Political Betting Sites
Politics is a fiery subject that can quickly bring out the worst in people. An amicable conversation can quickly transform into a feud that outlasts generations. Yet, sportsbooks have decided to channel this passion for politics by offering a variety of possible betting markets.
See the latest presidential candidate odds here.
“Politics” is an actual market you can explore today and whether you are betting on the 2024 US Election, international politics or one of the many royal special markets, there are quite a few entertaining options to choose from.
Political Betting Sites
Today, we will help you find the best sites you can place a political bet at, get some great odds, and explore even greater opportunities. Naturally, the Presidential race in the United States will be in focus, but there are other great examples as well. We have put together a complete list of the top political sites as you can see in the table above.
Not sure where to place your next wager on the political race? Pick any of our recommended brands. We’re here to make political great again.
Where Can You Find Political Betting Markets?
Political betting is available on every sportsbook that covers a fair share of sporting events. Other than athletic competitions, though, most bookies will also feature a number of alternative markets, such as Entertainment and not least Politics.
Politics is not an underhand market, but rather it brings its own dynamic and plentifulness of opportunities. True, by nature political bettors are a patient lot who are in for the long term, placing early calls, such as whether Donald Trump would be impeached – he wasn’t, though this might have been courtesy of the coronavirus global pandemic.
Most markets will be available at a sportsbook you probably already frequent. If you are looking for a new place to try, there are many viable choices with detailed political markets available in our table of recommended brands.
What Political Events Are There to Place Bets On?
We have already touched on the available markets in broad strokes, but let’s make sure we have covered the lot of opportunities. Each part of the electoral process is important and it can excite quite a bit of interest. Here are several examples you may want to bet on:
- US Presidential Election
- Senators running for Congress
- French Presidential Race
- British Parliament Election
- Referendums such as Brexit
- Mayoral Betting
- National Governments
Recent history has fed us a lot of examples. Clearly, the most controversial political bet is whether Donald Trump will run for office again in 2024.
History will vindicate our analysis. The U.S. Presidential race will always hog the limelight, but other major events, such as Brexit also had their fair share of betting activity. For example, back in 2016, Brexit wagers occasioned an insane betting bonanza with individual punters placing as much as $144,000 that the majority of Brits would choose to remain in the political bloc.
Boy, was she disappointed? Some $29 million were wagered on Brexit at William Hill, and these numbers are much greater for the overall industry.
Senator races are also exciting, although they tend to be more local in nature, so only insiders may benefit. Controversial topics, though, can quickly be brought up. For example, Sadiq Khan has proven one of the most skilled and caring politicians and mayoral candidates in London.
Yet, even in the hot seat, Khan is often criticized with the majority of criticism stemming out of reasons that do not come from the political scope. Shifts in power in China or who the next leader to leave office in Europe are other popular political betting markets.
What Types of Bets Can You Make on Political Races?
Thankfully, there are lots of proposition bets you can place online, such as “Will @TheRealDonaldTrump Be Kicked Off Twitter by 2022,” or “Will Joe “Tiger King” Exotic Receive A Presidential Pardon By January 20, 2021?”
Most of these bets are quite bizarre in their nature, but they are actually exciting in interest. Outside those, though, you will notice that the bets are pretty straightforward, such as Handicap and Straight Up bets.
Politics and Sports Go Hand-in-Hand
Politics is not just limited to The Capitol or the White House. In fact, politics quite often show up in sports. A racist slur directed at NBA players or Donald Trump booed at the Major League Baseball Worlds are available political markets.
When Colin Kaepernick protested against the sprawling gun violence against African-Americans in the United States, his stand also became a subject of political betting in the sense that bookies were trying to predict whether he would kneel again, or whether more players would follow his example, and so on.
Since Trump’s departure from office, the number of cross-over bets are limited. But, you will typically find special bets that you can place on whether Joe Biden will attend the Super Bowl. It’s always worth keeping an eye out, because you never really know the special betting opportunities that will arise.
Populism in Political Betting
Recent years have shown that populism is surging and this makes for a very smart political bet when focusing on leaders. Vladimir Putin in Russia, Viktor Orban in Hungary, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom are all examples of politicians who have played with and preyed on public fear and they have been largely successful.
While people take a few years to realize that a populist isn’t worth much, these candidates make for a great bet. Of course, you need to first make sure they have sufficient backing and tailor your wagers accordingly.
Other Interesting Political Bets to Consider
Now, depending on the political season and the sportsbook, you will have a vast choice of options. Back when Trump was President there were a number of special markets focused on his tenure. However, there are still markets centred around him and the royal family that could attract attention. Below, you will see some of the most topical markets available:
- State to Host Next Trump Rally
- Name of Harry and Meghan’s Baby
- Harry/Meghan Baby’s Date of Birth
- Joe Biden leaves office via Impeachment?
- To run for US President 2024
- Prince William to be King by 2025
European and World Politics
It’s hard to imagine that there is political betting going on outside the United States. However, below you can find some of the European and World political markets that you can bet on:
- Next German Chancellor
- Next country to leave the EU
- Next Labour Party Leader
- Next Australian Federal Election
Established political figures excite a fair deal of betting frenzy and this is justifiable. Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron are two popular figures. Boris Johnson and Victor Orban are somewhat darker figures, but they also get a few bets.
In fact, the more prominent a world leader is, the more attention from sportsbook he draws. So, understandably, Justin Trudeau’s constant soft PR has won him some following.
Tips on Making Your Bets Succeed
To succeed as a political bettor, you need to make sure you understand the nature of the game. In other words, political betting is a long-term activity and it requires a lot of understanding of current affairs.
The same way you would follow sports because you like it, you should feel the same way about politics in general. Here are some tips of advice that arguably work:
- Scandals – When Hillary Clinton’s emails became a subject to FBI investigation, things got heated. According to some, the timing of the accusation cost her the election.
- Understand the electoral system – Gerrymandering is not sexy as it can throw quite a few upsets, for example. Therefore, understanding the specific electoral system is of utmost importance. For instance, do you expect Biden to win by electoral college or popular vote?
- Timing – Clearly, the qualities and track record of a candidate matter a great deal, but at a time when populism is rising more vociferous candidates seem to be taking prevalence. It’s likely for populism to wear off, but this will take a while.
- Status of the party electing the candidate – Some parties are just chronically snubbed. Whether that is the United Front in France or Labor in the United Kingdom, there are times when certain parties are doomed to fail – time and again.
There are other moving parts to take into consideration as well. As one popular show has it – politics is a house of cards and even the slightest tremor can send the whole edifice down crashing.
Yet, from the perspective of a political bettor, there are many opportunities that only the most talented bettors would see.
What Should You Know About Politics Before You Star Betting?
Roughly the same advice applies to political betting as do to sports. Politics is a challenging enough activity. Allegiances shift, people tend to break their words and any development could be used by one party or another to score political points.
Media coverage also tends to be biased. Fox News tends to be rather more conservative, even at the expense of common sense, whereas CNN leans one way and struggles to tell the story from both sides.
Media coverage in other countries is also biased to an extent. Some media tend to be more liberal – something that conservative parties use to deride them.
Of course, there are some bets you wouldn’t want to take – such as Vladimir Putin losing an election in Russia.
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