Can you bet on the Great British Bake Off?

The Great British Bake Off had all the ingredients to be a staple category on betting apps. Weekly eliminations, endless competition for the Star Baker title, and a season-long action with ups and downs.

As a casual viewer, I didn’t immediately understand the appeal of betting on GBBO. However, the more I watched the show, the more sense it made. Contestants’ strengths and baking styles became clear early on, which allowed viewers to make informed bets.

Though early viewers of GBBO had the pleasure of watching the show while being able to punt on it, the combination didn’t last for too long.

No, you can no longer place real bets on the Great British Bake Off with licensed bookmakers. This change came after a 2015 Ladbrokes investigation following insider betting allegations in the Great British Bake Off.

Back in 2015, punters could find betting apps offering odds for GBBO’s finals. Everything went downhill when dozens of people with potential inside knowledge placed bets on the 2015 winner, Nadiya Hussain. A total of 529 bets came through 42 newly created accounts. Many of these users were traced back to BBC and production staff, which caused major bookmakers to pull back entirely from offering Bake Off betting markets.

You can still see illustrative odds in press releases or articles online, but these are mainly for entertainment purposes. Ultimately, the lack of live broadcasting and the high number of people who know the final result of the show made it impossible to offer a fair betting experience for the Great British Bake Off.

While Bake Off is off the table, entertainment betting is far from gone. There are plenty of other TV shows and competitions that still offer legitimate betting markets through licensed bookmakers.

Here are a few popular options you can actually bet on:

• WWE betting apps – Yes, the outcomes in American wrestling may be scripted, but many sportsbooks still offer betting markets for the sport alongside unique props.

• Eurovision betting apps – The yearly song competition is a fan favourite amongst punters who like music.

• Strictly Come Dancing betting apps – Live episodes and audience voting makes Strictly an appealing option when it comes to entertainment betting.

Entertainment markets go beyond TV shows. You can find a range of cultural and political bets on there, too, like “Who will be the next James Bond?” or “Who will become the next Prime Minister.”