Is It Legal to Bet on Political Outcomes? Gambling in America used to be heavily regulated. Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, betting on politics was a growing industry, just like it is in sports. Political prediction markets are exchanges where the public can buy and sell shares tied to the outcome of an election or other political event. They are generally real money markets, with the price of shares determined by demand. The validity of political prediction markets is.

2020 US Presidential Election Recap

The 2020 US Presidential Election Season is in the rear-view mirror and while it took more time than necessary for the dust to settle, Joe Biden finally officially made Donald Trump the 11th one-term President. Despite the lawsuits, the conspiracy theories and investigations, Donald Trump, who has yet to concede, and many of the 75 million that voted for him may still never accept the Election results.

The Electoral College has spoken, the swearing-in ceremonies are complete and the work to undo the damage that Donald Trump inflicted on his own Nation is underway.

Joe Biden can thank the African American turnout, the US Urban Centers, a huge number of mail-in votes and an unprecedented overall voter turnout for his big win. Trump predictably got a big swath of the vote from rural America. It remains unclear if those trends will follow us into the next Election Betting cycle or if the Donald Trump factor was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

Bettors were engaged in unprecedented fashion in 2020. Offshore sportsbooks reported a major uptick in US Election Betting from the 2016 campaign. One major British site saw a 150% increase in overall bets from 2016 with a few brave souls wagering $1 million plus on the outcome.

2016 set the standard as far as US Election popularity and 2020 blew that standard away. Now we look to the 2022 Mid-terms and the 2024 Presidential Campaign for our US Politics Betting fix. And it seems as though the Campaigns have started already.

As we look forward to the next Presidential Election cycle in 2024 – odds have already been set on who will be the Democratic and Republican Nominees. We will be there with all key political gambling markets to consider, the sites with the best and most varied betting odds on politics, betting strategies to help you succeed, and much more as we put a lid on this current Campaign and look toward the next one.

Political Odds & Betting News

US Presidential Election Betting Odds

Betting on politics dates back hundreds of years. As King Edward VI of England lay dying in 1553, merchants in Antwerp were busy wagering on the disputed succession. Bookmakers in London were offering 4/1 (+400) on King George II dying on the battlefields of Dettingen after a foolhardy decision to wage war on the French in 1743. In the late 19^th century, a thriving betting market on presidential elections sprung up on Wall Street.
Europe has always been the spiritual home of political betting, but it is now soaring in popularity in America. Each presidential election sets a new record in sportsbook handle, and there is serious money up for grabs if you can call it correctly.
Donald Trump was initially assigned odds of 500/1 (+50000) to win the 2016 election. That dropped to 25/1 (+2500) by the time he announced his campaign in August 2015. The odds on him emerging victorious continued to dwindle in the buildup to the election, but Hillary Clinton remained the heavy favorite, only for Trump to pull off a stunning upset. Some bettors won more than $1 million by betting on him.

On the other side of the Atlantic, bettors have recently made their fortunes by correctly predicting that Scotland would not leave the UK, Britain would leave the EU and the Conservatives would beat Labour in 2015. Betting on elections in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden is also popular.

The 2020 US presidential battle became the biggest political betting event in history. Donald Trump was perhaps the most polarizing figure ever to run for political office. His bombast and intense divisiveness were a benefit in 2016 but proved to be a detriment in 2020. We saw him start out as the favorite when the official 2020 campaign season kicked off but those odds dwindled as COVID-19 worsened and Democrats rallied to defeat the embattled President.

We now look forward to the 2024 US Election and oddsmakers have already stated compiling odds for who will be the combatants for what promises to be another political slugfest. Joe Biden, the current President will be 82 years old when that campaign comes around. There are questions about his ability and even desire to bid for another 4 years in office.

There will be more opportunities for bettors to weigh in on a host of topics, from the winner of the Presidency, to the winner of the Senate to the always-fun prop bets that became an enormous part of this political betting season. Sportsbooks will undoubtedly be covering races in other countries around the world as well.

Who will seize the opportunity will in 2024? Will there be any betting opportunities similar to the ones we saw in 2020 like President Donald Trump opening Area 51 to the public before his first term in office ends?

US Presidential Election Prop Bets

US Election Prop Bets continue to be a popular way for not only political junkies but pop-culture aficionados to get a little skin in the game.

The Presidential Debates were probably the highlight of the prop betting season. In true US Political fashion, Prop Betting season has dragged on past November 3 and is continuing even today. Prior to the 2020 vote, you could bet on Voter Turnout in the U.S Presidential Election, the percentage of Americans that would turn out and vote, Majority Control of the U.S. Senate, if Donald would get kicked off Twitter and whether or not Trump would lose every state he lost in 2016 – just to name a few.

Many sportsbooks offered odds on which candidate would carry each of the 50 states. For example, the Republicans were heavy favorites in Alabama, and the Democrats were heavy favorites in California, but it was tight in Wisconsin. You could also find prop bet options on all manner of weird and wonderful markets. There were Trump impeachment odds, and betting options on which Candidate would drop out first.

Nowadays you can bet on whether or not Joe Biden will be impeached, what year Kamala Harris will become President and whether Biden will complete his first term.

Election Prop Betting brought a little fun to what was an intense Election Season and will likely continue to be a big part of any Election campaign going forward.

Trump: +150 Biden-200

Trump: +150 Biden -180

Trump: +172 Biden -204

House and Senate Winner Odds

Control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate became a huge part of the 2020 US Election season and will provide huge US Election Betting opportunities in less than two years. In 2020, Republicans actually picked up seats in the House but shockingly lost their long-established control of the Senate thanks to two defeats in ruby-red Georgia.

Elections have consequences and 2020’s were that Republicans’ loyalty to Donald Trump cost them control of all three branches of Government, giving Joe Biden and the Democrats a virtual rubber-stamp for any policy they want to pass.

For the Best odds on the presidential Election Visit 5Dimes.

Where to Bet on Politics

If you want to bet on politics, you need to find a trustworthy, reputable betting site that will pay you any winnings promptly. SBR has reviewed more than 1,000 sportsbooks, allowing us to identify the very best in the business. Check out our list of top sportsbooks to browse the list of sports betting sites that have secured an A+ or A rating. You can wager at any of those sites with confidence. Most offer political betting, and that trend of growing opportunities will only increase thanks to the insanity that we have seen the last 8+ years.

The online sportsbooks cited on this page are all great options. They are well-known betting sites, trustworthy and renowned for paying out on time. They offer a range of compelling sports betting and political betting markets, and some attractive odds and bonuses too.

Presidential Election Betting Tips

It helps to pay attention to what is happening in the world when betting on Elections. Donald Trump appeared to be on a path to victory at this time last year with the economy raging and everything seemingly on the upswing in the US. Political scientists have long pointed to the effects of economic performance upon major votes in countries across the globe. A failing economy is often disastrous for the incumbent.

Social unrest and COVID-19 completely changed the economic trajectory of the country and ultimately brought Donald Trump down thanks to his unwillingness or inability to deal with either. It wasn’t his bombast, his lies, or his divisive personality, it was outside factors that made him just one of 11 one-term Presidents.

That said, it seems as though political loyalties are baked into some people’s minds in the US, giving credence to the notion that it doesn’t matter to some what is going on in their country – “once a Republican, always a Republican”. If it were the case of outside forces being the sole determinant of an Election outcome, Mr. Trump would have been absolutely destroyed in November.

You should also never fear backing the underdog. Donald Trump was the underdog right up until the end in 2016 and won. In 2020 he was a huge dog and almost pulled it off.

The outsider often wins and you see headlines screaming that the bookmakers got it wrong. Yet bookmakers are not trying to predict the result of the vote. They are not pollsters. They are simply trying to make money. They will offer the most compelling odds on each candidate that they can muster, based on the volume of bets previously received on each man. Look at policies, ratings and the general mood of the country before looking at the odds. Do not be afraid of prop betting options either. Some are ridiculous, but others can be potential gold mines if you do your research.

Alternative Politics Betting Markets

You can bet on political developments taking place in a wide range of countries this year. There are key elections taking place in New Zealand, Poland, Serbia, Belize, Bolivia, Croatia, and many other countries. Sportsbooks are offering lines on the next country to leave the EU, the next country to hold a referendum on leaving the bloc, the next CDU leader in Germany, the year of the next Spanish general election, the next Pope, North and South Korea unifying as a single sovereign state, and much more. Some of these bets are designed for entertainment purposes, but you can make healthy profits if you successfully predict the outcome of political events in many countries.

Is Betting on Politics Legal?

Political betting is perfectly legal. Several US state laws now permit sports betting, and they make provisions for accepting wagers on politics and entertainment too. Betting on politics has been a prominent pursuit in Europe for hundreds of years, and it continues to grow in popularity in America. If you like betting, politics can be your savior amid the lack of sporting action currently on offer. Just make sure you find a safe, reliable sports betting site with a healthy political wagering section, and get involved in the action.

See All Guides

Betting on politics is a subject nearly as complex as politics themselves. No doubt, interest in political betting is sharply on the rise as politics increasingly dominate both the broader media landscape and everyday conversations.

These days, election odds and the way people bet on key races is even used by political scientists and pundits in their attempts to predict the outcome of key races and elections.

This guide covers everything you need to know about betting on politics and elections.

Is Betting on Politics Legal in the United States?

Many sportsbooks licensed around the globe offer the opportunity to wager on election outcomes. However, no legal sportsbooks licensed in the United States are currently allowed to offer odds on politics. When it comes to the American market, the election odds you see on SportsBettingDime.com are for entertainment purposes only.

The regulation of all betting-related matters in the US is left up to individual states. In theory, any state could eventually authorize betting on election outcomes or other political developments. That said, it seems unlikely that state regulators will embrace political betting outright. There’s simply no appetite for anything that could call the integrity of elections into question, and antiquated perceptions of gambling are never far from the mind of a certain subsection of politicians and rule-makers.

Political prediction markets work a bit differently than traditional sportsbooks, but they do offer a legal option for Americans wondering how they can bet on politics. Luckily, would-be political bettors in many other countries around the globe are free to wager on the next President or other major political developments directly at their online sportsbook.

Political Bets Website

Types of Political Betting

There are two main ways to bet on politics: prediction markets and online sportsbooks. Learn more about each of them below.

1. Try Prediction Markets

Prediction markets pose “yes” or “no” questions to traders, such as:

• Will Donald Trump run for President of the United States in 2024?
• Will Tucker Carlson announce his candidacy for President?
• Will Michelle Obama become the first female president in 2024?

Traders buy “yes” or “no” shares related to each proposition. Just like the stock market, the value of these shares shifts with supply and demand. If your predicted outcome happens, the futures market will pay 100 cents on the dollar, and zero if it does not.

Prediction markets have long been allowed in the US, in part for the valuable insights they provide to social scientists. As traders buy and sell shares, researchers gain insight into public perception of candidates and the events surrounding them. People buy shares according to their expectation of what will actually occur, not just what they want to happen. As a result, prediction markets provide real-time insight into how campaigns are performing over time.

2. Betting on Politics at Your Online Sportsbook

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:

Odds to Win the 2024 Republican/Democratic Presidential Primary

This prop asks you to select the eventual nominees for either the Republican or Democratic ticket for the 2024 presidential election. It can be advantageous to put your bets in early on this prop, as more options in the field lead to longer odds and a potentially higher payout if you make the right call. Whenever you place your bets, remember that the money you wager will be tied up until the outcome is decided.

Bet On Political Outcome

Odds to Win the 2024 Presidential Election

As the name suggests, this prop concerns the overall winner of the 2024 election. Most sportsbooks list individual candidates, but may also have spin-off props like:

Online Political Bets

• Which party will win the 2024 Presidential Election?
• Will a man or woman win the 2024 Presidential Election?

Odds to Win the Popular Vote

Betting lines on the popular vote typically appear one or two months out from Election Day. Though the popular vote does not determine the actual results of US presidential elections, there is generally a lot of talk surrounding who wins.

Odds to Win a Specific State

The truth of American elections is that some states are far more important than others. Expect to see betting lines as to who will win key swing states start surfacing early on in electoral races. Winning a swing state can make or break a campaign for candidates, so this type of line can be a particularly exciting one to bet on.

Bet On Political Events

Odds on Candidate Antics

Many sportsbooks also offer props on candidates doing certain things; this past cycle, you could find odds on how many times Donald Trump would say certain phrases during the debates.

Political Bet Site

Get Started with Political Betting

If you’ve never placed a bet before, our betting guides are a great place to get started.

The process is not nearly as intimidating as all the numbers and symbols make it appear, and political betting can be an exciting (and potentially lucrative) way to put your knowledge to the test. Of course, you’ll need to limit yourself to betting at political prediction markets if you live in the United States.

Of course, you’ll want to perform enough research to make an informed wager whenever you put money on the line. There’s no shortage of punditry and opinion out there when it comes to predicting election outcomes, so take the time to carefully filter information and try to cut through the noise.

Naturally, it pays to keep your own political leanings out of things when betting on politics. Bet with your head, not with your heart!