James Bond is not only one of the most famous fictional characters ever but the star of one of the longest continually running film series of all time. However, the franchise is at a crossroads after Daniel Craig decided to hang up his tuxedo, which has led to James Bond betting markets appearing at many of the best sports betting sites, specifically relating to which actor will succeed him in the role.
So, we’ve poured ourselves a vodka martini, shaken not stirred of course, and delved into the world of Bond betting. We’ll be bringing you odds and profiles of the top contenders, in addition to outlining the very best online sportsbooks where you can place some Bond bets! And of course, we couldn’t resist digging out some James Bond fun facts and trivia along the way!
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Before we start our mission, it’s time for an at-a-glance list of our picks for the top ten sites that feature James Bond betting odds.
After starring in five James Bond films, including two of the most critically acclaimed in Casino Royale and Skyfall, Daniel Craig officially announced in 2022 that he would be leaving the most iconic role of his career. However, as Bond fans know, “James Bond Will Return” and the question is just who will be the next actor to brandish the famous Walther PPK gun?
Before we get take a closer look at each contender, here’s a brief overview of the odds you can expect to find at our recommended bookies.
Actor | Odds | Bookie |
Henry Cavill | 2/1 | BetUK |
Aaron Taylor-Johnson | 5/2 | Betfred |
James Norton | 7/2 | NetBet |
Rege-Jean Page | 8/1 | 10Bet |
Tom Hardy | 9/1 | Betway |
One of the leading contenders certainly has the required looks, rugged charm and action credentials to succeed as James Bond. And Henry Cavill’s star turn in the spy film “The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in 2015 also gave us a glimpse of what he could bring to the role of James Bond.
Furthermore, after playing Superman for a decade he would have no issues stepping into the shoes of another cinematic icon. And speaking of the Man of Steel, given the commitment required to play that part, Cavill’s announcement early in 2023 that he would not be donning the cape any more may even have increased his chances of being picked to play the next James Bond. And you can bet on Henry Cavill to take on another iconic role at a best-priced 2/1 at BetUK.
Speaking of Marvel Superheroes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be familiar to comic book film fans after playing Quicksilver in “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. And he’ll be playing his second Marvel comic book character when he stars as iconic Spider-Man villain “Kraven the Hunter” in a standalone film which hits cinemas in autumn 2023.
Taylor-Johnson could also bring some great depth to the role of Bond if his star turns as John Lennon in “Nowhere Boy” and his Golden Globe-winning performance in the thriller “Nocturnal Animals” are anything to go by. However, what has really rocketed him up the James Bond betting markets is a James Bond screen test that reportedly impressed Bond franchise boss Barbara Broccoli. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is available at odds of 5/2 at Betfred.
James Bond has always been a character with both light and shade, so it’s no surprise to find James Norton, an actor that can effectively show his dark side, near the top of the Bond betting markets.
And while film enthusiasts may be largely unfamiliar with Norton’s work, fans of the hugely popular TV show “Happy Valley” will know all about him, after a BAFTA-nominated turn as psychopath Tommy Lee Royce. Furthermore, his role as a rogue agent in the TV show of the same name cannot have done Norton’s chances any harm! Norton can be backed at odds of 7/2 with NetBet.
A starring role in a raunchy period drama may seem an unlikely step towards playing James Bond. However, few actors have shot to stardom more quickly than Rege-Jean Page, who smashed it out of the park while playing the lead role in the first series of “Bridgerton”.
However, Page’s role in the recent spy thriller “The Gray Man”, playing the head of the CIA clandestine services who is not what he seems, is far more of a relevant audition for playing James Bond. His performance drew great praise from the film’s directors and may have caused a few raised eyebrows at Bond productions HQ too! And the 8/1 on offer at 10Bet for Page to win the role looks to be great value!
45-year-old Tom Hardy may be one of the oldest names on the James Bond betting shortlist but his pedigree is there for all to see after starring in a host of Hollywood blockbusters including Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, both Venom films and Mad Max: Fury Road.
His age may count against him and he is an outsider at 9/1 with Betway but it’s no guarantee that the Producers of the next James Bond film are looking to cast a younger actor. And we reckon film fans would flock to see the kind of James Bond character that an actor as talented as Tom Hardy would play!
If you’re looking to place a bet on who will replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, then we’ve done a lot of the work for you by collating a list of our top 10 sports betting sites that offer this betting market. And now it’s time for a more in-depth rundown of the sites we have chosen as our top five!
We should also say there that while none of our featured sites offers bonuses specifically relating to James Bond betting or novelty wagers in general, lots of the betting offers we talk about below can either be applied to entertainment bets or at the very least, potentially swell your bankroll to fund some James Bond bets!
We can think of no better place for patriotic punters to place bets on the next James Bond than at BetUK. And their “Best of British” credentials are strengthened not only by the fact they are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission but by their association with two British sporting legends in racing royalty Peter Scudamore and football icon Teddy Sheringham.
BetUK also has a partnership with Premier League champions Manchester City. However, these linkups are about much more than Brand Ambassadors being pictured with their thumbs up on the home page or the BetUK branding appearing on an advertising hoarding.
Scudamore and Sheringham share their expert opinions and tips each week and BetUK’s newly-signed deal with Manchester City has inspired them to offer a 10% profit boost on any game involving Pep Guardiola’s men for the duration of the 2022/23 Premier League season.
BetUK also has a great Acca Club where you will be rewarded with a £5 free bet each week when you wager at least £20 on an accumulator bet with five selections or more. Furthermore, you will also be able to claim five Acca Boosts every week up to a maximum of 50%, depending on the number of selections.
What we like:
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UK sports fans of all persuasions may already be familiar with the LiveScore brand, as they are one of the leading news, statistics and live score sites in the world. Their sister site, LiveScore Bet is a new addition to the UK betting scene, having been launched in 202o. However, they are a worthy addition for a number of reasons.
The first one is that their association with LiveScore means the LiveScore Bet in-play betting service is excellent. You can watch live football matches from the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, Serie A and FA Cup through their desktop site and betting app, which is rare among UK sports betting sites.
And speaking of The Beautiful Game, if you fancy a football flutter alongside your James Bond bet, you can enjoy a free £5 Bet Builder when you bet £5 on any Champions League match played on Tuesday or Wednesday. Then there’s LiveScore Bet’s free to play “Squads” game, where punters can pick five players to form their squad and earn cash when they score in selected matches.
Furthermore, there’s a £10 free Acca up for grabs if you place two accumulator bets of at least £10 each at combined odds of more than 5/1. And if you’re happy to wait a while, you can use that free bet on an Acca containing a James Bond bet alongside other entertainment selections, such as the Sports Personality of the Year, for example.
What we like:
What we don’t:
If we were judging a sports betting site purely on its site design and usability, 10Bet would be top of the list, thanks to its user-friendly layout, unique colour scheme and bespoke graphics. However, 10Bet occupies a lofty place on our list regardless, as it is one of our favourite betting destinations for James Bond betting or sports wagering in general!
And a huge reason for our love for 10Bet is the fact that their betting app has undergone a recent revamp, with faster load speeds, quicker odds updates and enhanced live betting information thanks to a partnership with Betradar, which is a leading supplier of sports betting data.
And they have made good use of their new and improved app by introducing a unique Pulse Bet football betting feature available exclusively on mobile, where you can place bets on goals to be scored in the next 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5. minutes or 10 minutes, all at tasty odds!
In addition, 10Bet is also at the forefront when it comes to one of the newest ways to bet, which is the Bet Builder. A Bet Builder is a way to combine multiple markets from one match into an accumulator bet and is proving to be hugely popular for punters that fancy more than one outcome in a particular game. And at 10Bet, you can select Bet Builders across football, tennis and basketball matches.
We also loved the fact that 10Bet is one of the few sites we have encountered that offer special bets on specific football games, such as the “£5 cash if Courtois has 5+ saves” offer that was available at the time of writing, ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Liverpool.
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We reckon that if James Bond was a real person he would probably be good mates with Sir Richard Branson, the all-action entrepreneur and founder of Virgin, one of the coolest brands out there!
And as Virgin’s betting arm, VirginBet has an immediate advantage when it comes to catching the eye of potential customers. However, they also know that a recognisable name will only get you so far, and have made a real effort to build a strong betting service.
And that starts with the light, bright and easy-to-navigate layout of both the VirginBet desktop site and app. In addition, there are a host of features and special offers available, including an Acca Loyalty Club, daily Price Boosts across multiple markets and bespoke flash deals tailored to different sports, such as the darts cashback offer we found at the time of writing.
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What we don’t:
If you’re betting on the next James Bond then Betway is well worth a visit, thanks in no small part to the fact they are one of the UK’s biggest bookies. Betway also offers daily price boosts and has increased the odds of some of their entertainment markets in the past. So, you never know when some James Bond betting odds might receive the same treatment!
Furthermore, the Betway betting blog frequently features entertainment articles, including ones featuring James Bond in the past. And if you’re into more standard sports betting then you can take advantage of a huge range of betting tips and insights across multiple sports at home and abroad. You can also take advantage of a wide range of betting promotions at Betway, such as their Free Bet Club and Acca bonuses.
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James Bond is a fictional British Secret Service agent who was created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming. 007’s first appearance was in the novel “Casino Royale” and Fleming would go on to write a further 12 books and two short story collections featuring Bond. James Bond has also appeared on the radio, in comic books, on television and in video games.
However, the character is best known for his appearances in a series of films that have spanned over 60 years. The first James Bond film was “Dr No”, released in 1962 and starring Sean Connery as 007.
The movie introduced viewers to many of the things that would become staples of Bond films in subsequent years, including the gadgets, the cars, and the famous catchphrase “Bond, James Bond.” Then there was 007’s drink of choice, a vodka martini, shaken not stirred of course. And who can forget the “Bond Girl”, in this case, Ursula Andress, whose emergence from the sea in a white bikini became one of the most iconic film scenes of all time.
There have been 25 movies officially recognised as Bond films, all produced by Eon Productions, which was a company set up by Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman in 1961 and is still owned by the Broccoli family to this day. The latest film was “No Time to Die”, released in 2021, starring Daniel Craig in his final appearance as James Bond.
Six actors have played James Bond in films produced by Eon Productions. And when you are thinking about who to bet on to replace Daniel Craig it’s certainly worth knowing who they are!
The first actor to play James Bond in a theatrical film was Sean Connery, who starred in five Eon Bond films between 1962 & 1967 before leaving the role and then returning for “Diamonds are Forever” in 1971. He also played 007 in the non-Eon film “Never Say Never Again” in 1983.
Connery was no stranger to cinema and TV audiences, as he was in his early 30s when Dr No was released. However, Bond was his breakout role and the springboard to a glittering and Oscar-winning career.
Connery’s 007 is also considered by many to be the Bond to beat, mainly thanks to the dark and edgy side of his character that Connery portrayed so well. And remarkably, many of his films are regarded to this day as among the best in the James Bond series.
Sean Connery reportedly struggled with the fame and recognition that came with playing James Bond and was not even on speaking terms with Albert Brocolli during the filming of “You Only Live Twice”. He resigned from the role in 1967 and so the search began for the next 007.
The net was cast wide, with hundreds of top actors considered. This made it all the more surprising that the role was given to 30-year-old Australian model George Lazenby, who had only ever acted in commercials before. Lazenby was offered a seven-film deal but would only star in one, which was “Her Majesty’s Secret Service”.
Bond Producers clearly saw star quality in Lazenby, whose good looks were perfect for renowned Ladies’ Man Bond. However, Lazenby’s performance received mixed reviews and he is often forgotten when people think of James Bonds of the past. However, the years have actually been kind to OHMSS, which is now seen as one of the better Bond films.
The actor who was tasked with carrying the James Bond franchise into the 1970s and beyond was Roger Moore, who had achieved international stardom thanks to his role on the TV show “The Saint”. And Moore’s suave and witty style, which he established while working on The Saint was carried forward to his portrayal of James Bond.
Moore’s 007 was a far more wise-cracking and light-hearted Bond than had been seen before, with the man himself confessing that he played the role more for laughs than trying to portray a cold-blooded killer.
Roger Moore appeared in seven films between 1973 and 1985. And while his James Bond movies may have been campy, fantastical and even ludicrous at times, they were also great fun and fit perfectly with the more enlightened age of the 70s and early 80s.
The fourth actor to play James Bond in the Eon Productions film series had come close to netting the part many years prior to donning the tuxedo but had rejected the opportunity as he was in his mid-20s and considered himself too young to play the role.
Dalton did end up portraying Bond in two films, “The Living Daylights” and “License to Kill”. Dalton’s Bond was a far more darker and serious character, which seemed to resonate with cinema audiences who flocked to see his first appearance as 007, making The Living Daylights the fourth-most successful Bond film of all time.
License to Kill was not as successful, hampered by a 15 rating in the UK and a poor marketing campaign in the USA, but Dalton was all set to play Bond for a third time. However, a legal battle between Eon Productions and MGM Studios delayed production for over four years, by which time Dalton’s contract was up and by his own admission, he simply did not want to play the role any more.
Another actor who could have quite easily played Bond before he actually did was Pierce Brosnan, who had caught Albert R. Broccoli’s eye when visiting the set of “For Your Eyes Only” in 1980, as his wife at the time had been cast in it. However, he did not become Bond until 1994 when he agreed to a three-film deal with an option for a fourth.
Brosnan’s task was arguably the hardest of all the James Bond actors. And that’s because the underperformance of License to Kill in 1989, along with a six-year gap between that film and “Goldeneye”, Brosnan’s first Bond outing, led many people to question whether the world had outgrown Bond.
Brosnan proved them all wrong though, creating a James Bond that merged the very best of the actors that had gone before him, all packaged together in a suave, sophisticated and above all “cool” 007. He was also helped by the inspired casting of Dame Judi Dench as his boss “M”. This allowed the makers of Goldeneye to address the real-life criticisms of Bond in the movie itself, with M famously calling Bond a “Sexist misogynist dinosaur” and a “Relic of the Cold War”.
Goldeneye managed to save the Bond franchise by receiving critical acclaim and making a truckload of money. And Brosnan would star in four Bond films that with the exception of Die Another Day, were well-received. And most importantly, he left the franchise in a far better position than when he first picked up a vodka martini!
The Pierce Brosnan era of the James Bond franchise which had started so well with Goldeneye had taken a step backwards with “Die Another Day”, which was critically mauled for its reliance on visual effects and odd choices such as the infamous invisible car!
So, rather than continuing the Bond story in a linear fashion, Eon decided to reboot the whole franchise and feature a younger, more hard-edged Bond. And what better way to do it than by adapting Ian Fleming’s very first Bond novel, “Casino Royale”.
38-year-old actor Daniel Craig won the part but his casting was not without controversy, as many Bond fans rejected the idea of a 5-foot-10-inch, blond-haired actor with no action film experience to speak of picking up the Bond mantle. However, the Producers had obviously seen some of Craig’s best performances, including his star turn in the British gangster film “Layer Cake”, and knew what he could bring to the role.
And sure enough, Casino Royale became the biggest box office hit in Bond history, mainly due to Craig becoming the closest thing to the brooding, haunted and complicated figure of the books than any actor who had come before him. Craig would play James Bond four more times between 2006 and 2021, longer than anyone who had gone before him. And he has left big shoes to fill for whoever succeeds him.
The first thing to note here is that you aren’t necessarily betting on the next actor to star as James Bond in a film. If your choice is officially announced as Craig’s successor then your bet will be a winner, even in the unlikely event that they pull out before a scene is filmed. Secondly, it’s important to understand that these are not 007 betting odds as the character played by actress Lashana Lynch had actually assumed the 007 mantle in “No Time to Die”.
Now for some James Bond betting strategy and the first point to note is that since Bond was…SPOILER ALERT…killed off in “No Time to Die”, the powers that be have a clean slate when it comes to who they choose to succeed Daniel Craig.
So, with another reboot in the offing, the main question you need to ask yourself is what kind of Bond they want to portray. A younger, rawer version or someone who represents an older, wiser and perhaps world-weary Bond? Recent reboots of beloved franchises such as Batman and Spiderman would suggest the former, as well as the fact that attracting younger audiences may be the key to the future success of the Bond franchise.
In addition, success as James Bond is by no means linked to experience in action films. Actors such as Daniel Craig who have proved they can nail Bond’s psychology have been more sought after, so it’s worth bearing that in mind when visiting Next James Bond bookies.
And finally, model looks have not necessarily been a pre-requisite for Bond actors, which may count against actors such as Henry Cavill and Rene-Jean Page and in favour of James Norton and Aaron Tayor-Johnson.
A film series spanning over 50 years is sure to have plenty of fun facts attached, so here are our top five!
One of the most enjoyable parts of betting on the next James Bond is immersing yourself in one of the most iconic cinema franchises ever. And using the information in this article can help you make an informed decision about who you believe will replace Daniel Craig.
Furthermore, the information we have provided about the best online sportsbooks that offer James Bond betting markets will allow you to pick the best one for you and take advantage of the multitude of special deals that are on offer.