Can You Bet On Music in South Africa?
When you hear about betting, sports are the first thing that comes to mind. Sports betting is, of course, the biggest all over the world – but it’s not sports alone that people bet on. There are quite a few popular betting markets that have nothing to do with sports, like politics, the weather, and even music.
As you might expect, it’s not the music itself but the events and awards in the world of music you can bet on. Let’s take a look at what music-related bets you can place, and which SA sportsbooks you should choose for your bets.
What music-related bets can you place?
Music-related bets are not available in every sportsbook, and they are certainly not listed among the sports. Instead, if you are looking for them, you should look for sections called “special bets”, “Specials”, “Entertainment” and maybe even “novelty” in some cases.
Among these “special” bets, you can usually find several that are entertainment-related – and sometimes, even wild ones like the top male and female participants in the popular UK reality show “Love Island”, who will be the next James Bond, or even what the maximum temperature will be on Canada Day (July 1st) in Ottawa and Toronto.
Music-related bets are more common at the beginning of the year, ahead of the awards season. But there are things you can bet on throughout the year, like the next artist to perform at the famous Super Bowl halftime show, seen by millions around the world, or the results of the Eurovision Song Contest, one of the largest and longest-running music awards in the world. Plus, at some bookmakers, you can even bet on the winner of the Triple J Hottest 100, an Australian listener poll run by the Triple J radio station.
Where can you bet on music?
Not all bookmakers offer their bettors the opportunity to bet on music. Most of them stick to sports alone, maybe venturing into the world of eSports, but not beyond. To find special bets, you should check out the offer of some of the biggest names in the industry.
Betway routinely lists Eurovision bets. Right now, you can bet on whether the UK will finish last or receive zero points. Plus, considering that next year’s Eurovision is hosted by Sweden, the country that gave the world ABBA, there are a few specials related to one of the most famous pop acts in the world:
- Will ABBA perform at the Grand Final?
- Will any country win by at least 100 points, as ABBA did in 1974?
- Will a country eliminated in the 2023 semifinal win in 2024? (this was the case with ABBA in 1974)
- And a few more
Bet.co.za also has a few entertainment bets, but none of them are related to music at this point. The same goes for 10Bet – their specials are currently only related to movies and TV shows.
Final words
Some of the biggest music awards routinely show up at bookmakers, where you can bet on their results. Whether it’s the star performer at the Super Bowl or the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, a well-placed bet can turn these events into way more fun.
But remember: whenever you bet, no matter if it’s on sports or music, always bet responsibly