A little over a month after its Season 1 debut,Netflixhas officially renewed the psychological thrillerBetfor a second season. Premiering on May 15, the show is loosely inspired by the massively popular Japanese manga series,Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler, which was created by Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura way back in 2014, and got an anime adaptation in 2017. Starring Miku Martineau as Yumeko, the English-language Canadian offering has divided fans and critics, but its strong performance on Netflix warranted the streamer giving it a renewal.
Per Variety,Betperformed well for Netflix around the globewith a strong showing on the international viewing charts, which is the main reason they’re more than willing to continue the series. Developed by Simon Barry (Warrior Nun), in addition to Martineau – who played the younger version of Michelle Yeoh’s character inStar Trek: Section 31,Betfeatures an ensemble cast composed of relative newcomers, including Ayo Solanke, Eve Edwards, Clara Alexandrova, Hunter Cardinal, and Ryan Sutherland, to name a few.
13 Finest Live Action Manga Adaptations from Japan
Japanese manga has been a source of inspiration for filmmakers and has resulted in a number of live-action adaptations over the years.
Dealing with themes of class warfare, power, and self-discovery, the first season ofBetfocuses on a Japanese transfer student (Martineau) infiltrating the world of underground gambling at St. Dominic’s Prep, an exclusive private boarding school. A skilled gambler herself, Yumeko shakes up the status quo as she digs her claws deeper into the system, all with one goal in mind: getting revenge for the death of her parents.
‘Bet’ Has Been a Divisive Series So Far
While there’s no denying that Martineau’s performance inBetcertainly stands out, the series has struggled a little to strike a chord with fans and critics. While it has a fresh rating of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes and a Popcornmeter score of 77%, those numbers don’t exactly show a united front. Like many, Joel Keller from Decider pointed out thatBetis more style than substance in his review, saying:
“There’s nothing wrong with being a stylish show, but Bet’s concentration on style overwhelms any kind of substance, making the show a chore to watch over a 10-episode season.”
Aramide Tinubu from Variety called it a “repetitive” series that “offers nothing new to the Kakegurui fandom,” while on the flip side, critic Chris Joyce said that even though he’s not into the anime or manga, he found himself “hooked on the show despite the colossal plot conveniences and the absurd situations the students created.”
Highlighting the divide between fans, one Rotten Tomatoes user calledBet"a cringe fest thanks to the writers," and another said it was “an insult to the source material.” However, others called it one of the best TV shows of 2025, while more people got on the hype train, using adjectives like “fun,” “amazing,” and “stunning,” to describe the series.
No matter where you land, it’s clear that Netflix obviously has faith inBetto continue its strong global performance into Season 2, otherwise they wouldn’t have renewed it. If you’ve yet to check it out for yourself and make your own assessment of the psychological thriller, all 10 episodes are streaming now.
