There are opportunities for gambling in Canada that most players are accustomed to, but is betting on awards season a new trend in the gambling industry? The Atlantic Lottery is betting on it, believing that Canadians are willing to place money on the movies, actors, and categories they believe have the greatest chance to win awards – beginning with the Oscars.
The awards season began with the Golden Globes on January 13, hilariously hosted by comediennes and actresses Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The awards presented clear favourites for this year’s best movie, best actor, and best supporting actor awards and the Atlantic Lottery believes odds on these favourites will be more pronounced by the time of the Oscars.
The Atlantic Lottery is jointly run by the Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces offering legalized offline and online gambling services within the provincial jurisdictions. Sports Lotteries Senior Brand Manager James Reilly says Canadians make office bets on the awards shows every year, and he believes a similar method of betting can be applied to online sportsbetting sites.
“It was an obvious choice to offer since millions of people tune in to the annual awards show. People are always casting their votes around the water cooler at work and now they have the option to make their predictions pay off.”
Reilly says if the Golden Globes are any guide, the best movie category will be a two-movie race at the Oscars. He says viewers and bettors are surprised that the Bond movie Skyfall wasn’t up for the category or the newly released Django Unchained, and admits this could limit the amount of betting activity the Atlantic Lottery reports.
The Atlantic Lottery recognizes the need to differentiate and modernize their gambling services to compete in today’s market, and Reilly hopes that awards betting becomes a successful service they can continue for years to come.