<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-10-08</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001057746</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ELECTRONICS BOUTIQUE HOLDINGS CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ELBO</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001191821</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ADLER DEAN S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>931 SOUTH MATLACK STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WEST CHESTER</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>PA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>19382</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>29.28</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-10-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1666</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>34.22</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2012-06-26</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1666</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>22.44</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-10-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>3333</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>41.06</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2013-06-25</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>3333</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Option (Right to Buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>26.66</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-10-08</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>36.84</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2014-06-28</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>5000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">This option, which provided for vesting in three equal annual installments beginning on June 26, 2003, was cancelled in the merger of Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp. (the &quot;Issuer&quot;) with Eagle Subsidiary LLC pursuant to the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger (the &quot;Merger Agreement&quot;), dated as of April 17, 2005, among GameStop Corp., GameStop, Inc., GSC Holdings Corp. (&quot;GSC Holdings&quot;), Cowboy Subsidiary LLC, Eagle Subsidiary LLC and the Issuer, in exchange for a cash payment of $57,010, representing the difference between the cash value of a share of the Issuer's common stock as of the effective date of the merger under the Merger Agreement ($63.50 per share) and the exercise price for the option, multiplied by the number of shares for which such option is exercisable held by the Reporting Person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, the cash value of a share of the Issuer's common stock as of the effective date of the merger was calculated as follows: the cash value of a share of the Issuer's common stock equals the sum of (a) $38.15 and (b) (i) 0.78795 multiplied by (ii) $32.17, representing the average of the closing prices for GameStop Corp's Class A common stock for the ten trading day period ending on October 6, 2005.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">This option, which provided for vesting in three equal annual installments beginning on June 25, 2004, was cancelled in the merger of the Issuer with Eagle Subsidiary LLC pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, in exchange for a cash payment of $136,853, representing the difference between the cash value of a share of the Issuer's common stock as of the effective date of the merger under the Merger Agreement ($63.50 per share) and the exercise price for the option, multiplied by the number of shares for which such option is exercisable held by the reporting person.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">This option, which provided for vesting in three equal annual installments beginning on June 28, 2005, was cancelled in the merger of the Issuer with Eagle Subsidiary LLC pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, in exchange for a cash payment of $184,200, representing the difference between the cash value of a share of the Issuer's common stock as of the effective date of the merger under the Merger Agreement ($63.50 per share) and the exercise price for the option, multiplied by the number of shares for which such option is exercisable held by the reporting person.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Dean S. Adler</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-10-11</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
