Betting on the Oscars for Real Money

Oscars Movie Awards Betting

The Academy Awards are by far and away the most prestigious recognition one could get in the movie industry. The ceremony is a huge event for the fans too and you can even bet on the Oscars for money nowadays.

If you want to get straight into that, you should check our top betting sites for the Oscars.

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They offer many exciting opportunities and our guide to betting on the Academy Awards features more details about the best Oscars gambling sites. We also explore the different markets and provide useful tips that can help you make the most of them.

Qualities of the Best Academy Awards Betting Sites

Our team has selected sportsbooks that not only allow betting on the Oscars, but have a variety of bets available, good odds, a good mobile app, and great banking and withdrawal options.

Variety of Oscars Bets

The best Oscars sportsbooks online offer wagers on all major categories and plenty of props on top of that. Your chances to find a profitable opportunity increase significantly as a result.

Oscars Bonuses

You will struggle to find exclusive bonuses that are specifically for Oscars gambling, but there are more than enough regular promotions that can be used for a bet on the oscars if you pick one of our recommended options.

High Oscars Odds

Arguably the most important factor when it comes to Oscars online betting for real money are the odds you get. The higher they are, the more value you get for every successful wager.

Oscars Betting Apps

It’s crucial to place your Academy Awards bets at the right time. Sportsbooks have excellent mobile versions and apps that can help with that.

Beyond those specific items that provide value when you bet on the Oscars for money, we also look at general factors that are crucial for your overall experience.

  • Safety and Reputation – We only pick Oscars gambling sites that are safe to use and treat their customers right. Your safety is the top priority.
  • Variety of Banking Options – It’s important to have access to multiple payment options, so you can find a banking method that suits your needs.
  • Fast Withdrawals – If you win money betting on the Oscars online, you want to receive it fast and that’s exactly what the best Academy Awards bookmakers deliver.
  • Ease of Use – The user interface of the top-rated Oscar betting sites on this page is intuitive. You can easily find every market or feature that interests you.
  • Fast Customer Service – You might have some question related to Oscars betting online and the top bookies out there will answer it quickly.

If you prefer to find where to bet on the Oscars on your own, you should stick to the same principles. They are the most important factors when it comes to both your results and experience.

How to Bet on the Oscars

We understand that many of you who are anxious to do some Oscars betting are new to the world of online gambling. The good news is that getting started is quite easy.

Here is a quick primer to help you get set up to make those bets. Follow these steps to get started at a real money gambling site.

  1. Choose the site that you want to use. We recommend using the top Oscars sportsbooks online on this page.
  2. Sign up by providing the requested information (name, cellphone number, user name and password, etc.).
  3. Provide a payment option, such as a credit card, to use for withdrawals and deposits, and put in an initial deposit.
  4. Activate any Oscars betting bonuses that are available to you.
  5. Decide how much you want to wager and which bets on the Oscars you want to make.
  6. If you win, make a request to withdraw your winnings.

That’s how you bet on the Oscars online. Once you go through the entire process, you will be comfortable with every single step and it should be easy to place your wagers.

The Oscars odds are no different than traditional sports as well. They show your returns if the bet is successful. If you don’t know what that means, we have a page on betting odds that can help with more information on the topic.

Types Of Oscars Bets

Now that you know how to bet on the Oscars, it’s time to talk about the types of wagers that you can make. It’s pivotal to understand them well if you want to win in the long run.

Each specific wagering site is likely to have its own special selection of bets you can make on the Academy Awards, but there are certain standby Oscar bets that you can find at just about all of them.

Betting on Academy Award Winners

This is the most popular wager that you can find in all Oscars betting sites. You can place a bet on the winner of a selected Academy Awards category. It’s the most basic way to get involved and it’s available for all major categories.

These bets are usually posted on top Academy Award betting sites once the nominees are announced a few months before the event. Those odds will continue to change up until the night of the Oscars as more people bet into them.

We have tips on how to pick the winners successfully later in this Oscars betting guide and we also go through the main categories of the show.

Oscars Futures Betting

With futures wagering, you’ll still be speculating on who will win in the various Oscars categories. It’s a similar market to the traditional category winners with one huge difference. You will be placing your wagers before the nominations are out.

That means that you might have more than the typical five or ten choices, because you’re not limited to just the nominees. Because of that, you have the potential for more value than if you were betting them later.

It’s a risky move and you have to wait for months, but it could be more profitable than betting on the Oscars after the nominations are announced.

Oscars Prop Bets

Oscars prop bets are a bit off the beaten path but are often offered by top entertainment gambling sites for the Academy Awards. You can have a lot of fun with them, but you can also win real money while you’re having a laugh.

Prop bets on the Oscars could be anything related to the Oscars and the ceremony itself.  Some examples of Academy Award prop bets include the following.

  • How long will the telecast last?
  • Which deceased star will be honored last in the In Memorian portion of the show?
  • Will there be any profanities bleeped out of the broadcast?
  • Will certain movies win multiple awards?

Some Academy Award props might even be attached to the specific circumstances of that year’s event. The best Oscars gambling sites will try to offer a nice range of these specialty wagers. Make sure you look them over to see if any appeal to you.

Top Oscars Categories for Betting

When it comes to the Oscars, there are certain categories that are glamourous and others that are under the radar. The best Academy Awards betting sites are mostly focused on the former which is why we believe they are better from a gambling perspective.

You will have more opportunities to find good odds and there’s the added bonus that there’s plenty of information about them available online. That will help you prepare properly for every wager and increase your chances to win money with your Oscars bets.

Let’s take a look at the major awards and some of the most memorable winners.

Best Picture

 

  • 1972: The Godfather
  • 1976: Rocky
  • 1993: Schindler’s List
  • 1997: Titanic
  • 2002: The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King

There’s not much to be said here, the Oscar for the best picture is by far the most prestigious award in the entire industry. Pretty much every sportsbook that covers the Academy Awards offers odds on this one.

The good news is that many people who bet on the Oscars will target this one by simply backing a move that’s hyped or one they like a lot. That’s not the best way to approach this and it could create value for more prepared bettors.

Tip: If you decide to bet on the best picture winner, you should consider movies with a strong political message. The Academy members often pick them for the honor.

Of course, the critics also expect strong acting, directing, screenplay, and dialogue when it comes to this specific category.

Best Actor

 

  • 1972: Marlon Brando (The Godfather)
  • 1988: Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man)
  • 1992: Tom Hanks (Philadelphia)
  • 2001: Denzel Washington (Training Day)
  • 2012: Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

This one is designed to honor the best male actor in a leading role in the previous year. In most cases, there’s a level of uncertainty surrounding the category and there are at least few contenders.

That leads to high odds even for the strong contenders which is the reason we like betting on this particular category.

However, we’ve seen years in which a strong favorite emerged early on to win the Academy Award for best actor. Joaquin Phoenix for his role in “Joker” was an excellent example. Everyone expected him to win an Oscar in 2020 and that’s exactly what happened.

Best Actress

 

  • 1979: Sally Field (Norma Rae)
  • 1981: Meryl Streep (Sophie’s Choice)
  • 1991: Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs)
  • 2000: Julia Roberts (Erin Brockovich)
  • 2001: Hallie Berry (Monster’s Ball)

There’s also a best actress category for outstanding performances by female actors who are the primary protagonists/antagonists. It works the same way and the advantages of targeting this one are similar.

You would usually have at least two or three favorites, so the Oscars betting odds for each contender are decent. And yet, every now and then a performance is so fascinating that the winner seems certain way before the ceremony arrives.

Best Supporting Actor/Actress

  • 1978: Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter)
  • 1997: Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)
  • 1999: Angelina Jolie (Girl, Interrupted)
  • 2008: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
  • 2006: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)

The categories for supporting actor/actress are a bit more complicated. There’s no clear definition of what a leading and what a supporting performer is.

As a rule of thumb, the main protagonist in a certain movie is the lead and often, the same can be said about the antagonist. Everyone else usually belongs to the supporting actors.

If you are about to bet on one of these two Academy Awards, you should be looking for artists that steal every scene, even if they have limited screen time.

This category requires more research, but that’s a good thing because the bookmakers and the other gamblers are not entirely sure how to approach it either and the odds for certain contenders might contain great value.

Best Director

  • 1974: Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather Part II)
  • 1990: Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves)
  • 1993: Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List)
  • 2006: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
  • 2020: Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)

Many believe that the director is the person who has the strongest influence on a movie. That’s why the best director award is among the most prestigious Oscar categories. The competition is usually very strong and there’s rarely an overwhelming favorite.

Betting on the best director is complicated and there are a lot of factors in play. Obviously, the success and quality of the movie are crucial, but the personalities of the nominees are important too.

There’s a strong chance that the critics honor someone who has been around for long and hasn’t won the award if it’s close between two or three directors.

Another good approach would be to look for potential winners that are very different from the usual favorites. Young directors and foreigners could often have the upper hand because the Academy loves new faces every now and then.

In both cases, the winner is often not always the most obvious choice which is why we like this category from a gambling perspective.

Best Song

  • 1961: “Moon River” (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)
  • 1987: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” (Dirty Dancing)
  • 1993: “Streets of Philadelphia” (Philadelphia)
  • 1997: “My Heart Will Go On” (Titanic)
  • 2002: “Lose Yourself” (8 Mile)

The music can make or break a movie. This category is excellent proof of that. The most iconic movie songs of the year are nominated and you can bet on the potential winner.

The best tip we have for this one would be to look for popular artists that performed a song that is memorable. It sounds simple, but that’s how the critics usually decide on which the best song is every year.

We like that approach because many Oscars betting apps and sites favor the most popular artist, so the prices on the other nominees are great most of the time.

Oscars Betting Tips

We’ve showed you where to bet on the Academy Awards and how to do it. Now it’s time to offer you some tips on real money Oscars betting.

You might be in the know of all the top movies in a typical year. But you should also have an idea for how Oscars voters tend to react when they’re making their selections. Remember that you should be wagering on who the winners will be, not on whom you think should be the winners.

Sentiment For Veterans

While the Academy members will certainly deny it, certain awards are given to people who have been in the business for a while without receiving the proper recognition for some reason. Most of the time, it’s because of bad luck and facing strong competition throughout the years.

In the first instance when that’s not the case, such artists usually receive their Oscar. Sometimes, the work for which they are nominated might not actually be the best that they’ve ever done.

For example, director Martin Scorsese won with “The Departed” after losing with many classic films.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s story is similar and many believe he received his first Academy Award because he was ignored so many times in the past.

Newcomers for the Win

The flipside is that Oscar voters can occasionally go in the other direction and reward a fresh face. This might be a young actor, actress or director who is making their first film. Or it could instead be someone who isn’t usually involved in movies but comes up with an outstanding performance.

As an example of this, consider when Jennifer Hudson won for “Dreamgirls”. Hudson was known up to that point as a singer and was tackling her first major role as an actress. The fact that she hit it out of the part certainly helped her to the win, but there was also a great angle for voters to award her the award for a Best Supporting Actress.

Following Early Awards

It’s not like the Academy Awards are the only film awards out there. Many critics groups and film festivals hand out awards for many of the same categories as the Oscars. If you follow along with those awards that come earlier, you might be able to get a clue as to where the critics might be leaning when they arrive.

These early awards aren’t always a hard and fast predictor of what’s to come when you’re talking about Academy Awards wagering. But they can certainly point you in the right direction. Occasionally, a film or performance that’s already been awarded might slip through the cracks and provide you with excellent odds.

Early vs. Late Release

It is very difficult for a film or performance that comes out early in the year to sustain and become a betting favorite. You might want to avoid those films or performances because they tend to be overlooked by the Academy when all is said and done.

On the other hand, if you really feel strongly about a certain nominee and it keeps going strong, even if they were an early-year one, you should stick with it. Sometimes, the touted candidates that come out at the end of the year don’t pan out.

General Betting Tips

Betting on the Oscars might be different to traditional sports but certain rules apply here too. Let’s take a look at them.

  • Bet for Value – You should always try to find value when you bet real money on the Oscars. It’s the only way to win in the long term.
  • Be Selective – You should try to limit the wagers you place. Most people tend to bet on too many categories instead of sticking to only the ones where they feel confident.
  • Bankroll Management – Managing your money is crucial in all types of gambling and betting on the Academy Awards is not an exception.
  • Control Your Bias – It’s essential to stay objective. A lot of bettors just place money on the movie or artist they love. Your subjective perception of a film or a performance can be very different from the way the critics evaluate it.

Following these rules is critical of your chances, so make sure you remember them before betting on the Oscars online.

If you have more questions at this point, you will likely find the answers in the next section.

FAQ

More Entertainment Betting

The Academy Awards aren’t the only ways that you can wager on entertainment. Most top gambling websites will offer you many other award shows, movies, TV shows, and more. You should keep an eye out to see if any of these falls into your areas of expertise so that you can profit off them.

Here are some of the possibilities for entertainment betting that you might discover.

  • Wagering on other awards shows, such as the Emmys (television) or the Grammys (music)
  • Guessing what will happen on a popular television show
  • Predicting the outcome of a reality television show
  • Betting on who will be named to a certain acting role

If that sounds appealing, the following page provides more information about the different types of entertainment betting markets and tips on how to make the best of them.

Guide to Entertainment Betting Online
Jim Beviglia
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About Jim Beviglia
Jim Beviglia has been a gambling writer at LegitGamblingSites.com since 2018. During that time, he’s written just about every type of article related to gambling, including reviews of betting sites, guides to popular casino games, betting tips on both casino and sports betting, sports and casino blog posts, and game picks. In addition to online gambling, one of Jim’s other major interests is music. He has been doing freelance work for various music sites and magazines for two decades. Among his outlets past and present are American Songwriter, VinylMePlease, Treble, and The Bluegrass Situation. Jim has also written five books on music that were published by Rowman & Littlefield.