Category: ENTERTAINMENT

Tonight Twin Poets Kick-Off Atlantic Cape Community College Black History Month Events 2020

MAYS LANDING, NJ–(February 4, 2020)–Atlantic Cape Community College will be celebrating Black History Month with various events throughout February, featuring guests that will inspire, empower, and inform. The following events are free and open to the public:

On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at 6:00 pm in the Student Center, Atlantic Cape is pleased to welcome back The Twin Poets. They will be performing “Our Voices Matter”. Both men are master level social workers who utilize their art as a tool for community engagement, empowerment, and development. Their \”Our Work, Our Words\”, 2nd edition publication will be given to the first 50 Atlantic Cape students who attend.

At our Worthington Atlantic City Campus on Thursday, February 20, 2020, at 12:30 pm – Room 204 we welcome the Atlantic City Professional Panel to discuss the topic “Our Journey Becoming Leaders”. This year we will recognize featured professionals

Natalie Devonish

, Dean of the Worthington Campus & Workforce Development,

Michael Epps, Esq.

Executive Director, Atlantic City Initiatives Project Office,

Yolanda Melville,

Attorney, Cooper Levenson, P.A. and President, National NAACP NextGen Alumni Leadership Council and

Marty Small

, Mayor of Atlantic City, NJ. The panel will identify their inspirations and discuss what Black History means to them by sharing their professional journey and how they overcame obstacles along the way.

Throughout the month there will be a variety of events specifically for students including movies, art and historical and interactive displays at each campus. For more information, contact Lisa Givens, 609-343-5010 or

lgivens@atlantic.edu

*Dance Theatre of Harlem in residence at Kutztown University

KUTZTOWN, PA — KU Presents! welcomes the Dance Theatre of Harlem, a singular presence in the ballet world celebrating its 50th anniversary season, for a multi-day residency at Kutztown University.

Dance Theatre of Harlem will take the stage at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Schaeffer Auditorium on the Kutztown University campus.

Tickets are $42; $38 for students and seniors and can be purchased at

www.KutztownPresents.org

, or by calling the KU Presents! Box Office 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, at 610-683-4092.

In addition to the public performance, the Dance Theatre of Harlem will be offering a lecture/demonstration for K-12 schools at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5. In this assembly performance, the company will speak about their history, how they started as a revolutionary, multi-ethnic dance company and perform excerpts of their new works that highlight female choreographers, women of color and African American themes. The KU Arts Society is offering grants to cover bussing to and from KU for this free educational event. Interested teachers or school administrators, should contact Elaine Bonfitto at

bonfitto@kutztown.edu

or 610-683-1523.

Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, the company tours internationally presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 18-member, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate African American culture. Through performances, community engagement and arts education, the company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem\’s message of empowerment through the arts for all.

Established to be the center of cultural life at Kutztown University, KU Presents! serves the campus and community by bringing world-class live arts that entertain, educate and enrich.

The KU Presents! season will continue Feb. 25, with Grammy Award-winning baroque chamber orchestra Apollo\’s Fire under the baton of Jeannette Sorrell. Ireland\’s most exciting young tenor, Celtic Thunder\’s Emmet Cahill, will be joined by the all-female Emerald String Quartet March 18. As part of the Berks Jazz Fest, The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra will bring their New Orleans big band style April 2. The season comes to a close April 15, with Tony Award-winner, Laura Benanti bringing her Tales from Soprano Isle to the Schaeffer stage. Benanti replaces the previously-announced Lea Salonga.

Tickets and other event information for KU Presents! is available at

www.KutztownPresents.org

.

View Online:

http://kutztown.meritpages.com/news/Dance-Theatre-of-Harlem-in-residence-at-Kutztown-University/13414

Marc Anthony Serenades Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

Atlantic City, N.J. (

January 27,

2019)

– Six-Time Latin Grammy Award and two-time Grammy Award winner, Marc Anthony serenaded a packed Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena on Saturday night, January 25 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

Marc Anthony crooned through his hour and a half long 16-song set encompassing his entire career including his classic hits like “Flor Pálida,” “Palabras del Alma,” “Tu Amor Me Hace Bien” and “Vivir Mi Vida.”

Before his energetic set in front of a captivating audience, Marc Anthony presented Hard Rock Atlantic City President, Joe Lupo, with signed Fender® Telecaster as a donation to the constantly-growing Hard Rock Memorabilia collection.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City

Set on 17 acres, with the legendary Atlantic City Boardwalk as its backdrop, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City has become Atlantic City’s go-to entertainment destination, boasting 2,200 slots, 120 table games, more than 20 first-class restaurants and lounges, and world-class entertainment,

including Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena, the beachside Sound Waves and Howie Mandel’s Comedy Club. The hotel and casino also features the iconic Hard Rock Cafe, overlooking the Atlantic City Boardwalk, showcasing a brand new elevated menu and state-of-the-art stage, allowing for an amplified level of service and entertainment. Along with an endless array of upscale amenities, including world-class shopping and the brand’s signature full-service Rock Spa and Salon, featuring 31 treatment rooms, the new, music-inspired property offers lavish guest rooms and suites, with stunning views of the city and Atlantic Ocean. From family vacations and business trips to weddings, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City offers an unparalleled experience. Each of the hotel’s guest rooms and suites radiates a contemporary style, including Hard Rock’s signature The Sound of Your Stay® music amenity program, which allows guests to set the mood with complimentary vinyl records or jam out on a Fender guitar in the privacy of their own room. Hotel guests can enjoy high speed, property-wide Wi-Fi, 24-Hour In-Room Dining, towel and chair service at Hard Rock Beach or at the indoor pool, and 24-Hour Access to Body Rock® Fitness Center. For more information and to book your stay, please visit

hardrockhotelatlanticcity.com

.

H1 – Is PayPal cracking down on online casino players?

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 28, 2020)–PayPal has been a cornerstone payment method for online casino players for many years now. From its beginnings, in the early 2000s, this service has processed billions of online transactions. Of these, using the

PayPal payment method for online casinos

deposits and withdrawals account for a fair chunk.

source unsplash.com

But now as we enter a new decade it seems that PayPal is following the recent trends of other payments providers with a tightening of its rules and regulations.

What could be the possible effects of this for online casino players and what will the future shape up to be? We’ll attempt to answer these questions and more below.

H2 – German online casino payment crackdown

The early warning signs that PayPal was about to make a move towards more stringent regulations for casino players started to show in 2019. Around halfway through the year PayPal announced plans to stop supporting payments to and from online casinos in Germany from October 21, 2019.

This came after a warning was issued in June 2019 by the Lower Saxony state in Germany to an unnamed international payment processor. The warning was concerned with the payment provider being used to fund illegal online casino transactions in that region.

PayPal’s terms of service in Germany were quickly updated following the warning to say that they would not process payments for “offers that are not legal in your respective whereabouts, including some online gambling offers.”

This move reflects a wider game change regarding casino licencing in Germany. At the current moment, only the state of Schleswig-Holstein is able to offer legal gambling licences but all this is set to change.

Countrywide gambling licences will be issued in early 2020 but only on very strictly limited terms for sports betting. Given this, the future of the online casino industry in Germany looks very uncertain indeed.

H2 – Will there be a worldwide PayPal casino crackdown?

The above case from Germany is for a very specific region and payment provider but it does highlight a wider trend. For many years online casinos have been viewed by some as being the ‘wild west’ of the internet. The wider industry is making drastic moves to smarten up their image and operations which in turn affects payment providers.

Now that states, governments and even trading blocks seek to enforce ever tighter rules and regulations for the gambling industry, all involved must be seen to comply. In the case of PayPal, their actions in Germany show us that they are willing and able to play by the rules when they need to.

As a business with a reputation to maintain across continents, PayPal cannot afford to be seen to be connected with any illegal activities or wrongdoing. If doing so means pulling out of one of Europe’s big casino markets then it looks as though they will do it without fear.

H2 – How does this affect casino players?

From the point of view of casino players, it means that they might have less choice of which payment provider to use in the future. Millions of casino fans around the world rely on PayPal to process their withdrawals and deposits. Not having their service as a payments option at any casino would be a major blow.

That said, let’s not forget that tighter rules and regulations should be working in favour of online casino players. If it forces PayPal and other payments providers to up their game then it is a good thing. In turn, this creates a safer and more secure playing environment which can be seen as a positive.

Which countries allow online gambling casino

Gloucestercitynews.net (January 27, 2020)–If your country allows gambling in casinos, then lucky for you since you have a way of making money at the comfort of your home. Some countries do not allow online gambling, and therefore, if you are caught playing casino games in such countries, you will be charged according to the law. Therefore, before you embark on your online gambling, it is necessary to find out whether the country in which the casino is based allows gambling. In this article, I have combined a list of countries where online gambling is legal.

Why a casino doesn\’t legal in some countries

Regardless of whether gambling is legal or illegal in certain nations, there will always be gamblers. The main reason as to why some governments fail to legalize gambling is to protect the citizens from vice and making poor decisions. You must have heard of people who lost everything that they owned in gambling or some who have become addicts. Now, these are some of the things that governments try to protect by making casinos illegal. Professionals from

online casino real money

will help you identify some of the precautions that you should take to make a big win from gambling.

Canada

Canada has legalized gambling in some regions, while in others, it is illegal. Therefore, gambling regulations differ across the ten provinces. Each province has the mandate to regulate gambling activities, and hence, you need to familiarize yourself with the gambling rules in your province. The online casinos ought to follow the regulations set out by the governing province.

Australia and New Zealand

The Australian and New Zealand law have allowed their citizens to participate in online gambling activities. All that is required is for the casino operators to have gambling licenses, and they will be free to run their businesses in any part of the nation. However, the only form of gambling allowed in Australia is sports betting, auto-racing betting, and online lottery. In New Zealand, gambling is only legal if authorized by the Gambling Act 2003.

USA

The USA makes 70% of the players base on online gambling. The US federal law has legalized gambling. However, the law ensures to have certain restrictions when it comes to online and interstate gambling. This means that some gambling activities might be considered legal in one state, yet they are illegal in another state. Every state has the mandate to regulate gambling activities within its borders. Therefore, you need to play in a state where online gambling is legal.

South countries

Among the countries that allow online gambling in South America is Argentina. The country boasts some of the largest casinos across the world. There are over 80 casinos in Argentina, as well as approximately 12000 slots. The government regulations in Chile and Venezuela have legalized gambling. Brazil is among the southern countries that do not allow casino betting.

United Kingdom

The UK stands to be the nation with the best gambling rules. It allows gambling for any individual as long as they are above 18 years. Unlike other nations, the country does not charge any taxes on the amounts won from gambling. Therefore, this makes it a favorable place for gambling in online casinos. Their online gambling regulations ensure that the players have a fair and safe gambling environment.

The grey areas of online gambling

Online gambling falls into the grey area because it is difficult to regulate its operations in countries where gambling has been legalized. For instance, most of the players do it from home hence making it difficult to convict them. Also, the servers are located in countries that have legalized gambling.

In turn, their websites run in different parts of the world. People take casino licenses and end up running their activities in areas where gambling is restricted.

Other European countries

Following the boom of the gambling business, most of the European countries have legalized gambling. Hence, as long as you are in such countries, you can pop up in any legal casinos and play with real money. They believe that gambling helps in the growth of the economy. Some of those countries include Hungry, Malta, Portugal, Norway, Spain, France, Germany, Netherland, Gibraltar, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Russia, Belgium, and Switzerland.

Asia

The gambling laws in Asia allows business people to run gambling platforms such as online casinos. Countries such as Kazakhstan, Philippines, and Japan have fully legalized gambling. Besides, countries such as Thailand, China, Macao, and Singapore partly allow people to gamble. In India, gambling is only allowed in the states of Goa and Sikkim. As well, some Indian states have legalized scratch card games.

Now that you have known where gambling is allowed, you do not have to fear being convicted for gambling. All you have to do is search for licensed casinos in such countries, and you will be free to gamble on your favorite games. Such casinos are a guarantee that you can play with real money and have a timely payment of your winnings.

Online Voting Has Opened For The 2020 New Jersey  Shout Down Drugs Music Competition

Finalists To Perform at the Prevention Concert April 3, 2020

MILLBURN — The New Jersey Shout Down Drugs music contest is back for its 16

th

year. The competition, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), was open to any New Jersey high school individual or group, to create and enter original songs with an anti-drug message. The songs have been submitted and online voting is ongoing now through January 31.

“Each of the contestants are all unique, talented, and winners for just having participated,” states Angelo Valente, PDFNJ’s Executive Director. “It is a really great opportunity for people from all over the country to hear their music and the important anti-drug messages. More than 1 million people have listened to at least one of these students\’ songs over the course of 15 years.

Voting will remain open until April 2 for voters to choose their favorite performers. The online vote tallies will be factored into each final score at the end of the concert.

The finalists will perform in the statewide Prevention Concert, which will be held Friday, April 3, at the Two River Theater in Red Bank. Tickets to the event are free and can be ordered at the website (

www.shoutdowndrugs.com

).

The concert first-place winner will receive a $5,000 music contract, second place will earn a $3,000 contract, and third place will take home a $2,000 contract.

###

Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 180 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

Philadelphia Union Announces New Partnership With Ardent Credit Union

Ardent Credit Union named the Official Credit Union of the Philadelphia Union and Talen Energy Stadium

CHESTER, Pa. (Jan. 23, 2020)

– Today, the Philadelphia Union announced a new partnership with Ardent Credit Union, a Philadelphia-based member-owned financial cooperative, to become the official credit union of the Philadelphia Union and Talen Energy Stadium. As a part of the agreement, Ardent will be the presenting partner of year-round youth programming, community initiatives in the Philadelphia-area, and pregame activities for fans on the plaza.

“Serving the greater-Philadelphia area is a top priority for the Philadelphia Union and something that we aim to include as a part of every partnership agreement,” said Jean-Paul Dardenne, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at the Philadelphia Union. “With a strong focus on the counties immediately surrounding Philadelphia, we found a perfect partner in Ardent to continue our mission to create change in our own backyard.”

Ardent Credit Union will be the presenting partner of year-round youth soccer programs in the five counties served by Ardent – Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia. In addition, Ardent and the Philadelphia Union will produce a youth program which will provide financial education materials to schools in the greater Philadelphia area.

“We\’re thrilled to kick-off our partnership and financial education program with the Philadelphia Union,” said Rob Werner, President & CEO of Ardent Credit Union. “We have established a legacy of supporting financial literacy and are proud to align ourselves with an organization that offers youth programs that encourage learning. As two innovative, challenger brands with grit, we are looking forward to working together.”

For more information, please visit

www.philadelphiaunion.com

.

ABOUT PHILADELPHIA UNION

The Philadelphia Union is an innovative, forward-thinking professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of Philadelphia’s five major league sports teams. Driven by unprecedented fan support, MLS awarded the Philadelphia expansion franchise rights to Jay Sugarman in 2008 and the Union kicked off its inaugural season in 2010. The club has reached the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and has appeared in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

The Philadelphia Union is part of parent company Keystone Sports & Entertainment, which also operates USL Championship side Philadelphia Union II, the Philadelphia Union Academy, Philadelphia Union Foundation and Philadelphia Union Youth Programs. With a commitment to developing talent from the Delaware Valley, the Union have signed nine local players from their academy to a first team contract.

The Union play at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, PA on the banks of the Delaware River. The custom-built stadium is part of the Union’s unique waterfront campus, featuring an historic power plant rebuilt into a 500,000 sq. ft. creative office building, a state-of-the-art Training Complex, over 7 acres of professional grade practice pitches and multiple onsite parking fields. For more information about the Philadelphia Union, visit

www.philadelphiaunion.com

and follow @PhilaUnion on Twitter or Instagram.

ABOUT ARDENT CREDIT UNION

Ardent Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative. Originally founded in 1977 by the employees of the SmithKline Corporation, Ardent has more than $700 million in member assets. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Ardent serves Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Bucks and Chester Counties. For more information, visit

ArdentCU.org

or call 800.806.9465.

LEGAL SPORTSBOOKS IN INDIANA TO JOIN NJ

AT THE MOVIES WITH ODDS ON 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS

LAS VEGAS) — Sportsbooks in Indiana have joined New Jersey as the only states offering movie buffs the opportunity to join their favorite actors, actresses, and directors as big winners from the 92nd Academy Awards. A year after New Jersey’s retail and online sportsbooks broke new ground in the United States by offering legal betting on the Academy Awards for the first time, both Indiana and New Jersey will be offering odds on the Oscars, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 9.

To prepare for the movie industry’s star-studded night, PlayUSA has created a complete rundown of the Oscars at

www.playusa.com/sports-betting/oscars

, including odds on every major category, a pick sheet, what sites are accepting bets, and analysis on the races.

“Oscars betting was a hit in its first year in New Jersey, and we suspect that interest will only grow,” said Jessica Welman, betting analyst for

PlayUSA.com

and

PlayIndiana.com

, as well as a movie historian who earned a master’s degree in Film and Media Studies from Indiana University Bloomington and a bachelor’s in Cinema-TV Critical Studies from the University of Southern California. “We saw last year that bettors were less motivated by the favorites and more interested in backing their favorite films and movie stars. This year\’s field of nominees has star power in front of and behind the camera, so that should help drive interest.”

New Jersey sportsbooks accepted an estimated $1 million in bets in the first year that it was offered, according to PlayUSA. Now that the Indiana Gaming Commission has authorized betting on the Oscars at the state’s sportsbooks, which happened on Wednesday, Hoosier State bettors will have the same chance.

The Indiana operations of FanDuel and DraftKings are expected to be the first in Indiana to offer odds in the state, but more will likely follow.

“It is exciting that Indiana has opened the doors to Oscars betting,” Welman said. “The Academy Awards will likely only generate a fraction of the bets of the NFL’s big game, but the interest should still be significant. For Indiana bettors, it will make a fun and new way to enjoy the Oscars.”

DraftKings in New Jersey became the first sportsbook to post the Oscars, followed by FOX Bet, and more are expected soon. DraftKings New Jersey is offering odds on all 24 categories at the Academy Awards. In 2019, most books limited action to the six major Oscars categories, including best picture, director, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress.

“The top categories will undoubtedly draw the most interest,” Welman said. “This year, in particular, is shaping up to be a controversial one. Again, critics can point to a lack of diversity in nominations and some films, such as Joker, have received polarizing audience reactions. But instead of fighting with friends about a movie\’s merits, New Jersey movie buffs can quietly put their money where their mouth is.”

The four major acting categories all feature prohibitive favorites. Joaquin Phoenix (-1,667), for Joker, and Renee Zellweger (-1,000), for Judy, are the clear frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. Brad Pitt (-1,000), for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Laura Dern (-1,000), for Marriage Story, are the favorites for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Sam Mendes (-134), for 1917, and Bong Joon Hoo (+225), for Parasite, are leading a tight race for Best Director.

The closest major race appears to be for Best Picture, led by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (+160) and 1917 (+200).

“Best Picture seems like a two-horse race between the two Golden Globe picture winners, 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Welman said. “While no one is arguing that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino\’s best film, the Academy is typically concerned with ensuring deserving nominees get rewarded. This could be the Academy’s last chance to give Tarantino the top prize, and that often carries a lot of weight.”

For more information and analysis on regulated online gaming in Indiana, visit

PlayIndiana.com/news

. For more Oscars information, visit

www.playusa.com/sports-betting/oscars

.

About the

PlayUSA.com

Network:

The

PlayUSA.com

Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states,

PlayUSA.com

and its state-focused branches (including

PlayNJ.com

and

PlayIndiana.com

) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.

Online Voting Has Opened For The 2020 New Jersey  Shout Down Drugs Music Competition

Finalists To Perform at the Prevention Concert April 3, 2020

MILLBURN — The New Jersey Shout Down Drugs music contest is back for its 16

th

year. The competition, sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), was open to any New Jersey high school individual or group, to create and enter original songs with an anti-drug message. The songs have been submitted and online voting is ongoing now through January 31.

“Each of the contestants are all unique, talented, and winners for just having participated,” states Angelo Valente, PDFNJ’s Executive Director. “It is a really great opportunity for people from all over the country to hear their music and the important anti-drug messages. More than 1 million people have listened to at least one of these students\’ songs over the course of 15 years.

Voting will remain open until April 2 for voters to choose their favorite performers. The online vote tallies will be factored into each final score at the end of the concert.

The finalists will perform in the statewide Prevention Concert, which will be held Friday, April 3, at the Two River Theater in Red Bank. Tickets to the event are free and can be ordered at the website (www.shoutdowndrugs.com).

The concert first-place winner will receive a $5,000 music contract, second place will earn a $3,000 contract, and third place will take home a $2,000 contract.

###

Best known for its statewide substance use prevention advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $100 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception, the Partnership has garnered 180 advertising and public relations awards from national, regional and statewide media organizations.

Sports Books Set to Spend Another Night at the Movies with Odds on Academy Awards

(ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.) — Sportsbooks in New Jersey are the first offering movie buffs the opportunity to join their favorite actors, actresses, and directors as big winners from the 92nd Academy Awards. A year after New Jersey’s retail and online sportsbooks broke new ground in the United States by offering legal betting on the Academy Awards for the first time, the Garden State is once again offering odds on the Oscars, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 9.

To prepare for the movie industry’s star-studded night, PlayUSA has created a complete rundown of the Oscars at

www.playusa.com/sports-betting/oscars

, including odds on every major category, a pick sheet, what sites are accepting bets, and analysis on the races.

“Oscars betting was a hit in its first year in New Jersey, and we suspect that interest will only grow,” said Jessica Welman, betting analyst for

PlayUSA.com

and a movie historian who earned a degree in Cinema-TV Critical Studies from the University of Southern California, and a master’s in Film and Media Studies from Indiana University Bloomington. “We saw last year that bettors were less motivated by the favorites and more interested in backing their favorite films and movie stars. This year\’s field of nominees has star power in front of and behind the camera, so that should help drive interest.”

New Jersey sportsbooks accepted an estimated $1 million in bets in the first year that it was offered, according to PlayUSA. And the Garden State is the only legal jurisdiction so far offering odds in 2020.

DraftKings became the first sportsbook to post the Oscars, followed by FOX Bet, and more are expected soon. DraftKings is offering odds on all 24 categories at the Academy Awards. In 2019, most books limited action to the six major Oscars categories, including best picture, director, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress.

“The top categories will undoubtedly draw the most interest,” Welman said. “This year, in particular, is shaping up to be a controversial one. Again, critics can point to a lack of diversity in nominations and some films, such as Joker, have received polarized audience reactions. But instead of fighting with friends about a movie\’s merits, New Jersey movie buffs can quietly put their money where their mouth is.”

The four major acting categories all feature prohibitive favorites. Joaquin Phoenix (-1,667), for Joker, and Renee Zellweger (-1,000), for Judy, are the clear frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. Brad Pitt (-1,000), for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Laura Dern (-1,000), for Marriage Story, are the favorites for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Sam Mendes (-134), for 1917, and Bong Joon Hoo (+225), for Parasite, are leading a tight race for Best Director.

The closest major race appears to be for Best Picture, led by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (+160) and 1917 (+200).

“Best Picture seems like a two-horse race between the two Golden Globe picture winners, 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Welman said. “While no one is arguing that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino\’s best film, the Academy is typically concerned with ensuring deserving nominees get rewarded. This could be the Academy’s last chance to give Tarantino the top prize, and that often carries a lot of weight.”

For more information and analysis on regulated online gaming in New Jersey, visit

PlayUSA.com/news

. For more Oscars information, visit

www.playusa.com/sports-betting/oscars

.

About the

PlayUSA.com

Network:

The

PlayUSA.com

Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states,

PlayUSA.com

and its state-focused branches (including

PlayNJ.com

and

PlayPennsylvania.com

) produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.