Updated: 2024It is a great option for all players. Even people out there aren’t big gamblers normally, may take a part in betting on specials as they encompass much more than your traditional gambling experience.
On this page, you will learn all about betting on specials so you can get involved.
Read on if you want to know more about this fun way to bet online.
Betting on Specials & Novelty – What is it Exactly?
In short: Betting on specials is a general term that encompasses most bets outside your generic betting on online betting sites.
While they may include some elements of sport, it won’t be in-game results and will instead focus on other events of the game, new managers for example.
However, more often than not, they will cover elements of popular culture or politics but can stretch even further than that. The exact options will be determined by the betting site itself, but a site good for betting on specials will have a massively diverse range of specials betting which you might not even have considered betting on before.
PaddyPower offers the largest variety of novelty & specials betting in the UK. Currently you can bet on:
– When will alien extraterrestrial life be proven?
– Celebrity X Factor
– Next James Bond
– Glastonbury: Who will headline Pyramid Stage 2020?
…and many more!
There are few recurring betting specials that you are likely to find at
the majority of betting sites. Here is a quick rundown of the more common types of specials betting.
Politics
The most commonly found option in special betting sections will be centered on politics. These will usually be country specific and will be centered on the main leadership contest within the nation.
As such, in the run-up to an election, you will be shown odds of the potential candidates and their odds to become the new leader of the country. If there are elections within a big party in the country this might also be a bet offering.
They can also be specific to certain events, for example, there is running odds on the length that Donald Trump will remain president and event surrounding the UK’s departing from the EU.
Entertainment
Entertainment Specials Betting will see gamblers bet on the events on TV or film. Often this will see players bet on the results of TV talent shows such as Britain’s Got Talent or Dancing on Ice or other reality television elements, but it can also see people betting on drama television programs, such as Game of Thrones, or soap operas, such as EastEnders in The UK.
Entertainment betting also covers celebrities and their personal lives too, so you might see betting elements related to famous faces. Award shows will also be a commonly found option for Entertainment specials betting. Ultimately, they can cover all elements that people are interested in the Entertainment world and are a great option for first-time bettors.
Royal Family
In the UK, this is especially a big one and will attract all manner of people from all walks of life. However, people from across the world with their own royal families might also partake in this. The most common version of this will be the name for Royal babies, but there are also those for who will be next monarch.
Sports
Sports covers the background information in the sports world. As such, it wouldn’t include winners of events. However, there will be options for where will host or the next World Cup or Olympics, as well as offerings for who will be the next manager or signing for a sports team. These cover elements outside of competitions, but remain one of the most popular options for betting on specials.
Others
Due to the nature of Specials, they can literally cover anything. And so, it is well worth staying tuned to the specials page on a regular basis for updates on the different options for betting outside the usual parameters. There may even be the option at some sites to choose your own specials on the fields that you would like to bet on.
Top UK Online Bookies for Specials & Novelty Betting
Specials are offered the majority of sports books online. However, there are few that offer more options for the generic specials betting, as well as more niche areas of betting, resulting in a much larger range when it comes to online specials betting. Here is a selection of top sites for betting on specials
Paddy Power
Paddy Power offers the most intriguing betting specials of all online betting sites and even had section dedicated to the various different special bets that they offer online.
They offer sections dedicated to political specials and television specials which are brimming with options, but this isn’t all they offer with dedicated sections to different events.
They offer options for Oscars and other award show betting, Royals betting and for the next actor to play James Bond, to name just a few.
They will also offer sports special bets on more niche sports, such as UFC. However, their novelty section is most interesting though and contains lighthearted and fun specials betting options.
Bet365
Bet365 offer a comprehensive specials selection, with dedicated sections to nations such as the UK, Australia and Italy, as well as to areas specifically such as North America and options just for simply, World events.
These include sports events but are more centred on elements of popular culture and politics. They have election specials for all countries offering elections at any one time, as well as betting options for reality TV, such as Love Island winners, and for the Golden Logie award in Australia, which is awarded to Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.
Betfair
Betfair are a go-to for all things sports betting and this includes specials. On their site, their biggest USP for their specials is their range of sports specials.
These include things such as the new managers of sports clubs, the longitude of current managers staying in their roles and options for the length that certain teams will last in competitions, and that’s to name just a few. This is not all they offer though, as they have options for current political betting too, with potential for betting on loads of other real-world events in the coming weeks and months too.
Live Betting on Novelty Specials
You can also choose to bet live on some novelty specials in a similar way you would make use of bet-in play during sports events. There two areas where this is most applicable and that is during political betting or during reality TV.
Although the two are very different in nature, the final night of both a reality TV show and elections nights have a similar concept when it comes to specials betting. This is because over time, votes come in and the results of these determine the end result of the event.
In the case of a reality TV show, people over time will be voted out which will change the odds and so you can jump in and vote reflective of these occurrences. For example, if the favourite to win goes out then this will dramatically change what you should be betting on, so it is good to be active in live betting during these moments.
When betting on the outcome of elections, during election night, you will see the votes change over time. As more and more votes come in, the result of the election comes more obvious so you may want to change your original bet. Different areas carry a lot of weight during elections so this is worth considering and altering your bet attuned to this too.
In the case of sports special, during transfer deadline day, the odds-on certain players transferring can change over time too, so specials betting, in this case, is also worth considering.
Any specials event with a time limit is worth considering live betting on as things can dramatically change quickly. Much like watching a match, you want to change your bets to the best of your ability in order to see the most successful outcomes.
Betting Tips
Unlike sports betting events where anything can happen, there is a lot more you can do to determine the winners of novelty specials. These helpful tips below will be able to allow you to make the most of your novelty betting specials and will help you determine the correct bet.
✅Follow News
Most novelty specials will be well-covered by news outlets. This is particularly true for political events which will likely be on the news every day but can also be true for reality TV from some outlets. Staying up to date with the news will definitely help provide you with the knowledge you need to make educated decisions on the winners of a certain event. Whether you watch the daily news on TV or reading newspaper and magazines, making sure you are up to date will definitely help you know where the votes are headed.
✅Monitor Social Media
While the news is a great way for a structural update, on social media you will definitely get a better impression of what is going to unfold in certain event. While you might personally see a certain event go in one direction, social media allows you to monitor the masses and see what the public is thinking. This same public will ultimately provide the result of many novelty specials, so knowing what the masses are thinking is definitely going to benefit your novelty specials betting.
✅Watch the Show
For reality TV, if you aren’t watching the show and all you are getting is third-person reactions then you might not be getting the full picture. Certain events unfolding on screen will help you know whether odds are going to change and thus, allow you to get in when the time is right and before the odds change with the tides of other bettors betting behaviour.
✅Find a Good Betting Site
As is the case with any form of betting, location is key. As mentioned, some casino sites will offer a much wider selection of novelty specials, as well as different odds. Making sure you find a site with the best possible offerings when it comes to betting on novelty specials. Many bettors of specials will be new to the online betting world too, so a good location is more important for these bettors than others. These newbies should read reviews beforehand and claim a welcome bonus to get the novelty specials ball rolling.
What are the Most Fun/Weird/Famous Events that Were bet on in the Past?
Betting specials cover all the most diverse type of betting there is and these types of betting can get pretty random. Some betting sites out there offer elements such as on supernatural events or the existence of aliens. As such, these things could have an extremely long payout time.
One of the most controversial and famous special betting occurrences happened several years ago in the FA Cup though. Second choice goalkeeper for Sutton United, Wayne Shaw, had a special bet placed on him to eat a pie on the bench, something he did regularly.
However, he was punished for breaching betting regulations and received a fine, when he did, in fact, eat the pie upon knowing about the bet on him. This is an example of when fun novelty bets can go wrong.
Summary
Novelty specials betting is a fun way to add an extra element to your online betting and should be enjoyed when you can. This page should have helped guide you on your way to your first novelty special bet, so you can now start enjoying the benefits it offers players.
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