Betting on reality television shows has boomed over the last five years. Whether it’s Big Brother, Pop Idol, The X Factor, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here or one of the myriad other similar shows that have been spawned, many viewers like nothing more than putting their money where their opinions are betting on the housemates and contestants – either to be evicted / eliminated from the game or to win.

Maybe this is why Virgin Games has announced that it intends to launch Virgin Bets – a site specialising in “novelty” bets such as those concerning reality shows – in partnership with Betfair, the company famous for its betting exchange and poker room of the same name. Whilst it is expected that Virgin Bets will also provide regular sports betting opportunities, it is the popular entertainment angle that they are looking to push when they launch in the autumn.

The great thing about reality television – from the betting industry’s point of view – is that it never ends. Whilst individual shows may come and go, the genre itself looks to be extremely stable thanks to the public’s passion for seeing both regular people and those of (sometimes questionable) celebrity status lives their lives in full view.

We expect that many more details about Virgin Bets will be released closer to the launch. In the meantime, we still have Big Brother 8 to get through, and viewers who want to take a financial interest in the show will have to settle for betting with an existing bookmaker or exchange. Who’ll win? You decide...