Loto-Quebec is hoping the Oscars are as enticing to bet on as sports is.

The popular Mise-O-Jeu sports betting game began taking wagers yesterday on its first-ever non-sports activity.

You can now bet on seven categories for the Academy Awards on Feb. 24: best picture, best actor and actress, best supporting actor and actress, best director, and best foreign-language film, which has a Quebec-made film, Rebelle, in the running.

Loto-Quebec spokesman Jean-Pierre Roy says they're testing this out to see what kind of interest there is.

"It's a brand new avenue for us," Roy says. "We do not expect to make a fortune, but if indeed there are enough customers interested in this, we may offer more of this kind of betting sown the line."

This kind of betting takes place in several countries around the world. And in the Maritimes, the Atlantic Lottery agency has been taking bets on the Oscars for the past two weeks.

And, in case you're interested the odds-on favorite to win best picture honors is Lincoln, at odds of 3 to 2, followed by Argo at 9 to 4.

Beasts of the Southern Wild is the 90 to 1 longshot.

Related

• The list of 85th annual Academy Awards nominations