Oscars are big biz for web gaming
Sunday’s 92nd Academy Awards presentation will surely be glamorous, but gambling houses are hoping viewers will want to make things more interesting.
Internet gambling aggregate US-Bookies is betting big that “1917” wins best picture and its director Sam Mendes is awarded for his efforts. But fans of “Little Women” and “Ford v Ferrari” who believe one of those dark horse nominees can bring home an Oscar will win $100 for every $1 they bet.
The filmmaker least likely to win an Oscar, according to the Copenhagen, Denmark-based betting company is “Joker” director Todd Phillips. Odds against the 49-year-old Brooklyn native are 50 to 1.
The smart money to win best actor will be riding on “Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix by a long shot, according to US-Bookies.
“Of the major categories, the odds seem to like Joaquin Phoenix the most,” U.S. Bookies analyst Alex Donohue said in a statement. “His 1:16 odds to win best actor are the shortest of the top categories, and he also holds the biggest lead over the nearest competitor, who happens to be Adam Driver at 10/1. The rest of the actors in the category are 50:1 long shots to win.”
Sorry, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce and Leonardo DiCaprio, who won the award in 2016 for “The Revenant.”
The online booking site, which can be logged onto at US-Bookies.com, rates the competition for best supporting actress as the least predictable among Sunday night’s acting fields. “Marriage Story” star Laura Dern is the favorite in that category with “Bombshell” actress Margot Robbie being her closest challenger. Dern was a 1:6 favorite Tuesday while odds on Robbie were 6:1.
That means a $6 bet on Dern will win $1. Conversely, a $1 gamble that Robbie wins could net a $6 return.
Florence Pugh, Scarlett Johansson and Kathy Bates — who won best actress in 1991 for “Misery” — trail in that order.
Brad Pitt is a heavy favorite to take home his first Academy Award, thanks to his supporting role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” Anthony Hopkins and Tom Hanks, who have both won best actor Oscars, have the lowest odds of winning best supporting actor this time around. U.S. Bookies ranks them both as 25:1 underdogs.
Renee Zellweger is a favorite to win best actress for her performance as Judy Garland in “Judy,” even if the late singer’s daughter has no interest in seeing the star’s work, according to Variety magazine’s Oscar issue.
“I hope (Zellweger) had a good time making it,” Liza Minnelli, 73, said in an interview published Tuesday.
Gamblers wishing to play the odds will have to book a trip to New Jersey, which is the only state where betting on the Academy Awards is legal. Considering wagering there brought in nearly $748,000 in 2019, US-Bookies is expecting to see up to $2 million put into play in the Garden State by Sunday night.
“Legal Oscars wagering got off to a healthy start in New Jersey and our forecast indicates the amount bet will increase significantly in line with the growth trend for betting in the state,” US-Bookies analyst Alex Donohue told Snyde.
Donohue expects to see up to $10 million gambled on Oscars night worldwide.