Intro to Political Betting: Hints & Tips

While sports betting sweeps the nation as one of the most popular ways to gamble on real-life events, there’s another betting opportunity that is increasingly drawing in more and more spectators trying to predict an outcome that holds larger repercussions than a sports match. This is political betting, one of the most popular betting opportunities that bookmakers are offering punters - and anyone who is of the right age and follows world news and current affairs can play it. Below, we’ll explain how political betting works and what you can do to bet smart during the next election cycle.
The Capitol building, Washington D.C.
Published on: 21 September 2019

Political Betting Explained

If the prospect of betting on politics sounds confusing to you – don’t worry. There’s are a number of ways that political betting and sports betting are similar. Firstly, while effective sports betting requires you to do extensive research on the sports teams that are playing, so to will you need to spend a lot of time keeping updated on the political happenings in the country you are betting on. As well as this, you will need to have a good understanding of the political voting systems in each country if you are going to master a winning wagering strategy. Because most bookmakers will not allow you to place bets on the elections of countries other than the United Kingdom or the United States, we’ve provided a brief overview of how these events could be bet on below. In order to make political bets, you should usually look for a quality sports betting operator, at which you can make the wager.

Betting on US Politics

The White House.

It wasn’t until 2018 that betting on politics was made legal in the United States. This was connected to the Supreme Court ruling in favor of New Jersey’s case that states should be able to decide what kind of betting is legal within their borders as opposed to it being relegated to a federal issue. As one by one, states around the nation are considering, legalizing and implementing their own sports betting laws, if you are one of the lucky people reside in a legal sports betting state then we recommend looking into the various topics that can be bet on. They include:

  • The Democrat Party Candidate – Most betting sites will take bets on who the next presidential candidate representing the Democrat Party. Whether it’s Nancy Pelosi or Bernie Sanders, we suggest doing thorough research on the popularity of each politician within their party and with voters.
  • The Republican Candidate – Depending on whether or not President Trump will put his hat in the ring again to run in the next Presidential election, some popular opinions state that Mike Pence, Ann Coulter, and Mike Pompeo could be the next Republican looking to take a seat in the Oval Office.
  • The 2020 Presidential Election Winner – One event that you can guarantee will be offered to punters to bet on is the much-discussed Presidential elections. While bookmakers may list a number of different candidates that players can bet on as their expected President, other sites may offer other options like the political party of the winner or their gender.
  • Donald Trump Specials – Due to many of President Trump’s bold claims of his intended plans while in office, there are a number of outcomes that bettors can punt on. These include certain homeland security questions, whether he’ll be suspended from the stock market or if he can manage to get Mexico to pay for his planned border wall. These will require you to pay a lot of attention to the news.

Does this sound like fun? Well now is the time to start reading sources both liberal and conservative, consider the polls and tuning in to the 24-hour news cycle. You’re bound to have a lot more fun this election season, that’s for sure. If you want to find out more about betting in the US in general, head over to our main USA gambling guide.

Betting on UK Politics

Westminster Palace.

Due to Brexit and the ongoing political upheaval that it has caused throughout parliament, British political happenings have become some of the most discussed and controversial events of the modern era. Questions like, “When will Britain leave Europe?”, “Who will be the next Prime Minister?” and “Do the British public want a second referendum?” have pervaded the news around the world for over three years now, and if it’s something that you have a strong opinion on then perhaps you should put your money where your mouth is. Many bookmakers allow gamblers to bet on questions like the ones posed above and more. In greater detail, you can bet on:

  • The Next General Election – now that Theresa May has resigned and Boris Johnson’s popularity is being questioned routinely, some bookmakers have started taking bets on when the next general election may be held. Popular bets on the topic include what party will obtain the most seats and what year the next election will be held.
  • The Next Prime Minister – While Boris Johnson has recently been decided as the next UK Prime Minister, in a world of constant political back-stabbing that brings endless surprises, who knows how long this could last. That’s why bookmakers are starting to take bets on who could replace Johnson if another leadership battle takes place.
  • Brexit Date – The original date for Britain to leave the EU was set to be the 24th of March 2019. Now, some six months later, there is still little indication that this is going to happen any time soon. Bookmakers have begun to take bets on when this precise date could occur, with some speculating it could take another three years for Britain to finally jump ship.
  • Will Article 50 Be Revoked? – According to leading bookmakers, a likely scenario of the whole Brexit situation could be that Article 50 is revoked by the UK, which would, in turn, cancel Brexit. While there is no certainty that both scenarios could happen, this hasn’t stopped punters putting good deals of money on it.

Basically, any news that you see on The BBC or any other news site will offer chances for you to bet. Clearly, there are more bets on UK politics that you can participate in, but with many bookmakers offering generous sign-up bonuses, numerous payment options, and great security conditions to place your pick, we think it’s well worth checking out if politics interests you. Alternatively, check out the best UK casino sites for more choices and opportunities.

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