A Look at the Popularity of Novelty Betting
Visit any online sportsbook in the UK and you can bet on all sorts of sports. But did you know you can bet on other things too? Let’s have a look at novelty bets and what makes them popular with British punters.
Novelty Bets Explained
Betting on sports can be exciting, unpredictable and potentially rewarding. In the UK, there are countless sports betting opportunities, both in the real world and offline. But not everyone who bets places wagers on sports.
This is where novelty bets come in. These are bets that don’t cover anything to do with sports; they focus instead on things such as:
- Award ceremonies, e.g. the Baftas, the Oscars and the BRIT Awards
- The results of popular TV competitions, e.g. Britain’s Got Talent and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!
- The outcomes of political votes, e.g. presidential elections and referendums
- Pretty much anything in pop culture, e.g. the gender of a famous couple’s baby and who will get the Christmas number 1
There’s practically no limit to what novelty betting can include. Obviously, the bet has to be about something well known otherwise it wouldn’t attract enough punters. This is why most novelty bets cover topical events and pop culture.
Most sportsbooks offer outright bets, where you’re betting on the overall winner of something. Many of them also have bets that cover a range of things besides who wins. Let’s look at Britain’s Got Talent as an example.
As well as the winner of the competition, you may find bets for the next contestant to be eliminated, and which contestants make the final two. The range of bets varies depending on the novelty bet.
With a TV show, betting typically gets underway once the first episode has aired. This is because you don’t know who the contestants are until the series has actually started.
With political betting or various pop culture bets, the time frame for placing such wagers isn’t limited like TV-related ones. You could even find yourself betting on something that’s many months away.
How Novelty Bets Work
If you want to place novelty bets in the UK, you’ll be pleased to know that they work in a straightforward way. In fact, they’re just the same as regular sports bets.
Let’s say you’ve joined one of the best sports betting sites in the UK and want to place some novelty bets. Here’s how you go about doing it:
- Sign in to your sportsbook account
- Deposit some funds
- Head to the sports betting section
- Click the ‘Novelty’/’Specials’ option*
- Find the bet you want to place and click it
- Enter your stake, check the details and confirm the bet
In many online sportsbooks, novelty bets can be found in the ‘Novelty’ or ‘Specials’ category. Some sites split them into different subcategories, e.g. ‘Entertainment’ and ‘Politics’. Overall, finding the bet you want to place shouldn’t be hard.
Why Are Novelty Bets Popular?
It’s safe to say that sports betting is considerably more popular than novelty betting. Visit any online sportsbook in the UK, and you’ll see that there are way more options for sports bets than novelty ones.
Even though sports dominate the betting scene, there’s still a space for novelty bets. They may not be the most popular, but they’re greatly appreciated by the people who place them.
What’s more, they have some advantages that attract people to them. Here’s a list of some of the benefits that come with placing novelty bets in the UK.
- It gives people another way to enjoy popular TV shows. Lots of people like guessing who’s going to win or what’s going to happen, and novelty bets let them potentially earn some money from making correct guesses.
- The odds can be quite favourable. When it comes to determining odds for sporting events, bookmakers have a wealth of experience to draw from. This isn’t necessarily true for novelty bets, as it can be harder for bookmakers to determine accurate odds, which may end up working in your favour.
- Novelty bets are a fun alternative to sports betting, which can be quite serious, especially for experienced punters. Some people put a lot of work into sports betting by analysing data and statistics. With novelty betting, you can take a more relaxed approach and go with your gut instinct instead of poring over facts and figures.
- They can cover pretty much anything. From TV competition outcomes to political vote results, celebrities and events in pop culture, there’s a wide range of things that novelty bets can focus on.
With sports, you know the sorts of bets you’ll see at bookmakers. When it comes to novelty bets, the available wagers can be more unpredictable. You never know what you might be able to bet on.
Tips for Placing Novelty Bets
Before doing any type of gambling, you should come up with a budget. This should be an amount of money that you can afford to lose and isn’t needed for important things such as household expenses and bills.
Always stick to your budget, and if you run out of money, stop betting and do something else instead. Don’t expect to make a profit because this is unlikely to happen. Simply treat your wins as bonuses.
Also, don’t chase your losses. If you have a losing streak and spend your budget, don’t keep betting because there’s never a guarantee you’ll make your money back.
There are loads of online sportsbooks in the UK where you can place novelty bets. Before joining one, do some research to find the best ones. Choose a site that is licensed and has a great reputation.
Consider Placing Some Novelty Bets
Novelty bets shouldn’t be seen as a joke and shouldn’t be written off. While they’re nowhere near as big as sports wagers, they can still be worthwhile. Plus, they’re fun and can help you get more enjoyment out of things.
If you like the idea of novelty bets, consider placing some. Join a top-rated UK sports betting site that offers some of these bets. Remember always to be sensible when gambling online for real money and enjoy yourself!
