Betting on the Next President
The 2012 United States Presidential Elections will take place in two weeks from now, on November 6. The once-in-four years event is shaping up as a particularly close contest, making it of particular interest for online sportsbooks and betting enthusiasts.
Elections Preview
President Barack Obama scored a clear victory over Republican challenger Mitt Romney in the final presidential debate on foreign policy on Monday night, according to various polls, but overall the polls still show Obama with only a slight lead as the two men head into the home straight.
There is also little separating the vice-presidential candidates. On Obama’s side, Joe Biden is well known to the American public, having already served as his VP for the past four years. At Romney’s side stands nominee Paul Ryan, currently a representative for Wisconsin’s first congressional district.
Gambling on Politics
All the leading online sportsbooks are good at what they do because they offer more than just sports events. Online gamblers are not all the same, which is why in addition to odds on football, baseball, tennis and all the rest, there are also odds on TV shows, awards specials, and of course politics.
US politics is always in the spotlight, and as a result there is always a focus on it at bookmakers around the world. Leading bookies reported high interest at the previous American elections, and with this contest shaping as a close one this year should be no different.
Presidential Elections Odds
Betfair has already taken almost GBP 10 million on US Election betting, and you can join in the fun, by placing a wager on either Obama or Romney. Currently, the president is in control with odds of 1.5, compared to his rival from Massachusetts who is reporting underdog odds of 3.1
Over at Ladbrokes, the situation is similar. Obama is a 2/5 favorite, compared to Romney, who is 15/8. But there are more reasons to vote at Ladbrokes than merely turning up and placing a bet on which of the two you think will win a seat in the White House for the next four years.
Ladbrokes is offering a host of betting options on questions such as Romney winning a majority of the 50 states, which he could do and still end up losing the election, thanks to the Electoral College system. In addition, check out their Battleground Blitz on which will be the first state on a list for Romney to win, Electoral College votes betting, and “Vote Winner, Election Loser,” which is quoting 7/1 odds.
The betting odds at William Hill Sports, meanwhile, look as follows:
Online Gambling Not Being Discussed
Several US states, including California and Nevada, have moved ahead with their own Internet gambling legislation since the Department of Justice’s ruling earlier this year that certain forms of in-state online poker do not violate federal bans on online gambling.
Unfortunately for proponents of legalized online gambling at a federal level, the issue simply has not been discussed during the much-hyped presidential debates. Although gambling is not a simple issue of right and left, most experts believe that there are more Democratic policymakers in favour of federal government regulation than there are Republicans.
Nonetheless, there is some support on both sides, and given Obama and Romney’s (perhaps deliberate) ambiguity on the matter, there is still hope that either candidate will deliver once they are safely in the White House.