How to Bet on Politics

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Politics betting is one of the fastest-growing markets in the US and there are tons of wagering opportunities available.

If you’re wondering how to bet on politics, we’ll walk you through the betting markets, popular events to bet on, and share top political betting sites.

How to Bet on Politics

To demonstrate a politics bet, we’ll use a the world’s most popular politics betting market: the presidential election winner.

how to bet on politics - presidential election betting

This is a simple head to head, moneyline market pulled from a political betting site, BetOnline.

Earlier in the year all candidates were once featured, but after both candidates were confirmed, the list shortened to the current head to head status.

Kamala Harris was +4000 in February which just shows how much things can change in politics and in political betting.

At current odds, Donald Trump is the narrow favorite at -120 ahead of Harris at +100. Any slip up in the final weeks of the campaign could change things dramatically, however, so keep an eye out for some late swings.

Politics betting is very easy to track and follow, which is why it’s a popular betting market for those new to betting with online sportsbooks.

How to Bet at a Political Betting Site

The best way to highlight how to bet on politics is to use a step-by-step guide with the BetOnline sportsbook.

This will showcase not only how to place a bet but also how to create an account and claim the welcome bonus.

  1. Open the sportsbook

    To get started, open the BetOnline sportsbook and click “Join” button at the top of the page.
    Open the sportsbook
  2. Open an account

    To create an account, you must fill out the form on the screen. This includes information such as name, email address, password, country, zip code, phone number, and date of birth. Ensure you can access the email address you provide, as you will need it to verify your account.
    Open an account
  3. Log in and claim the welcome bonus

    When you’ve verified your account, you will be able to log in. Click the “Login” button at the top of the page and enter your username and password. Next, click the cashier button and choose one of the welcome offers. You will need to use a BetOnline promo code to get started.
    Log in and claim the welcome bonus
  4. Deposit and head to the sportsbook

    Make a deposit using any of the payment methods linked to your account. Once this has been confirmed, head back to the sportsbook and use the menu section to find politics. Choose a market of your choice.
    Deposit and head to the sportsbook
  5. Place a bet

    To place a bet, click on the odds to add the selection to the bet slip. Within the bet slip, confirm your pick and enter a stake. It will tell you how much you’re set to win should the bet be successful. Take a second to double check and then click “Place Bet” at the bottom of the page.
    Place a bet

Is it Legal to Bet on Politics in the United States?

The current legal status in the US means that you are prohibited from betting on any political events, be it domestically or internationally, with regulated betting sites based in the country.

The flip side of this is that offshore sportsbooks do allow you to bet on politics as they do not adhere to US gambling regulations.

how to bet on politics - polling box
 Image: US Embassy Phnom Penh/Flickr

This may seem like conflicting legalities, but the reality is that political betting is very popular in the vast majority of countries apart from US-regulated sportsbooks.

Types of Politics Bets

Politics betting is much bigger than most think. Below we’ve include a list of the types of bets you can place and information on how each of them works.

Election Winner

This market is where you bet on the overall winner of an election.

The US presidential election is by far the most popular market and hundreds of millions of dollars will be bet on it in 2024.

Party Majority

Betting on the party majority is where you choose the party that wins the most votes in Congress or the Senate.

This is a good market to use before presidential candidates are announced. Congressional elections are held every two years, as well, so provide a more regular opportunity to bet on politics.

Political Leaders

Betting on who you think will be the next party leader in Congress or the Senate.

Currently, only the Republican Senate leader position is up for grabs, but over time, other markets will open up.

‘First to’

This market is where you can bet on parties or persons to become the first to hit a certain milestone.

The range of markets for this is huge but can include the first to announce candidacy or even the first to hit one million followers on social media.

Voter Turnout

This is betting on the turnout of voters for betting purposes.

In the US, it can be broken down across overall voter numbers and by state. Some even create markets for turnout numbers based on age brackets, although these are less common.

Policy Proposition

Politics is all about policies, and betting on whether certain policies will be in place by a set time is another popular politics betting market.

Interestingly, there have been several markets recently about legislation for online betting in the US, with markets targeting which will be the next state to pass legislation and legalize it.

Political Prop

Prop bets are arguably the most exciting bets in politics. Sportsbooks have been known to get pretty random with these markets.

Some of the most unconventional have been:

  • Which politicians will have the most social media followers by a certain date?
  • Will certain politicians appear on a TV show or movie?
  • Over/under bets on the total length of speeches made.
  • Odds on certain phrases being said and even over/under lines on the most popular ones.
Exit Poll

Exit polls are early indicators of how an election is shaping up.

However, as we know from the Trump/Clinton race in 2016, the polls aren’t always accurate. In fact, the sportsbooks were one step ahead of the exit polls for this race. Bookmakers’ predictions are often closer than exit polls suggest.

Political Events to Bet On

The political landscape is always moving and evolving. Each country has certain protocols for how voting works, and this creates a series of diverse betting opportunities.

Below we’ve covered a range of political events that you can bet on.

US Presidential Election Betting

The US presidential election is the most wagered-on political event in the world. This is for the leader of the free world, and the result affects not only those living in the US but also those outside.

The main market is betting on the winning party, but as you can imagine, dozens of betting options run alongside this, especially regarding prop bets.

Check out our guide to betting on the presidential election for more information and tips.

US Midterm Elections

The US midterms occur halfway through the president’s term, seen as a two-year evaluation of how they’ve performed so far. The votes elect members of Congress, which includes 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 100 seats in the Senate, which is a third.

US Senate Elections

Senate elections occur every two years, with 100 seats in total from states across the country. Each state gets to vote for a Democrat or Republican candidate to lead them. Betting markets for these votes are vast, given that each state is covered. It will depend on the state as to the range of betting markets.

US House of Representatives

The US House of Representatives is voted on every two years to determine all 435 seats. Betting markets include selective state representation, whether Democrats or Republicans and the overall bet can be wagered on the political party that wins the most seats. This is often a fairly tight race, and it’s worth getting in early before lines move sharply near voting time.

Politics Betting Tips and Strategies

At this point, you should know how to bet on politics, so now it’s time to make some money.

We’ve created a series of political betting strategies and tips that you can use to increase profitability.

1. Avoid Political Bias

It’s imperative to be aware of your own political bias and remove that when it comes to betting. Allowing these to affect you will cloud your judgment, and ultimately, you may miss opportunities of value.

To do this, avoid using research sources that solely align with your political beliefs. If you have strong beliefs, actively research counterarguments for that point, which could help balance the books in determining which markets to bet on.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by looking at current odds for political betting markets and understanding why something might be as it is. Just because you don’t like someone doesn’t mean that’s how the vote will go, and when betting, that’s all that matters.

2. Shop for the Best Betting Lines

The best betting strategy is to simply look for the best odds possible at all times. The amount of extra money you can make for placing the same bet can be massive, and you should never underestimate the increase in ROI for doing just this.

For example, Kamala Harris was +4000 to be next president back in February 2024. Now, just over three weeks from the election, she is -105.

Those bold enough to take a risk early in the year are holding some great tickets.

3. Do Your Research

You need to stay in the loop, and you need reliable sources to ensure the news is reliable. Finding news sites that don’t lean one way or another is not easy, but they are out there.

We would recommend staying clear of social media for the most part unless you’re 100% sure that accounts have no bias.

You can use sites like the Associated Press, Reuters, National Public Radio, and PBS News Hour in the US. None of these outlets have political ties, so the news you get from there will be relatively unbiased.

4. Tap into Markets Early

The earlier you can respond to market movements, the more value you can find. Odds change quickly, but if you’re aware of upcoming press conferences, major announcements, or potential scandals early, you can take advantage from a betting perspective.

It’s also worth watching when poll data will be released. Again, there will be early speculation about how the polls look, especially when it comes to exit polls, so the sooner you act, the better.

5. Find Value in Prop Bets

Prop bets can be a great way to find value from markets where the outright winner is all but wrapped up.

They are speculative a lot of the time, which means the odds can be higher. While this increases risk, it also increases the bottom line when you win.

A good example would be using “and” bets, where you pick two outcomes for a single bet. One of the most common would be for a winner plus their margin of victory.

Senate and Congress betting markets are great for this, where you can bet on the winning party and the over/under margin of victory line.

6. Practice Bankroll Management

Regardless of what you’re betting on, you need a solid bankroll management process.

The basics are that you should only bet what you can afford to lose, but you do this by managing a bankroll to lessen the blow when bets lose.

FAQs

How do political betting odds work?

What types of political bets are available?

Can you bet on politics legally in the United States?

How do you bet on specific political events like the Presidential Election?

What are political prop bets?

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Related Terms

Jonathan Askew
Sports Betting and Casino Expert
Jonathan Askew
Sports Betting and Casino Expert

Jonathan is a freelance writer working with Techopedia. He has been working within the gambling sector for over 15 years and has been fortunate enough to work with brands that include Gambling.com, CheekyPunter.com, BasketballInsiders.com and Betfair. He specializes in US and UK-based sports and casino content for Techopedia.