Online Betting on Future of European Union

As speculation mounts about the future of Britain’s membership in the 27-nation European Union, William Hill is one of a number of online sportsbooks that are offering odds on future scenarios.

Britain to exit EU?

British Prime Minister David Cameron is due to deliver a keynote speech on his country’s future in the EU this week. The speech was supposed to take place already, but was delayed last week because of the hostage crisis in Algeria – in which at least 23 hostages, some of them British, were killed.

The PM has hinted that he will suggest negotiating a new relationship with the EU, which would be put to the people in a referendum. Of course, it must be remembered that the UK maintains the pound as its own currency, but nonetheless has been hit hard by the euro zone debt crisis.

European Union betting

With all this happening, William Hill are offering odds of 8/11 that Brits will choose to “stay in” the European Union in the event of a referendum before 2020. It  is quoting even money on the country choosing to do the previously unthinkable and quit the EU altogether.

Hill have slashed their odds for a referendum on whether the UK should retain full membership of the EU taking place before 2020 from 2/1 to 7/4. They are offering 7/1 on the UK quitting the EU before 2020, 10/1 on a referendum taking place before the next general election, and 2/1 on the euro no longer existing at the end of 2015.