Guide to Betting on the MTV VMAs

The MTV Video Music Awards have spawned many newsworthy events over the last 35 years. Two notable examples include the 100 Eminem clones who followed the real Eminem while he performed “The Real Slim Shady.”

And who can forget about Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech, starting a feud that has lasted for more than a decade?

If that wasn’t exciting enough for you, did you know that you can also bet on the ceremony? All you need to get started is this guide and an account with one of the best MTV VMAs betting sites.

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If you enjoy betting on entertainment markets, we encourage you to try betting on the VMAs online. The show airs every summer, so you can count on sportsbooks and bookmakers posting MTV-related lines every year.

And since the ceremony takes place in August, you’ll have plenty of time to research the music award shows that took place earlier in the year to figure out which bets to make.

You can bet on several categories too, which is another benefit to betting on the VMAs. We’ll share some examples of the markets that online betting sites offer action on in our guide below.

Before we get to that, though, let’s start at the beginning, choosing a betting site to join. In the next section, we’ll explain how we choose the best sites for betting on the MTV VMAs and why you should consider joining one of them.

Choosing the Best MTV VMA Betting Sites

There are hundreds of online betting sites. Many of them offer action on the MTV VMAs but some of those sites aren’t worth your time.

A small percentage of these unworthy sites are outright predatory. A larger percentage aren’t a good choice because they don’t have many great VMA betting options.

And then there’s a tiny percentage of sites that are worth your time and money. Do you know how to tell these sites apart? Most people don’t.

But we do. We’ve been reviewing and ranking online gambling sites for more than a decade. You’ll find more than 200 gambling reviews published on our site. That’s a lot of data for us to draw our endorsements from.

But it’s not just about what we know, it’s our processes. We spend a lot of time and effort going through each site and ranking them for categories like this one.

The following sections give you a 30,000-foot-view of what each of our processes look like.

Reviews

We review every site we endorse for betting on the MTV VMAs. Here’s what we look for.

  • Gambling license
  • Positive reputation
  • Banking options with reasonable limits and fees
  • Positive reputation
  • Mobile compatibility
  • Live betting
  • Large entertainment betting limits
  • Plenty of MTV VMA betting markets and prop bets

We include all the information we find in our reviews, no matter how small or insignificant we think it might be. We do this so that you have all the details you need to decide where to bet.

What’s more, every site we recommend must exceed our expectations in the categories. Otherwise, they’re not good enough to recommend to our readers.

Seal of Approval

Before we’ll recommend a betting site, we first ensure the site is worthy of our Seal of Approval. You can take a look at how we rank the site you’re about to join and make sure it is safe and secure.

This means the site has secure and encrypted software. They have player-friendly terms and conditions. They have a reputation for paying their customers quickly. And much more.

We focus on safety and security because nothing else matters if a site is willing to steal your deposit or ignore their own terms in a dispute with you.

Finally, we only recommend betting sites that have our seal. That’s how you know, without a doubt, that the sites we recommend are safe to join.

Ranking

We take the handful or two of qualified betting sites and rank them according to the relevant category. In this case, we’re looking for the best MTV VMA betting sites. Just because a site is great for betting on the Grammys or Billboard Music Awards, that doesn’t mean it’s a great fit for betting on the Video Music Awards.

The final product is what you see before you, a list of the best sites for betting on the MTV VMAs. You can join any one of them and we know you’ll have a great experience.

Now, this is only a small glimpse into how we do things. But what we want you to take away from this is that we take our endorsements seriously.

The bottom line is, if you want to bet on the awards this year, or any year, the safest, fastest, and most convenient way to get started is to join one of the top MTV VMA betting sites we endorse.

MTV VMAs Betting Sites

How to Bet on the MTV Video Music Awards

Betting on the MTV Video Music Awards is straight forward. We’re going to briefly explain how to do that in this section and show you a few examples of bets you can make.

You’ll need to do the following before you can make a bet online.

  • Choose a sportsbook
  • Create an account
  • Decide if you want a deposit bonus
  • Make a deposit
  • Learn about the different types of bets
  • Learn how to read odds

Now, let’s look at the types of bets you can make and markets you can bet on. The following are the most common types of bets you’ll find online.

  • Outrights – A bet on who will win the Moon Man trophy for a certain category.
  • Futures – Any bet made weeks, months, or years before the ceremony takes place.
  • Props – Bets made on outcomes that don’t happen every year or outcomes that don’t have anything to do with music awards.

The specific types of bets and the markets you can bet on will depend on the betting site you join. Here are some examples of VMA markets from previous years that you can expect to find online.

2019 MTV Video Music Awards Video of the Year Odds

  • “Thank U, Next” (Ariana Grande); +150
  • “Bad Guy” (Billie Eilish); +250
  • “Old Town Road” (Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus); +300
  • “You Need to Calm Down” (Taylor Swift); +400
  • “Sucker” (Jonas Brothers); +450
  • “A Lot” (21 Savage Feat. J. Cole); +700

2019 MTV Video Music Awards Artist of the Year Odds

  • Ariana Grande; +120
  • Billie Eilish; +250
  • Jonas Brothers; +300
  • Cardi B; +450
  • Shawn Mendes; +550
  • Halsey; +600

2019 MTV Video Music Awards Song of the Year Odds

  • “Old Town Road” (Lil Nas X Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) ; -150
  • “Thank U, Next” (Ariana Grande); +250
  • “You Need to Calm Down” (Taylor Swift); +400
  • “Shallow” (Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga); +500
  • “In My Feelings” (Drake); +550
  • “Sucker” (Jonas Brothers); +600

Those are examples of moneylines/outrights. Here’s an example or two of what a prop bet might look like.

Will Lady Gaga Arrive With New Boyfriend Dan Horton Odds

  • Yes; +160
  • No; -200

Odds Ariana Grande Will Cry During Her Performance

  • Yes; -180
  • No; +140

The best way to get an idea of everything you can bet on is to have an account with at least two to three online sportsbooks. You should have as many accounts as your bankroll can handle.

You’ll select the bets you want to make, enter how much you want to risk and, if everything looks good, submit your bet. Then, it’s a waiting game to see whether your bets pay off.

That’s how to make a bet on the MTV Video Music Awards. The next section will share a few tips for how to increase your odds of winning money from those bets.

MTV VMAs Betting Tips, Advice, and Trends

Here are a few betting tips or trends you can use to increase your chances of making a profitable bet on the MTV Video Music Awards.

Top MTV VMA Winners of All Time

One piece of data you might want to consider is the artists who have won the most Moon Man trophies. Here they are in order from most to least.

  • Beyoncé – 26
  • Madonna – 20
  • Lada Gaga – 13
  • Peter Gabriel – 13
  • Eminem – 12
  • R.E.M – 12
  • Justin Timberlake – 11
  • Green Day – 11
  • Areosmith – 10
  • Taylor Swift – 10
  • Fatboy Slim – 9
  • Janet Jackson – 9

When one of these artists are nominated for an award, consider betting on them if you can find value.

You might also consider who has won the most Billboard Music Awards, too.

Who Won a Grammy?

The Grammys are held in the beginning of the year. And, often times, these award shows will give you an idea of who or what you can expect to win a Moon Person statute that August.

What we’re suggesting you do is look at who won a Grammy (or other music award), then prepare to bet on them if they’re nominated for a VMA.

For example, these artists won awards at the 2020 Grammys.

  • Billie Eilish – Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist
  • Lizzo – Best Pop Solo Performance
  • Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
  • Gary Clark Jr. – Best Rock Performance
  • Tool – Best Metal Performance

If any of these artists or albums are nominated for the 2020 MTV VMAs, you should consider making a futures bet or an outright if you can find a market with value.

Other Resources for Research

There are many sites and resources you can use to do research for MTV VMA predictions, odds, analysis, etc.

One site is GoldDerby.com. They post analysis, odds, and polls. The polls are great because you can see what the public thinks. And, often times, albums that do well commercially win awards.

Our blog is another good resource. Our team publishes our own predictions and the best MTV VMA odds that we can find at the betting sites we endorse.

You also can’t go wrong with sources like Reddit, Official Charts, or the RIAA, which provides comprehensive data on US music record sales. 

Don’t Forget to Price Shop

One of the reasons why we stress opening more than one betting site account is so that you can compare odds. Otherwise, you might waste money.

For example, take one of the props we shared earlier, odds on whether Ariana Grande will cry during her performance.

  • Yes; -180
  • No; +140

If you find another betting site that’s offering -150 for a “yes,” it makes more sense to take that bet since you’ll risk $30 less for the same $100 payout. But if you find another sportsbook that’s offering +130 for a “no,” it makes sense to take this one (at +140) since you can win an extra $10.

Saving or making this extra money is as simple as comparing two or more of the best MTV VMAs betting sites and taking whichever one gives you the best price.

It’s one of the easiest ways to increase the amount of money you can make betting on the VMAs online.

MTV Music Video Awards Betting FAQ

When do bookmakers post their MTV VMA lines?

This depends on the betting site. The VMAs are usually in August, so bookmakers should have them up sometime in July or August.

But we recommend you look for lines or odds once MTV announces the date of the VMA ceremony.

Is it legal to bet on the MTV Video Music Awards at an offshore bookmaker?

If you’re in an unregulated market, or if gambling is a gray area where you live, chances are you’re fine. But do your homework first. Make sure online betting is legal where you live.

A good rule of thumb is that, if you can bet on sports or play poker or casino games, then you’re probably okay to bet on the Video Music Awards online.

Can I make money betting on the Video Music Awards?

Yes, you can. People make money betting on entertainment every year.

You’ll increase your chances of winning money if you do your research, become a fan of the show, and consume the music.

If that sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. That’s the only way to consistently make money betting online.

Of course, you can just guess and cross your fingers. It’s possible you’ll make money that way too, though your chances are lower. But if that’s fun for you, who are we to judge?

Can I bet on the MTV VMAs from my phone?

Yes, every betting site we recommend is mobile-friendly. You can access most using your smartphone’s web browser, though some sites will have their own native app for you to download.

Our reviews will tell you which option each bookmaker offers.

Will I get paid my winnings?

You will if you join one of the top MTV VMA betting sites we recommend.

And that assumes you followed their terms (especially if you claimed a bonus) and didn’t otherwise break any of their rules.

Concluding our MTV VMAs Betting Guide

The MTV Video Music Awards is one of the longest running TV shows that you can bet on. This is awesome because, not only do you have something to look forward to watching every year, but now you can put “bet on the MTV Video Music Awards” on your calendar for August.

And we suggest you do that. There’s nothing more fun for a music or MTV fan to watch your favorite artists, records, and albums win a Moon Person statue …and make money from it.

And you can do that, but only if you join a safe and secure betting site that has adequate coverage for the VMAs.

You can try to find one of these sites on your own, but this will take a lot of time and money. A much faster approach is to join a site we endorse from our list of the best MTV VMAs betting sites.

You won’t find a better betting site to join.

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Kevin
Roberts
Content Editor
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Kevin Roberts, previously published under the pseudonym Noah Davis, is one of the more diverse writers at GamblingSites.com. Like many of his colleagues, he's a huge fan of both football and basketball. But he also writes about box office records, TV show prop bets, DFS, and all kinds of other subjects. When it comes to the NFL, Kevin's favorite team is the Green Bay Packers. He enjoys cheering them on with his wife and daughter.