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The New Netflix Drama 'Bet' About Gambling Teens Is Truly Unlike Anything Else

I’ve watched my fair share of teen dramas, everything from Gossip Girl to Ginny and Georgia, and I can safely say I’ve never seen any show quite like Bet. The new drama series, which is streaming on Netflix, now tells the story of a group of teens at an elite private boarding school called St. Dominic’s Prep who are all obsessed with gambling. They’re so obsessed, in fact, that the whole school is devoted to games and gambling, and the winners determine the social hierarchy of the entire place.

The TV show is based on a Japanese manga called Kakegurui, which means “compulsive gambler” in Japanese, so it’s a pretty apt title. The main character is Yumeko, who is, in fact, a compulsive gambler, and she settles into the scene at St. Dominic’s well when she transfers there. She also has some secret plans for revenge, but that’s all bubbling under the surface as she gambles her way through school and manipulates other students along the way. This show feels like Pretty Little Liars meets Chilling Adventures of Sabrina but with more psycho-sexual power dynamics at play. I’m telling you, it’s a wild ride. Here’s everything you need to know about Bet on Netflix.

Bet TV Series On Netflix

What is Bet about?

Bet Miku Martineau Netflix
Image Credit: Netflix

Bet is about Yumeko, who’s kicked out of one school for gambling and heads to St. Dominic’s, where her gambling addiction is put to good use. The whole social structure of the school is based on gambling debts, with the students who owe big time relegated to their place as “house pets” to the school’s high rollers.

All the while at St. Dominic’s, Yumeko works on a plan to avenge her parents’ death, which left her orphaned at a young age.

Bet doesn’t take all its story from Kakegurui but instead is “inspired” by it. “When the Bet creative team set out to develop a series inspired by Kakegurui, we knew there was no point trying to reproduce the original, as it stands on its own and works perfectly,” Simon Barry, the series’ director and showrunner, told Netflix. “Instead, we chose to be directed by the spirit Kakegurui inhabits in tone, audaciousness, and fun. To that end, we made something ‘birthed’ from the source material that inspired a new take — one that pays homage to it and doesn’t try to replace it.”

Who’s in the cast of Bet?

Bet Netflix cast
Image Credit: Netflix

The cast of Bet includes Miku Martineau as Yumeko, Ayo Solanke as Ryan, Eve Edwards as Mary, Clara Alexandrova as Kira, Hunter Cardinal as Michael, Anwen O’Driscoll as Riri, Aviva Mongillo as Dori, Ryan Sutherland as Suki, Dorian Giordano as Chad, Laura Afelskie as Runa, Emma Elle Paterson as Blake.

Will there be a season 2 of Bet?

Bet Netflix TV series
Image Credit: Netflix

A season 2 of Bet hasn’t been announced yet, but there’s definitely room for more of Yumeko’s story.

(Spoilers for season 1 ahead!) Although season 1 ended with Yumeko succeeding in her revenge mission by killing her parents’ killer (Michael’s dad, Ray), there are some plot points that got left open-ended. For one, before he died, Ray said Yumeko’s mother was actually still alive, so season 2 could show Yumeko searching for her. At the end of season 1, Yumeko also learned that the whole school board of St. Dominic’s played a part in her parents’ death, so she might have some more revenge ahead of her in a possible season 2.

Sarah Halle Corey
Sarah Halle Corey is an entertainment writer and screenwriter with a passion for rom-coms, 1990s-2000s nostalgia, and niche pop culture deep dives. She's based in LA, but has roots in New York and Chicago, and so she has really complicated feelings about pizza.