Colour of the Queen’s hat? Kitsch betting is all the rage

If you were living under a rock for the past year or so, you might not be aware that Prince Henry of Wales is marrying American actress Meghan Markle in a couple of days’ time. The wedding, which will take place at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle (pictured above), has drawn massive scrutiny from the media in Britain and beyond. 

From the moment the couple got engaged last year, bookmakers have been putting out markets for Royal Wedding betting 2018. But this is not just a one-off, increasingly punters like to have a punt on the novelty bets, everything from royal baby names to the identity of a murderer in soap storylines.

Below is a look at three of the most popular areas for ‘kitsch betting’, starting with the big event on May 19th itself.

Harry and Meghan’s Big Day

It will probably surprise many people to see the sheer number of markets for the royal wedding. You can bet on things like the colour of the Queen’s hat (2/1 from William Hill for it to be blue) or that Harry wears a military uniform on the day of the wedding (1/20) from the same bookmaker. It’s also 1/8 for Meghan to wear white on the day of the wedding, which looks like a sure bet.

There is also plenty of scrutiny over the guest list, with Betfair providing a market on the likes of Elton John (1/50) and Patrick Adams (1/100) to attend. If you want odds a little bit bigger than that, you can get 25/1 on Wayne Rooney or Jennifer Aniston to attend.

Eurovision Song Contest

By the time you read this, the winner of the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest might be known, so you can look back and see if Cyprus justified their 2/1 tag as favourites. Indeed, you will be also aware if the UK, a 200/1 shot, once again disappointed on the most kitsch stage of them all. Eurovision might seem like a joke to the public at times, but punters take it very seriously.
The ‘skill’ around Eurovision betting is not just judging the song’s merit, but rather untangling the political alliances around Europe. We have seen so many times down the years ‘douze points’ being awarded as political gifts and ‘nil points’ arriving as political snubs. Master those intricacies and you can clean up in Eurovision betting.

Britain’s Got Talent:

Betting is huge on events like Big Brother and X-Factor, but Britain’s Got Talent is where most of the fun lies. This year, the big favourite seems to Marc Spellman, a magician who got the first Golden Buzzer of the show. Spellman’s performance, which mixed gobsmacking magic and some heart-breaking scenes involving his ill son, was one of the most memorable of the show in years.

Spellman leads the odds at 4/1 with Paddy Power, but keep an eye on Jack and Tim, a father and son singing duo who blew the house down on their audition and who also got a Golden Buzzer. The pair can be found at 11/2 to win the 2018 BGT Final. They have the star power to be around for a long time after that.