Wait, you can bet on politics?
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 political betting. In Europe, however, this form of wagering is a well-established staple of their legalized betting culture.
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
- BetUS – 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, let’s jump into 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 you’re likely interested in, 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 protection 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
![United States Flag](jpg/usa-flag-politics-1.jpg)
No matter the country in which you live, United States political betting markets are the most popular on the internet. All the top political betting sites offer 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, so 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
![UK Flag](jpg/uk-flag-politics-1.jpg)
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 results 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 the next Prime Minister in the generals.
Betting French Politics
![France Flag](jpg/france-flag-politics-1.jpg)
Many online political betting sites cover French elections and events as well. France’s presidential election takes place every five years. 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, setting 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
Most political bets fall into the “futures” category. These are merely wagers that will be decided on for a specific date in the future. They’ll often include a field of participants from which the bettor may choose. The 2024 presidential election (example displayed below) is considered a futures bet, from which you can pick Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, and several others.
Odds on the previous 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 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 on 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.
![Different US Political Party Logos](jpg/different-parrty-logos-1.jpg)
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 the Democrats, giving 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 political 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.
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
![Donald Trump Face](jpg/donald-trump-face-image-1.jpg)
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 former president is continually one of the most talked about men 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 social media activities or odds on whether he’ll meet with different world leaders like Russia’s Putin or China’s Xi.
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 political 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 specific website details or, better yet, win your election bets. Learn more about how we review and rank these websites by clicking on any of the criteria below.
Types of Political Betting Websites
Earlier, we mentioned how 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 our recommendations are the top providers in the industry; some just have different specialties.
For example, you may be looking to bet on politics right from your mobile phone. In that case, you’ll be interested in visiting our page which ranks the best mobile betting options.
Mobile Betting Sites
Now, if a certain betting website isn’t listed here, this 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. The online sportsbooks recommended on our real money page are safe and likely available on any mobile device.
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.
Democratic Elections Betting
Depending on the year, the field of Democratic competitors can range anywhere from two main candidates (like in 2016) to twenty, as was the case early in the 2020 primaries. Political handicappers watch the various debates, poll numbers, and media happenings, tracking who has the best odds of winning the nomination overall, as well as who has the edge in the next state or handful of states.
If you’re going to be betting on the Democratic Party elections, we advise you open accounts at several of the top sportsbooks. Democratic betting odds can differ significantly from website to website, especially during the busier weeks in the race, like Super Tuesday, for example.
Once you’ve made your predictions, you’ll want to find the political betting site offering the best odds for that candidate, so you’re always maximizing the value of your wagers!
DNC Nomination Futures Wagers
You can also bet on the eventual Democrat nominee at any time during the primary process. The overall 50-state competition for the nomination is called a “primary,” same as the “primaries” held by most individual states. So, for example, some caucuses are part of the primary process (a little confusing, we know).
Many sites that offer odds for betting politics will post their DNC nomination numbers over a year prior to the election year, setting lines for a large field of possible candidates. Online sportsbooks will often include multiple novelty picks, such as Oprah Winfrey, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson, and Mark Cuban.
As the primary progresses, the markets sharpen at US Democratic election betting sites, and the field of top-tier candidates becomes clearer. With each primary/caucus outcome, day of news cycles, and new poll results, the posted lines continually update to reflect the latest data. Thus, timing your DNC primary election futures bets for maximum value is just as crucial as picking the right candidate!
Bet on Democratic Primary Debates
Throughout the process of selecting the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, the candidates will traditionally meet in a series of public debates. Sometimes, these debates will cover a specific topic, while in others, they’re left open to a broad range of issues.
At some events, between one and four moderators will ask the questions and officiate speaking times. In other instances, the DNC will organize “town hall” style debates, in which members of the audience are given a chance to direct questions directly at their candidates of choice.
Watching Democratic debates is an essential part of handicapping political primaries. How candidates are perceived on stage often dictates how enthusiastically supporters donate money to the campaigns and can have a significant effect on poll numbers. Pay attention to how well each participant answers questions as well as how they come across on television. Sometimes, it’s not what they say, but how they say it, that matters most.
A fantastic debate performance can’t turn any old candidate into a frontrunner, but a disastrous showing can quickly tank even the most promising campaigns. More than anything, you want to bet on Democrat candidates who are less likely to suffer massive humiliations that will haunt them for the rest of the primaries on live TV.
Democratic National Convention Betting Opportunities
Choosing a Nominee
Following the 50 state-level contests, the remaining candidates arrive at the Democratic convention in July to plead their cases for the nomination. Each state awards a set number of pledged delegates, which are proportionately allocated to the candidates that finish with 15% or more of the votes.
For example, in 2020 Bernie Sanders came in first place in New Hampshire, with roughly 3,500 more votes than Buttigieg in second. Amy Klobuchar received 19% of the vote to come in third. Sanders and Buttigieg both won nine pledged delegates, while Klobuchar earned six. So, as you can see, a candidate can technically “lose” a primary and still gain an equal number of these crucial pledged delegates.
Superdelegates and Pledged Delegates
At the Democratic National Convention, a candidate needs 1,991 or more pledged delegates to secure the party nomination on the first ballot. For 2020, a new rule was enacted barring superdelegates, high-ranking party insiders and donors, from the initial vote. This was changed after 2016, when the superdelegates, who were all pledged to Clinton before the race began, appeared to cancel out the voters’ choices.
However, if nobody secures the 1,991 pledged delegates on the first ballot, the 500 to 700 superdelegates will be allowed to cast votes. Additionally, every previously pledged delegate becomes unpledged for each subsequent round of voting. It doesn’t matter to whom they originally belonged.
If the nomination requires more than one round of voting on the convention floor, that’s called a “contested” or “brokered” convention.
Republican Elections Betting
The 2024 race for the Republican nomination looks to be one of the most exciting in global politics. Will Trump triumph over DeSantis, or will the Florida governor take the party in a different direction? What impact will Nikki Haley have on the race, and does she really stand a chance of living in The White House?
Bet on Republican Primaries
In 2016, Donald Trump pulled off one of the most unexpected and impressive political performances of all time by systematically demolishing the field of Republican primary opponents in front of him. What began as a novelty candidacy swiftly transformed into a juggernaut of a campaign that humiliated Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, and other more traditional GOP members.
Trump brought something new to American politics—unapologetic authenticity. Throughout the primaries and general election, the media latched onto seemingly dozens of scandals, each of which enough to single-handedly sink a campaign in previous years. But “The Donald” just kept on rising in the polls, no matter how much the Republican leaders tried to prevent the real estate developer’s takeover of the party.
After defeating Hillary Clinton to become President of the United States, it was clear that Trump had effectively changed electoral politics in America for good. He understood that elections were an entertainment event, where big personalities—not policy details—would win the day.
While the 2020 Republican Primary was uneventful due to Trump running as the incumbent, the 2024 race could get fiery.
GOP Nomination Futures Wagers
There is real value to be found in the field of futures wagers this far out from the election. If you think one candidate has it in the bag, consider placing a bet far in advance to cash in on the value offered.
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 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!