Bet On Political Events
Wait, you can bet on politics?
People think that only sports can be wagered on, but you can bet on Politics on a regular basis. Whether it is the next U.S. Presidential Election, U.S. Congressional races, or elections in other countries, you can make your bets on Politics at BookMaker.
Yes, you can! In fact, since 2016, political betting has been one of the fastest-growing categories of the online betting industry and political betting odds are popping up all over. For Americans or anyone living in the USA, offshore betting is the only lawful option, as it is illegal for brick and mortar sportsbooks to offer any sort of politics betting. In Europe, however, this form of wagering is a well-established staple of their legalized betting culture.
- Politics Odds and Futures Bovada. Gambling should be entertaining. Remember that you always risk losing the money you bet, so do not spend more than you can afford to lose.
- Many bettors outside the United States have the option of wagering directly on election outcomes and other political events at their sportsbook of choice. Political props at the sportsbook look much the same as other props you’ll see related to sports and entertainment. Here are some common political prop bets you can expect to see.
Regardless, top-notch online political betting sites are available to everyone, no matter where you live. What’s most important is finding one that’s vetted, safe to use, and can be relied upon to provide handicappers with the best odds and markets consistently.
Top Sites for Betting on Politics
- Bovada – One of the most widely recognized names in online wagers, they frequently offer the best political betting odds.
- MyBookie – This site posts a broad range of creative political lines, including a selection of fun Donald Trump prop bets.
- BetOnline – As a long-time industry leader in online bookmaking, it has lots of great political betting markets.
- Betway – This is a UK-based bookmaker that holds licenses throughout Europe and offers a large selection of US and European political betting opportunities.
Our mission is to introduce new players to the world’s top political betting websites; however, the qualities that make an option the “best” for one player may not be the same for another. It’s all relatively subjective once you get past the fundamental attributes like safety, legitimacy, and ease of use. You can find out more about this further down on the page but first, lets jump into to different political betting options on the market.
Political Betting Around the World
Everything from the online sportsbooks available in your region, to the political betting events in which you’re likely interested, will probably depend on your location or country of origin. In the United States, it’s illegal for licensed providers—brick and mortar and web-based bookmakers alike—to take odds on politics. This law was put into place to prevent the American electoral system from corruption.
However, it’s perfectly legal for US citizens to utilize offshore betting sites; they just won’t benefit from any government regulations, which makes finding trustworthy operators particularly crucial for Americans. The best political bookmakers accepting Americans will often cover foreign elections as well, but not as thoroughly as what’s going on in the United States.
In Europe, political betting is commonplace and easily accessible, both at land-based establishments and on the internet. For a player in the UK, using a licensed gaming website is a requirement, which gives the player increased protections and less reason to fret about the legitimacy of a site operator. Fortunately, European oddsmakers do a superb job at covering US political events in addition to their local lines.
Betting US Politics
No matter the country in which you live, United States political betting markets are the most popular on the internet. All of the top political betting sites offer a plenty of lines and odds, dealing with the US presidential elections, party primaries, congressional races, and a wealth of wagers relating specifically to President Donald Trump.
Political betting’s rapid growth is largely attributed to the 2016 election, in which Trump scored a shocking upset win over Hillary Clinton. Before that race, wagering on politics didn’t offer much value, because the polls were relatively accurate, and so the lines and odds shifted in response to the latest polling data.
2016 changed everything because it proved that:
- The pollsters and media were no longer reliable sources
- That major upsets were possible, which means there’s positive value out there for handicappers.
Today, you can bet on each individual state’s primary or caucus on the road to the two parties’ national conventions, the eventual nominees, how many times Donald Trump will tweet in a given day, whether he will be removed from office, and so much more!
Betting UK Politics
As we previously mentioned, betting on politics has been a normal fixture of UK odds boards for years. Similar to Trump’s victory in 2016, handicappers in England were treated to a massive upset of their own with the passing of “Brexit.” The substantial payouts and surprising result had the same impact across the pond, creating newfound interest in betting on politics.
Online sportsbooks in the UK treat residents to all sorts of creative lines, covering everything from the London mayoral election, to the next leaders of each major party, to the next general election. Bookies include options to bet on either the next winning party or next Prime Minister in the generals.
Betting French Politics
Many online political betting sites cover French elections and events as well. France’s presidential election takes place every five years, with the next race taking place in 2022. The current president is Emmanuel Macron, whose main opponent in two years will be Marine Le Pen of the National Rally party. Many European oddsmakers are already taking action on the electoral contest.
It’s also worth noting that France uses a two-round presidential election system, providing multiple opportunities on which to wager on the same race.
The Basics of Political Betting
As you know, the category of “political betting” covers a broad range of unique wager types and events. The most common are futures bets for presidential elections.
Sportsbooks will post political betting odds for the incumbent and a variety of potential nominees for the opposing party and set lines for them all. You pick who you believe will become the next president, and the bet is resolved on election night. But that’s only a small percentage of what the best political betting sites offer – check out the different types of wagers below.
Types of Political Bets
Moneyline
A moneyline bet deals with two possible outcomes; for example, “Which party will win the 2020 presidential election? Republicans or Democrats?” Often, despite having two possible options, the likelihood of either of them happening isn’t an equal 50/50 split.
So, moneyline odds set specific payouts for both sides. The “favorite” or result more likely to happen is expressed as a negative number, like –150. That means you must bet $150 on that side to win $100. The underdog has positive moneyline odds, such as +125. For every $100 you stake, you’ll earn $125.
Donald Trump -125
Bernie Sanders +105
Futures
Bet On Election
Most political bets fall into the “futures” category. These are merely wagers that will be decided on a specific date in the future. They’ll often include a field of participants from which the bettor may choose. The 2020 presidential election (example displayed below) is considered a futures bet, for which you can pick Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and several others.
Odds to Win the 2020 Presidential Election
| Politician | Betting Odds |
|---|---|
| Joe Biden | -135 |
| Donald Trump | +105 |
| Mike Pence | +10000 |
| Hillary Clinton | +10000 |
| Michelle Obama | +10000 |
| Elizabeth Warren | +15000 |
| Nikki Haley | +25000 |
| Mark Cuban | +50000 |
| Kanye West | +50000 |
Props
The “proposition” label covers a wide variety of bets. Any odds dealing with political outcomes beyond the usual electoral contests are considered a prop. For example, some online sportsbooks allow you to wager on current events like, “Will Donald Trump complete his first term in office as President of the US?” All of the political betting odds and lines dealing with Trump’s tweets and foreign policy decisions fit under the “prop bet” title as well.
Totals (Over-Unders)
Totals bets are when the oddsmakers set a line, dealing with how many times a specific occurrence will take place.
Betting Presidential and General Elections
The most popular way to bet politics is by placing a few dollars on whichever candidate you predict will win an upcoming election. Since 2016, interest in the United States general election has skyrocketed around the globe.
If a long-shot reality TV host like Donald Trump could find his way into the White House, in the future, anything could happen! Expectations are that America’s 2020 presidential election will attract the most action globally of any political betting market in history.
The UK’s general elections to decide their Prime Minister is probably the second-most-significant event for wagering on politics. In 2019, Boris Johnson was the favorite when he defeated the Labour Party’s, Jeremy Corbin. Some of the more prominent European sportsbooks also cover elections in Ireland, France, and throughout the EU.
Party Primaries
While the general election in US politics is the “championship game,” the party primaries are akin to the regular season. Heading into 2020, Donald Trump is the incumbent on the Republican side, without a significant primary challenger. However, the Democrats have a very competitive race for the party’s nomination on their side of the aisle, with four or five viable candidates.
Not only can you wager on the eventual DNC nominee, but the best online political betting sites are also posting lines on each individual state. For example, the Iowa caucuses were the first statewide contest for pledged delegates. Pete Buttigieg ultimately won the most delegates and was thus awarded the victory as a slight underdog to Bernie Sanders.
The primaries offer the most valuable betting odds to handicappers due to the high variance in results and the volume of contests. They present 50 unique political wagering opportunities in the lead-up to the presidential elections. In years without an incumbent, that means 100 chances to bet on politics.
Congressional Elections
In the United States, the president serves a four-year term. Senators serve six-year terms, and members of the House of Representatives are given two-year terms, so there are significant electoral contests on which to wager every two years, minimum. Midterm elections are a crucial opportunity for political bettors, as they offer dozens of additional high-variance betting markets from which to profit.
Beyond the individual Senate and House races, the makeup of the two chambers of Congress will greatly influence other political odds. For example, if you had bet that Trump would be impeached and removed from office during his first term, you were closely following the 2018 midterms.
When enough House seats were flipped to Democrat to give them the majority, it was nearly guaranteed that the sitting president would eventually be impeached. However, they weren’t able to win a majority in the Senate, which is the chamber responsible for holding the impeachment trial and acting as jurors. As a result, Donald Trump was impeached but acquitted.
Betting on Current Events
Thankfully, the growth of betting on politics odds has encouraged online sportsbooks to post new lines in the periods between elections. Oddsmakers have been known to set political odds on almost anything.
Sometimes, you can bet on whether or not a specific piece of legislation will pass. In other cases, you may see lines and odds on the next Supreme Court Justice appointed or how the United States will respond to recent foreign policy situations.
Gambling On Politics
What’s important is that the top political betting sites keep handicappers that like to wager on politics busy during downtime.
Donald Trump Prop Bets
Nobody is more singularly responsible for the explosion of betting on politics than Donald Trump. Hate him or love him, he’s been the focus of everyone’s attention since his historic 2016 campaign that culminated with a monumental upset over Hillary Clinton at roughly 4-1 odds.
Since the current president is continually the most talked about man in America, the top online sportsbooks usually post an entire slate of Donald Trump propositions. This is where you’ll see the over/unders on his Twitter activities, odds on whether he’ll meet with different world leaders like Russia’s Putin or China’s Xi, and betting lines about impeachment.
Criteria for the Best Political Betting Sites
At TheSportsGeek, our team of internet gaming experts is continually reviewing new political betting sites to ensure our lists are always stocked with the best names in the business. We can’t promise that every recommendation will fit your unique preferences, but we can guarantee that any online sportsbook on our pages is safe, offers a variety of politics betting markets, and accepts a range of banking options.
That way, even if you decide a different online sportsbook might be a better fit, it won’t be because you were scammed or treated unfairly. Our reviewers make sure to protect our readers from fraudulent operators, so you can focus on the specific website details or, better yet, winning your election bets. Learn more about how we review and rank these websites by clicking on any of the criteria below.
Unlike sports betting, political events don’t come around as often. Most major elections around the world take place in four- or five-year cycles. That’s why the best political betting sites get creative with odds, covering a wide variety of situations and outcomes beyond the most prominent electoral contests.For example, some websites set weekly proposition political odds dealing explicitly with Donald Trump. Here is an example of a Donald Trump prop bet:
You can wager on his volume of tweets, which renowned international terrorist he’ll capture or kill next, whether he’ll declare war, be impeached, and so much more. The more options they provide to handicappers, the better.
Betting on politics should be a year-round activity, just like handicapping sports. The only way to accomplish this is to find online oddsmakers known to post an extensive selection of political betting odds.
The importance of variety extends beyond the political gambling markets to a website's banking options as well. These days, there are lots of different ways to move money in and out of your online gaming account. Finding the best method for you depends on your location, regional regulations, and personal preferences.
For example, in the United States, banks are required by federal law to block transactions between their account holders’ checking accounts and known gaming operations. While it’s not illegal for you to bet at an offshore site, banking institutions cannot assist you in financing your activities.
Credit card companies, however, often have no issue with you using their services to fund your betting account. The same goes for numerous e-wallets, online payment processors, and cryptocurrencies. Of course, different banking methods each have their own strengths and weaknesses.
A credit card is excellent for fast deposits and provides an additional layer of consumer protections, but it cannot be used to accept withdrawals. Cryptocurrencies are anonymous and perfect for instant transactions but can be complicated to purchase and may fluctuate wildly in value.
Depositing and withdrawing directly from your debit card or checking account is the height of convenience, but only available in select regions, and requires you to share sensitive banking information with the website operators.
That’s why accepting a variety of banking methods is so essential to creating a top-tier political betting site. You need a range of options to find what works best for your specific situation.
Now, obviously, we don’t anticipate you needing to connect with the customer service team at any of our recommended political gambling sites. Still, it’s vital that the best online sportsbooks provide excellent support, just in case something unexpected happens or an error occurs. Even the top websites experience random issues from time to time.What matters most is that any problems you encounter or questions you may have are tended to in a timely and respectful manner. When executing our review process, we research the different ways to contact each political betting site’s customer support team and verify that they’re active and supervised by responsive help desk agents.
Most online sportsbooks have three methods of communication: email, telephone, and a live chat window. Our reviewers test each option and record how quickly they receive a response. We encourage you to do the same before depositing money. That way, you can feel assured that while you bet politics, there’s a responsive and helpful customer service team standing by, should you ever need them.
For most people, the scariest thing about online political betting is transferring their hard-earned money to a website hosted offshore and/or in a foreign jurisdiction. The internet is littered with scammers and their fraudulent gambling websites, so the fear is warranted. That’s why vetting web-based sportsbooks for safety and security make up the foundation of our review process; there’s nothing more important.Any political betting website that qualifies for our lists of recommendations has been intensively researched and tested to ensure they’re legitimate, trustworthy businesses. Our reviewers also pay close attention to site security, so we can be certain that all of your data and financial information is protected with state-of-the-art encryption.
Another element of our website reviews is digging into each political betting site owner’s history and reputation in the online gaming industry. Just because a sportsbook is operating with integrity at the moment, doesn’t mean you can trust them long term. There have been oddsmakers who behaved themselves long enough to gain a regulatory license, only to go rogue after the fact.We prefer providers with a proven track record in the gaming industry. Our team analyzes the business dealings of the owners behind our recommendations and their previous domains to verify there’s no history of unethical behavior. They also study reviews and speak to top handicappers to be sure that any political betting website we share with our readers has an excellent reputation among the experts who know best.
Types of Political Betting Websites
Earlier, we mentioned how subjective it could be to determine which factors make one online sportsbook “better” than another. Once you have the fundamental criteria covered, finding the ideal political betting website is mostly a matter of personal preference. We believe that all of our recommendations are the top providers in the industry; some just have different specialties.
For example, you may be looking to bet politics right from your mobile phone. In that case, you’ll be interested in visiting our page at ranks to best mobile betting options.
Now, just because a betting website isn’t shared on that page doesn’t mean it won’t work on your phone or tablet. It may just not be compatible with as many different mobile devices as the other options that are listed. The online sportsbooks recommended on out real money page are safe and likely available on any mobile device you could have.
The same goes for fast payout betting sites. None of our recommendations offer slow payouts. That’s one of the variables we screen during our review process. The providers listed on the “fast payout” page specialize in completing monetary transactions swiftly.
Why Bet Politics Online
Political betting is still relatively new to the world of handicapping. Sure, it’s existed as a kind of novelty market in UK bookmaking shops for years, but it’s only been since 2016 that elections and politics have grown as legitimate competitions worth handicapping. With the world changing, polls and media personalities no longer exert enough influence to control the outcomes of races, meaning there’s now more value in betting politics than ever before.
For many of us, turning to online sportsbooks for our political betting is the only option, as land-based providers are barred from covering anything other than sports. Fortunately, in today’s interconnected world, that’s barely an inconvenience. As you’ve seen on this page, there are plenty of incredible top-notch political betting sites out there, just waiting for you to put your money where your mouth is!
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Betting on United States politics is as old as the country’s founding in 1776, and midterm, primary and presidential election odds have often drawn the most action from people who want to bet on 2020 presidential candidates they believe will win at the ballot box.
Recently, proposition wagers or “prop bets” on political events have become increasingly popular as betting sites and prediction markets look to provide odds and lines during the two-year drought in the time between major elections.
Some political prop bet examples include: Will President Donald Trump be impeached? How many times will Trump tweet this week? Which Democratic candidate will get the most speaking time at the debate? If you think you know the answers to any of these, then you’re halfway to making a profit from things politicians say or do—the other half is voting on where you’ll place the winning wager.
Is It Legal To Bet On Political Events?
Yes, betting on politics is legal in the United States, and this applies to all political events. There is no state or federal gambling laws that prohibit you from using political betting sites in other jurisdictions for wagering money on prop bets, trading on prediction markets, or betting on the 2020 presidential election odds.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed by the US Supreme Court on May 14, 2018, and paved the way for states to legalize sports betting. While many states now offer licensed and regulated sportsbooks, no one inside the US can offer prop betting odds on politics.
However, some experts believe that too will one day change, especially as more people become less interested in what archaic polls and pundits have to say and more engaged with how the public is betting on a particular candidate. For now, here are the best sites to place money on prop bets legally.
Best Political Prop Betting Sites
| Site Name | Current Bonus | U.S. | Visit Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% Max $250 | Visit Site Review | ||
| 2 | 50% Max $1,000 | Visit Site Review | |
| 3 | 50% Max $1,000 | Visit Site Review | |
| 4 | 100% Max $500 | Visit Site Review |
Current 2020 Political Props
Odds available at BetOnline
Next Elected New York City Mayor 2021
- Andrew Yang -115
- Eric Adams +275
- Scott Stringer +500
- Raymond McGuire +800
- Maya Wiley +1000
- Diane Morales +3300
- Kathryn Garcia +3300
- Shaun Donovan +5000
Will Biden complete first term as U.S. President?
- Yes -165
- No +125
Odds available at Bovada
Odds To Win 2022 California Gubernatorial Election'
- Gavin Newsom -240
- Chamath Palihapitiya +150
- Mike Grover Coltharp +2000
- Patrick Barnes +2000
- Dakota K. Vaughn +2200
- Daniel Mercuri +2200
- Errol Webber +2200
- Major Williams +2500
- Nickolas Wildstar +2500
Will Andrew Yang Be Elected The Next Mayor Of New York City In 2021?
- No -185
- Yes +140
Political Props: Sportsbooks & Prediction Markets Explained
Online sportsbooks and prediction markets are the two ways to bet on political props and events legally. Here’s a breakdown of how both list prop odds and some of their pros and cons.
Online Sportsbooks
Online sportsbooks, such as Bovada or BetOnline, regularly offer political prop bets alongside their offerings for election futures. Similar to betting lines for sports, prop bets on politics can be in the form of money line, over/under, and even a point spread (which will typically be something like a margin of victory in a specific state).
Betting on political props at a sportsbook requires you to wager a certain amount to receive a specific payout, which is all based on the odds set.
Example: How many times will the candidates say “impeach” at the debate?
- Over 30 times +100
- Under 30 times -130
For the example above, betting on the “Over” is a 1-to-1 payout since the odds are set at +100 or Even. A $100 bet would win $100 for a total of $200. For the “Under,” the odds are minus, which means more money must be “at-risk” since it’s more likely to occur. As a result, a $130 bet wins $100 for a total of $230.
The key advantage that sportsbooks have over prediction markets is that they can offer much higher limits or outright have no limit at all. Additionally, because oddsmakers don’t adjust the odds on prop every time a wager is placed, there’s a much higher chance to find value on the board at any given time.
Prediction Markets
If you like to investing or trading stocks, then you might prefer prediction betting markets, like PredictIt, for example, over a traditional sportsbook. Most props in the market require you to invest a certain amount of cents per dollar on a “Yes” or “No” questions while other propositions give you a range of possible answers that could payout.
Since prediction betting sites base their odds on supply and demand economics, the price of a stock is determined by its market value at a given point in time.
Example: Will a candidate’s average RCP polling numbers go up after the debate?
- Yes 40¢
- No 60¢
With the market’s political props, the key difference is that your investment is subtracted from the amount paid out. The winner receives 100 cents for each dollar, so the “Yes” would 40 cents on the dollar and would profit 60 cents for each dollar invested if its the correct outcome. Investing 60 cents on the dollar for “No” has a higher cost because it’s more likely to happen and returns 40 cents on the dollar for winning.
The advantage over sportsbooks is that the market value for props fluctuates on a daily basis, which could be used to your advantage if you’re someone who likes to strike when the iron’s hot. However, the downside is that because prediction sites in the US operate as a non-profit for research, they limit the amount anyone can invest (Ex. PredictIt has $850 limit for any contract) while sportsbooks will have limits between $1000 and $5000 or have no at all.
Political Proposition Bets vs. Political Futures
Gambling money on props differs from political futures because it’s more of a “side bet” that is based on either an occurrence or non-occurrence of a specific event and not the outcome itself like with futures.
Here’s an example: You’re probably familiar with Super Bowl prop bets, which annually have odds posted on the “number of songs played at halftime” and “Gatorade color poured on the winning coach” among many others.
Although these are things that will happen during the big game, they ultimately do not determine which NFL team wins the Super Bowl and lifts the Lombardi Trophy.
Prop betting works the same for politics. Odds for “who will win the popular vote” and “how many times will Trump post tweets during the week before an election” belong in the prop bet category because they ultimately do not determine a winner.
Betting on who receives the 270 electors of the 538 total in the electoral college for the general election is not a prop bet because it directly determines which candidate wins the general election and becomes the President of the United States.
Political Prop Examples
We’ve included several political prop bets that have previously been offered at sportsbooks and prediction markets, so you can have a better understanding of what kinds of possible occurrences are regularly available to receive prop betting action.
The possibilities for props are literally endless when it comes to politics, so needless to say, the oddsmakers and markets like to have some fun with their offerings.
What time will CNN call/project the winner of the presidential election?
- After 11:15 pm ET -110
- Before 11:15pm ET -120
Political party to win the popular vote?
- Democratic -500
- Republican +350
What will be the voter turnout for the general election?
- Over 58.50% -120
- Under 58.50% -110
Will Trump be impeached and removed from office?
- Yes +175
- No -250
How many times will Trump tweet during the debate?
- Over 3.5 tweet -120
- Under 3.5 tweet -120
Will any candidate say a curse word at the debate?
- Yes -200
- No +150
Which topic will receive the most debate time?
- Foreign policy +150
- Immigration +200
- Health Care +300
- Economy +400
- Climate change +600
- Gun control +750
- Civil rights +1000
Who will receive the most speaking time during the debate?
- Joe Biden +200
- Elizabeth Warren +200
- Bernie Sanders +400
- Beto O’Rourke +600
- Pete Buttigieg +600
- Kamala Harris +600
- Andrew Yang +800
- Cory Booker +1200
- Julián Castro +1200
- Tulsi Gabbard +1200
- Tom Steyer +1200
- Amy Klobuchar +1600
How many times will the candidates say “Trump”?
- Over 42.5 times -150
- Under 42.5 times +110
How many times will Joe Biden say “Obama”?
- Over 1.5 -120
- Under 1.5 -120
Will Joe Biden touch a female candidate on stage?
- Yes +400
- No -800
How many times will Bernie Sanders say “billionaire”?
- Over 2.5 times -120
- Under 2.5 times -120
How many times will Elizabeth Warren say “big tech?
- Over 2.5 times -120
- Under 2.5 times -120
How many times will “Buttigieg” be mispronounced?
- Under 1.5 -400
- Over 1.5 +250
How many times will Andrew Yang say “thousand dollars”?
- Over 1.5 times -120
- Under 1.5 times -120
Will Beto O’Rourke speak Spanish?
- Yes -400
- No +300
Will a candidate speak in a language other than English or Spanish?
- Yes -120
- No -120
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