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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.
100%
up to €122
- Great live sports betting
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- Variety of live dealer games
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up to $200
- Massive amount of markets
- Pioneer in Esports betting
- Statistics on site to help bettors
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.
Best Oscars Betting Sites
All of the top-rated Oscars betting sites above deserve your attention. They offer excellent Academy Awards odds, a good number of markets, and juicy bonuses that can be used on the event. That’s on top of general advantages like fast payouts, top-notch security, and reliable customer support.
They all work on mobile too, offering the best Oscars betting apps available. You can either use their responsive sites or use the native apps that some sportsbooks have developed. All mainstream devices are covered one way or another.
If you want to know more about the best Academy Awards betting sites online, we’ve got you covered.
Bovada – Excellent for Oscars Props
- US Players: Yes
- Bonus: 50% to $250
- Originated: 2011
- Top Banking Options: Credit Cards, Check by Mail, Crypto
There are a few big advantages of joining Bovada when it comes to betting on the Oscars online. The first one is the great variety of Academy Awards gambling markets at your disposal. You can pick from all sorts of options and many of them are not available elsewhere.
We also like Bovada’s bonus structure, as you get not only a great welcome promotion but also a loyalty program that will reward your consistency.
If you add Bovada’s strong reputation and the excellent Oscars betting odds, it’s easy to see why we like the bookmaker so much.
BetUS – A Great Variety of Oscars Bets
- US Players: Yes
- Bonus: 100% up to $2,500 + Casino Chips
- Originated: 1994
- Banking Options: Credit Cards, Bank Wire, Crypto
When you’re talking about a site that’s been around for as long as BetUS has, the reliability factor is obviously there. You’ll also note that this site does a nice job with a variety of banking options, including a bunch of cryptocurrencies.
You can pick them to make a deposit and receive a large bonus that can be used for Oscars betting online. BetUS offers an excellent selection of gambling markets for the Academy Awards and the odds are consistently higher than the competition.
MyBookie – Great for Mobile Betting on the Oscars
- US Players: Yes
- Bonus: 100% up to $1,000
- Originated: 2014
- Top Banking Options: Credit Cards, Bank Wire, Crypto, Check by Mail
The name is a hint that this site offers a more personal touch than you might get elsewhere. MyBookie is aggressive in offering you wagers, on the Oscars and other events, that might be hard to find at other sites. And they do a fantastic job of paying you back quickly when you want to withdraw winnings.
Using the mobile version opens the door to a full selection of Academy Awards wagers and features. The navigation is seamless and MyBookie is one of the best places for betting money on the Oscars on mobile devices.
Everygame – Best Oscars Crypto Betting Site
- US Players: Yes
- Bonus: 100% up to $750
- Originated: 1982
- Top Banking Options: Credit Cards, EZee Wallet, Crypto
Everygame has long been one of the most trusted names in the sports and entertainment betting industry. They’ve kept up with the innovation by providing cryptocurrency wagering to its players. Crypto coins are ideal for online gambling because of the speed of the settlement times and the privacy afforded to players.
Everygame offers you the chance to go beyond Bitcoin for your crypto Oscars betting. You can use Lightning Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin to make deposits. The process is smooth and simple, making for the most convenient Academy Awards wagers available.
BetNow – Most Reliable Odds for Oscars Betting
- US Players: Yes
- Bonus: 200% up to $200
- Originated: 2016
- Top Banking Options: Credit Cards, Person2Person, Crypto
If you’re betting with a site that takes too much out of each wager you make for their own profits, it will be difficult for you to make good money placing Oscars wagers. BetNow avoids that problem. Their odds are reliably fair and give you the best chance to make profits on your Oscars bets.
You can also take advantage of their excellent bonus offers to help your betting bottom line. Knowing you’re getting the most value for each wager will allow you to place Oscars bets at BetNow with confidence.
Qualities of the Best Academy Awards Betting Sites
If you found this page looking for where to bet on the Oscars online, we certainly recommend the Academy Awards sportsbooks above.
They provide the most rewarding and enjoyable experience when it comes to online betting on the Oscars. Our team made sure that’s the case by carefully examining all of them and looking for the following advantages.
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.
- Choose the site that you want to use. We recommend using the top Oscars sportsbooks online on this page.
- Sign up by providing the requested information (name, cellphone number, user name and password, etc.).
- Provide a payment option, such as a credit card, to use for withdrawals and deposits, and put in an initial deposit.
- Activate any Oscars betting bonuses that are available to you.
- Decide how much you want to wager and which bets on the Oscars you want to make.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
That depends on your location. Online betting is legal in some places, unregulated in others, and it might be even illegal on rare occasions. The rule of thumb is that if the sportsbook accepts players from where you live, you should be fine betting on the Oscars for real money.
Part of the risk that you run by betting early on the Academy Awards is the possibility that your choice might now make it in the end. And that includes the chance that they don’t get nominated. If that happens, you won’t get your money back from top online Oscars betting sites.
That depends on the Oscars betting sites you join. Almost all of them cover the most popular categories, such as best motion picture, best actor/actress, and so on. In certain cases, you might be able to place a wager on all categories.
You can sign up for as many sites as you wish to make wagers on the Academy Awards and that’s actually beneficial. You will get consistently higher odds through line shopping and access to more promotions.
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.
