Britain’s Got Talent is a television show broadcast on ITV featuring variety acts competing against each other to win the audience support. The winner receives a six-figure cash prize and gets to perform live at the Royal Variety Performance.
The show’s format is the brainchild of Simon Cowell, the creator of The X Factor and renowned Pop Idol/American Pop Idol judge. It is part of a global series of Got Talent shows and was introduced to the UK following the success of America’s Got Talent in the United States.
Singers, dancers, comedians, acrobats and people with performing pets flock to auditions throughout the country to showcase their talents, hoping to avoid the red buzzer that indicates the judges disapproval of the acts. Like other reality TV shows, Britain’s Got Talent succeeds in polarising opinion and is loved and hated in equal measure. However, the performers and judges continue to pull in big Friday night audiences who are then divided in their opinions of who will win.
Britain’s Got Talent is shown as a recorded program until the semi-finals which, along with final, are live broadcasts and the public get their chance to vote for their favourite act. It’s at the semi-final stage that the public take a bigger interest in the betting markets for Britain’s Got Talent, although having recognised the keen interest in Britain’s Got Talent betting, bookmakers advertise odds much earlier in the series.
Susan Boyle is one of Britain’s Got Talent’s most notable performers, the 48-year-old Scot astonished the judges and viewers with her performance of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from the hit musical Les Miserables in Series 3. She shot to immediate fame and boosted the shows audience to over 11 million viewers and punters made her a red-hot favourite with bookmakers.
The bookmakers were saved a bumper payout when she was surprisingly beaten in the final. Online bookmaker William Hill has always been at the fore of speciality betting on TV shows and award ceremonies estimated that over £3million was bet on the show in its final hour. The firm’s spokesman, Rupert Adam said afterwards: "We are in shock and have made a six-figure sum in what has been the biggest surprise in reality TV history. Susan was a certainty.”
A year later and online bookmakers Coral reported one of their "biggest gambles in reality TV history" on piano-playing comedian Kev Orkian in Series 4. Just a few hours before Orkian was due to make his appearance in the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent, Coral cut his odds from 100/1 to 9/1 and in his press release before the show, Coral spokesman Gary Burton said: "The few pounds we saw first thing this morning at 100/1 and 80/1 quickly turned into three figure bets at shorter prices, he will cost us a fortune if he wins. It's been an incredible punt!".
HOW TO GET BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT FREE BETS
Get free bets for Britain’s Got Talent by registering with online bookmakers to claim the free bet offers available exclusively to new customers.
Three steps to get Britain’s Got Talent free bets
- Select your free bet offer(s); check the main terms and conditions for restrictions for qualifying for free bets and using free bets, then select the free bet offer(s) that best suit your needs. Best Free Bets has a list of free bet offers with all the main terms detailed. CLICK HERE SEE A LIST OF FREE BET OFFERS
- Sign up with an online bookmaker; Best Free Bets has reviewed the best online bookmakers who will all provide free bets to new customers, the bookmakers are recommended because they are trustworthy and reputable, just follow the links to bookmaker’s website and register your details.
- Deposit some funds and place a bet; in most instances deposit and bet as little as £5 to qualify for a free bet matching your first bet stake up to the maximum offered by the bookmaker.
Online bookmakers will normally credit the free bet to your account within 24-48 hours of meeting the qualifying requirements, which usually entails making a deposit and/or placing a bet.
REDEEMING BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT FREE BETS
Normally, using your free Britain’s Got Talent bet is simply a matter of making your selection and indicating on the bet slip that you wish to use your free bet. Some bookmakers’ methods vary slightly, however their websites will contain instructions on how to redeem your free bet.
There will be restrictions placed on the use of free bets which vary between bookmakers and is advisable to make yourself familiar with those restrictions before signing up.
The six most important facts about redeeming Britain’s Got Talent free bets
- Free bet stakes will not be included in returns
- Minimum Odds; expect the bookmaker to insist your free bet is placed on a selection with a minimum price, typically 1/5 (1.20) to evens (2.00)
- Bet Type restrictions; you may not be allowed to use your free bet for some types of bets, however Singles are almost allowed and Accumulators are accepted by most bookmakers.
- Product restrictions; you won’t be able to invest free bets in Tote Pools and in many instances you will be confined to using the free bets in the sportsbook which includes Britain’s Got Talent betting, rather than Casino, Poker and other gaming products.
- Rollover requirements; some online bookmakers insist customers bet their deposit and/or stake a number of times before making a withdrawal.
- Free Bet Expiry; if unused, the free bets will expire after a period of time, normally 7 to 30 days.
BETTING TIPS FOR BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT
If you enjoy a few flutters throughout Britain’s Got Talent or on other Reality TV Show betting then its worth considering opening accounts with a number of online bookmakers. Free bets provide an excellent opportunity to increase your winnings or the chance to bet a winner without risking your own money. You also gain the advantage of being able to compare the different odds available for your selection allowing you to choose the best odds for your Britain’s Got Talent bets, which will obviously help your chances of making a profit.
Nowadays you can place a bet on your mobile phone and most online bookmakers have special mobile friendly versions of their websites or specially developed mobile phone and smartphone applications to make the website easy to browse and place a bet while you are out and about. It is worth mentioning because some online bookmakers will give you a free bet for trying out their mobile service, even if you already hold an account with them.
Our best Britain’s Got Talent free bet tips
- Open accounts with a number of online bookmakers, get free bets and choose the best odds.
- Find bookmakers you can trust, be confident of the bona fides of the bookmaker before handing over important personal and financial information.
Best Free Bets bookmaker reviews provide details of each bookmaker’s offers and promotions. By their nature, offers and promotions can change and we advise you visit the bookmaker’s website and check the available promotions before placing your bet. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR LIST OF BOOKMAKER REVIEWS.