People like to bet on a lot of different things. One area that folks like to wager on is sports. However, politics has recently emerged as a popular category for online gamblers to wager on. It makes sense. The 2016 election saw a big wave of interest largely due to the rise of President Trump as opposed to the 2012 election which had a popular incumbent in President Obama versus Mitt Romney who didn't say anything anywhere near as provocative as President Trump during his time as a candidate.
Candidates or parties are given the same odds a sports team or player would get. Let's take a look at an example. The popular gambling website oddshark.com tracked Trump and Clinton's odds over the course of the election night. Trump started off as the underdog at a whopping +475. Clinton's odds reflected the conventional wisdom that she would win. Her odds were set at -700. Trump dropped to a -105 favorite at 9:35PM as the results came in over the course of the night. He ended up winning which was good news for both his supporters and people who bet on him.
The next big American election you could wager on would be the 2018 midterms. All four hundred and thirty five members of the House will be up for election. A third of the Senate will be up for election as well. Republicans currently hold strong majorities in both legislative bodies. Most American incumbent Presidents have lost seats in midterm elections. The only two recent Presidents who have bucked the historical trends include President Bush 2 in 2002 and President Clinton in 1998. Bush 2's win could be attributed to a spirit of national unity after September 11th. Clinton's win was because a lot of people felt Gingrich and the Republicans went on a witch hunt into Clinton's personal life.
Domestic and International Politics
International politics is a different beast. There are multiple political parties in many countries like the UK for example. There are differences in the way the people vote. However, the odds are presented just like American political odds. Folks who have an interest in international politics might want to put their knowledge to the test by placing a wager on another country's election.
A lot of sports books are offering political betting. Make sure to choose a reputable sports book. Perhaps, on election night you will be able to make some green while cheering on the result between red versus blue.
