Barbie and Oppenheimer films create new betting opportunities for Oscars

Players can wager on which of the two films will win Best Picture.

Seven US states that include New Jersey and Massachusetts will allow bettors to wager on the outcome of this year’s Academy Awards through online gaming sites, according to a Yahoo News and Reuters report.

The Oscars will take place this coming Sunday. Barbie and Oppenheimer will face off for Best Picture, along with other categories. Players this year can wager on the outcome of these awards at their nearby casinos, as well as through online betting apps like ESPN Bet, DraftKings and BetMGM.

Bettors in New Jersey have been wagering on the Oscars for the past five years.

Bookies.com Senior Betting Analyst Bill Speros told Yahoo News that this year’s awards present a unique opportunity for players because of “the popularity of Barbie and Oppenheimer.”

Speros said, “This year is the first opportunity for people to bet on two films, and stars from those films, that have had real mass appeal.

“You have two movies that everybody’s seen.”

Speros also noted that allowing wagering on the Oscars could potentially tap into a demographic of players who do not typically bet on sporting or other events.

Along with Massachusetts and New Jersey, players in the states of Michigan, Indiana, Arizona, Kansas and Louisiana can get on the outcome of the Oscars.

However, California residents currently cannot wager on the awards.

To date, more than 30 states have embraced regulated sports betting since the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in May 2018, also known as the Bradley Act.

Bookies.com is owned by Gambling.com Group.

Sarah Chen

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