and TV categories, split into drama and musical or comedy. They’re worth watching even if you only bet the Oscars, because a Globes win can move Oscar odds overnight.

Emmy Odds

The Emmys close out the TV awards season every September, with markets on the top drama, comedy and limited series categories and the lead acting awards. Read our Emmy Awards odds and picks from this year’s ceremony.

TV Show Odds

Survivor Odds

Survivor runs two seasons a year, in the spring and the fall, and sportsbooks price the winner from the opening episode. The odds move every week as players are voted out and the edit hints at who matters, which makes it one of the most fun markets to follow all season long.

Dancing With the Stars Odds

Dancing With the Stars airs every fall, and the winner market shifts week to week with the judges’ scores and the fan vote. See our Dancing With the Stars odds and picks for the current season.

American Idol, Big Brother and Love Island Odds

American Idol fills the spring, while Big Brother and Love Island USA take over the summer. Each one gets a winner market, and reality TV betting is growing fast as more fans realize they can bet on the shows they already watch. We’ll add odds for each show as their seasons approach.

Time Person of the Year Odds

TIME names its Person of the Year in early December, and the betting market runs all year. Zohran Mamdani and James Talarico are almost level at the top this year, and there have been some big swings along the way. Get the full picture in our Time Person of the Year odds.

Movie and Casting Odds

Next James Bond Odds

The race to become the next 007 is one of the longest-running specials markets around, and it won’t settle until the role is officially cast. Our next James Bond odds cover the favorites for Bond, plus the villain, Bond girl, and theme song markets.

Marvel Odds

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18, with Robert Downey Jr. back as Doctor Doom, and BetOnline is taking bets on which character will kill him. Thor is the favorite at +200, but the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and the Thunderbolts are all on the board too. See our Avengers: Doomsday odds and predictions for the full market and our pick.

Super Bowl Halftime Show Odds

The Super Bowl is the biggest night in US betting, and not just on the game. Sportsbooks post props on the halftime show, from the opening song to surprise guest performers, and they’re some of the most popular novelty bets of the year. We’ll have the full halftime show odds in the weeks before the big game.

Poker Odds: WSOP Main Event

The World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas every summer is the biggest tournament in poker, and sportsbooks offer odds on the big-name pros to go deep. See our WSOP Main Event odds and picks from this year’s event.

Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest Odds

Every Fourth of July, the eyes of the betting world turn to Coney Island for the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Sportsbooks price the men’s and women’s winners, plus over/unders on how many hot dogs the champion can put away in 10 minutes. Joey Chestnut holds the record at 76, and he’s usually a huge favorite whenever he’s in the field, so the totals are often where the real betting interest lies. We’ll have the full odds in the run-up to July 4.

Political Betting

Elections and political specials are their own big category, from the 2028 presidential race to the Democratic nominee. Head to our guide on how to bet on politics for every political market we cover.

How to Bet on Entertainment

How Entertainment Odds Work

Most entertainment markets are simple: pick the winner from a list at moneyline odds. A $100 bet on a +300 contender returns $300 profit if they win. Bets settle on the official result, whether that’s the envelope on Oscar night, TIME’s announcement, or the Survivor finale.

Entertainment Betting Tips

  • Read the rules. Settlement rules matter more here than in sports. Check how a sportsbook handles ties, group winners and markets where a contender drops out.
  • Bet early for value. Prices are longest before the news breaks, and the biggest moves happen in the final weeks.
  • Expect lower limits. Entertainment markets are smaller than sports markets, so books cap stakes lower and prices can move on just a few big bets.
  • Follow the precursors. For awards shows, earlier ceremonies and guild awards are the best guide to what happens on the big night.

Where to Bet on Entertainment

BetOnline is our top pick for entertainment betting. It accepts US players, offers a welcome bonus for new customers, and has the deepest range of entertainment markets we’ve found, with odds on everything from the Oscars to Time Person of the Year posted months ahead.

Bet on entertainment at BetOnline

Odds on the Oscars, Grammys, reality TV, Time Person of the Year and more

Up to $250 Free Bet, No Rollover. Players accepted from all states (excluding NJ)

Claim Up to $250 Free Bet at BetOnline