New Jersey, Massachusetts and five other states are allowing betting on the Oscars taking place on the evening of March 10 (US time), where two blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer will compete for Best Picture and other honors.
The three stars who played Oppenheimer received Oscar nominations (from left to right): Robert Downey Jr. - Best Supporting Actor, Emily Blunt - Best Supporting Actress and Cillian Murphy - Best Actor
Players can bet on top awards like Best Picture, Best Actor/Actress or lower-tier categories like Best Sound or Best Animated Feature.
Bill Speros, senior betting analyst at Bookies.com, a site owned by Gambling.com Group, said the popularity of Barbie and Oppenheimer could lead to record-breaking betting on the Oscars. Legal betting on the film industry’s highest honors began in New Jersey in 2019.
This year "is the first opportunity for people to bet on two movies and stars that really have big appeal," Speros said.
Gambling has been on the rise in the U.S. since 2018, when the Supreme Court cleared the way for sports betting to expand nationwide. State officials have embraced it as a way to raise tax revenue and discourage people from gambling illegally, despite the risk of financial loss to gamblers.
Although exact figures are not disclosed, last month's Super Bowl is expected to generate $23 billion in bets, according to a survey released by the American Gaming Association.
Betting on the Oscars is just a small part of that. "You'll get more money on an NBA game, but betting on the Oscars gives casinos a chance to attract gamblers who aren't interested in sports events," Speros said.
Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in Barbie
Bets can be placed at casinos, but most are done online. Johnny Avello, director of racing and sports operations at DraftKings, said the company has seen more participation from women when it comes to betting on the Oscars.
Oddschecker.com gives the odds for the Best Picture Oscar: Oppenheimer 1/20 (bet 20 to win 1), Barbie 66/1 (bet 1 to win 66), Poor Things 22/1 (bet 1 to win 22), The Zone of Interest 35/1 (bet 1 to win 35)... Best Actor/Actress: Cillian Murphy ( Oppenheimer ) 1/10 (bet 10 to win 1), Paul Giamatti ( The Holdovers ) 8/1 (bet 1 to win 8), Lily Gladstone ( Killers of The Flower Moon ) 11/17 (bet 17 to win 11), Emma Stone ( Poor Things ) 13/8 (bet 8 to win 13)...
Source link
Comment (0)