The BBC sports personality of the year award recognises athletes' most impressive accomplishments over the last year. The ceremony can be streamed live and relies on a public vote, but the fun doesn’t end there.
This guide on BBC sports personality of the year betting aims to get you out of the paddock safely and avoid falling at the first hurdle. You’ll find top tips on how to get the most out of betting on the event,
who
could be in the running to win this year’s award, and much more.
What are Sports Personality of the Year betting sites?
The
best UK bookmakers
aim to appeal to all types of punters by providing a range of markets throughout the calendar year. While most will venture through the available
sporting fixtures, you’ll find that sports personality of the year betting sites cover potential winners of the prestigious award, too.
Generally, you can expect to find these markets in the
novelty betting
section of the site or on the main page closer to the official awards night. Once you’ve registered and passed verification, you’ll be free to make your deposit, release your bonuses, and bet on the outright winner just as you normally would any betting fixture. The only difference is that you’ll be betting on the winner of the BBC sports personality of the year 2026.
New customers: Deposit £10+ and place a sports bet within 7 days from registration. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets - 2 x Football Accas (4+) & 2 x Sports Multiples (2+), valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. Opt-in required.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
New players. Choose bonus at signup. Wager bonus 10x. Deposit used 1st. Any withdrawals void bonus. Valid 30 days. Odds, bet & payment limits. T&Cs apply. 18+.
T&Cs apply. 18+.
What markets will I find when betting on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year
You often find that
novelty betting
categories offer a limited number of markets to choose between – the same is expected when it comes to betting on the BBC sports personality of the year.
Outright sports personality of the year winner
You’ll sometimes only find one BBC sports personality of the year betting market; however, it covers everything you need from the evening – the chance to bet on the outright winner. Once the predetermined list of athletes has been released, you’ll be free to select who you believe will be crowned this year’s winner.
Forecast or Tricast betting
If you have a strong feeling about which two or three nominees will end up on the podium by the end of the evening, there is sometimes the option to bet on forecasts or tricasts. These require you to pick the exact finishing order of the top two or three options in the final vote.
Top 3 Finish
For a safer option compared to the outright winner or forecast, those wanting to reduce the odds but also the potential variance could opt for a top 3 finish for their chosen sports star. As long as they're named in the top positions when the public vote is announced, this bet would be settled a winner - regardless of if they're a runaway winner or a distant third place.
Interesting facts about past winners of the Sports personality of the Year
The first winner was Chris Chataway back in 1954. Anita Lonsbrough, an Olympic swimmer, became the first female to win the award eight years later in 1962.
A shortlist is released a few weeks before the awards ceremony; however, the overall winner is decided by a public vote. This year, Frankie Dettori looks to be the outright favourite.
The Sports Personality of the Century was presented to Muhammad Ali in 1999.
Previous winners
Here's a look at some of the highest profile SPOTY winners from the past.
Winner
Year(s)
David Beckham
2001
Jonny Wilkinson
2003
Andy Murray
2013, 2015, 2016
Ben Stokes
2019
Beth Mead
2022
Our best bookmakers in the UK
Tips to help with betting on BBC Sports Personality of the Year
Before you register with a Sports Personality Of The Year betting site and make your betting predictions, make sure you check out our top tips in this next section of our dedicated guide.
🔎
Find the best BBC sports personality betting odds
To give your sports personality betting the best head start, you’ll want to compare the available odds. The odds provided by your chosen operator will set the tone for the potential outcomes and can quickly turn a good bet into a great one.
🗒️
Work through the stats and facts of potential winners
The BBC sports personality of the year is determined based on who is considered to have achieved the most in their field throughout the year. So, it makes sense to take some time to review a few of the potential competitors’ achievements of the last 12 months before making your final decisions.
✅
Check the terms of your BBC sports personality of the year betting bonus
While you are unlikely to find a bonus or promotion directly relating to the outright winner of the BBC sports personality of the year, you may find that a generic sports betting bonus is eligible to use. We suggest checking through the small print before making any decisions and releasing your bonus.
Athletes to consider before placing your Sports Personality of the Year bets
Before we leave you to scour our dedicated hub and find yourself a BBC sports personality of the year betting site, let us highlight a few front-runners on the hunt to be crowned this year’s winner.
Frankie Dettori: The 35-year career of one of the greatest jockeys of all-time is coming to an end this year. With over 3000 winning horses raced throughout this time, it comes as no shock to see Frankie Dettori added to the main contenders list of this year’s BBC sports personality.
Tyson Fury: The WBC heavyweight champion has proven his strength both in and outside of the ring over recent years. Not only have we seen Fury go glove to glove with some of the biggest names in boxing, we’ve also seen a different side to the
Gypsy King
as a mental health advocate – He’s a fighting man, with a fighting chance to win sports personality of the year 2026.
Leah Williamson: England captain and Arsenal midfielder Leah Williamson OBE has had a sensational few years both on and off the pitch. She will lead England as one of the favourites for this year’s Women's World Cup, secured her spot in the FIFA XI, remains a positive role model and influence on the ever-growing women’s game, and has recently received the Freedom of the City award – perhaps the addition of the BBC sports personality is on the cards, too.
Lionesses win Team of the Year and Sarina Wiegman wins Manager of the Year (SPOTY 2022)
Find a top destination to bet on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year here
The Sports personality of the year award is a great occasion that celebrates many top sportsmen and women from all sorts of backgrounds and disciplines. The outright winner is determined by a public vote and the ceremony can be watched on BBC1, BBC iPlayer, and through the BBC website/app. In turn, you can
effectively
watch your bets unfold in real-time.
We’ve been busy working our way through the best BBC sports personality of the year betting sites and can’t wait to share our reviews with you. If you think you can predict the outright winner this year, head back to betting.co.uk and take advantage of our reviews before checking the odds, reviewing the bonus terms, and placing your bets.
SPOTY Betting Pros and Cons
A public vote decides the winner
Nominees are known well ahead of time
The ceremony is live on national TV
Odds are only available a few weeks of the year
Not many betting markets available
Try our betting bonus offers
Sport Personality of the Year Betting FAQ
🌟 What markets can I find at sports personality of the year betting sites?
The reality is that you’ll only be able to bet on the outright winner of the sports personality of the year. However, you’ll want to make use of our bookmaker reviews to find the best odds available before signing up and placing your bets.
❓Where can I find the best sports personality of the year betting odds?
If you stick with us here at betting.co.uk, you’ll have free access to our odds comparison tool and UK bookmaker reviews. Using a mixture of the two, you’ll soon be able to find the best odds around.
🏇 When can I bet on the sports personality of the year?
As soon as nominees have been released, you’ll be free to bet on this year’s winner. However, we suggest checking out our sports personality of the year betting sites long before then, so you are ready for action.
New customers: Deposit £10+ and place a sports bet within 7 days from registration. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets - 2 x Football Accas (4+) & 2 x Sports Multiples (2+), valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. Opt-in required.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
GambleAware.org.
18+ Offer available to new customers only who sign up with Promo Code BET40GET20. Place a bet of £40 (or more) at EVS (2.0) or greater and Get 2 x £10 Free Bets. 1 x £10 Free Bet paid automatically & following £10 Free Bet after 24hrs. Min Free Bet odds 4/1 (5.0). Free Bets expire after 24hrs. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Available to verified customers residing in the UK. Opt-in is required. Place your first bet of £10 at minimum odds of 1/1 on any sports market within 7 days of registering. Get £30 in Free Bets (1x £10 Horse Racing Free Bet + 1x £10 Football Acca Free Bet + £10 Basketball Acca Free Bet) T&Cs apply. 18+ Please gamble responsibly.
T&Cs apply. Register an account and deposit £10+ using Visa/Mastercard. Get your stake back as a free bet, up to a maximum of £30, on your first qualifying acca to be settled as a loss. 18+
First deposit only | £10 min deposit | qualifying bet: min £10, on any ACCA or Bet Builder (2+ selections) with min odds 6/4 (2.5) on selected sports | £10 Free Bet: 2+ leg ACCA or Bet Builder (2+ selections), min odds 6/4 (2.5) | 7-day expiry | T&Cs apply
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New customers: Deposit £10+ and place a sports bet within 7 days from registration. Get 4 x £10 Free Bets - 2 x Football Accas (4+) & 2 x Sports Multiples (2+), valid 7 days. Min odds apply. Excludes virtual sports, esports and non-UK/IE horse racing. Opt-in required.
18+. T&Cs Apply.
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