Hollywood's Newest Stars: Bookies

This article is from the LA Times.

Fans such as these are giving new meaning to the term "Hollywood player." By putting their money where their entertainment hunches are, they are turning the weekend box-office derby — once followed mainly by studio executives and accountants — into a participatory sport.

Online entertainment betting, originally a novelty aimed at hyping the sports books during Oscar season, is on the rise. World Sports Exchange, which runs a gambling site at wsex.com, reports that its movie wagering volume jumped 26% last year. These days, the site takes $25,000 to $50,000 worth of bets on each weekend's box-office results.