Las Vegas Oddsmakers On Presidential Election
Presidential Election - Swing State Odds. According to many political pundits and news mediums in the United States, the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election between Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be determined by eight critical battlegrounds, which is often called the 'swing states' race. Those states have been determined below. Sep 17, 2020 Vegas Oddsmakers Think So. I write about the business, history, and global culture of Las Vegas. Share to Facebook. “Two of three Vegas election sportsbooks say that Trump is leading.
Nowadays, people know Wayne Alan Root as a conservative political pundit. Before becoming a pundit, though, he had a successful career as a sports handicapper, as well as being the co-host on a gambling series called King of Vegas. Drawing on his long career as a Vegas oddsmaker and gaming expert, Root has written a fascinating essay about the events of November 3 and November 4. He says that the way the election played out showed that the fix was in – and that Fox was a big part of the fix.
After describing a famously fixed football game in 1978 (the New York Giants versus the Philadelphia Eagles), Root wrote,
Gamblers feel the same way about this presidential election. This presidential election is rancid. It feels as fixed as that Giants-Eagles NFL football game. Let me give you the details of this election- from a gambler’s perspective.
Once the polls closed on Tuesday and the counting began, gamblers took note of the onrush of Trump votes. Trump quickly moved from a 2 to 1 underdog to an 8 to 1 favorite:
What does all this mean? Bettors putting their money on the line during Election Night have always proven to be deadly accurate. Smart bettors can clearly see what direction a race is taking. Bettors around the world clearly saw what I saw, when they stared at the electoral map- Trump was headed for an electoral landslide.
At that point, something very weird occurred. It didn’t happen at CNN or MSNBC, it happened at Fox News. You all remember that Fox refused to call Florida, Ohio, or Texas for Trump, even though Trump was miles ahead in those three states. Additionally, even though Trump was also significantly ahead in Virginia, Fox nevertheless called the state for Biden. But that wasn’t the worst:
And then it happened. It was the most bizarre call in Election Night history. Fox News called Arizona for Biden. Why? It wasn’t even close to over. There was no reason on earth to make that call. Arizona is STILL not over 8 days later. CNN still hasn’t awarded Arizona. ABC pulled it back from Biden only 24 hours ago. [Root’s article was published on Nov. 14.)
The moment that call occurred Trump’s 8 to 1 odds collapsed back to 2 to 1. One of Root’s major bookmaking friends called him:
Las Vegas Odds On Us Presidential Election
“Wayne, something is wrong. I’ve never seen a drop like that, let alone a drop that fast. How can Trump go from 8 to 1, to 2 to 1. Someone knows something. We’ve got a problem.”
I’ll stop now. Root wrote a good article, and I’ll kill it if I trickle out the point he makes. Go here, see what he says, and see if you don’t think that the election as badly fixed as that 1978 game, the 1927 “long count fight” between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey, or 1919’s Black Sox scandal. Also, ask yourself if you can ever feel the same way about Fox News again.
Image: Playing the odds. Public Domain.
November 4 Update: The 2020 Presidential election boiled down to Trump vs. Biden, and with several states still counting their ballots, you can wager on the outcomes in those states at the best online Vegas election betting sites. Right now, it seems clear that Biden will likely win the White House, but if you think The Donald can pull off the upset, you'll get incredible payouts on his chances over the next few days.
For the 2020 Presidential election, the public has been subjected to a larger field of candidates than ever before. With Donald Trump running for re-election, the GOP side hasn’t seen much competition, with only three challengers emerging in the entire election cycle. However, the Democrat side – in its bid to unseat Trump – had nearly 30 candidates enter the fray.
After Super Tuesday saw several of the remaining hopefuls throw in the towel, that number is down to just one: Joe Biden.
Of course, even though Vegas political betting odds are a marketing gimmick in Sin City (the Nevada Gaming Control Board doesn’t allow election wagering), they’re still based on real data, and offshore sportsbooks use these numbers as guidelines to set their own lines. So if you think you know which of these candidates is going to win the 2020 Presidential election, sign up and get your bets in now!
Coronavirus Update: Vegas election odds affected by the Coronavirus have been volatile, to say the least. President Trump has seen his odds move daily due to the spread of the virus and his regular task force press conferences. Now that the conferences are a regular occurrence sportsbooks are offering odds for Trump's press conferences. However, Trump is not the only one whose odds have been adjusted, as other candidates have also seen their betting lines move due to the pandemic.
2020 Republican Nominee
Donald Trump
45th President of the United States of America (2017-present)
Donald Trump is the current president of the United States and is running for re-election in 2020. He is the current favorite to win the 2020 Presidential election, and he’s a lock to earn the Republican nomination (which is why you won’t find any Vegas GOP odds for the primaries during this election cycle). Trump catapulted to the highest office in the land without any prior political experience, relying on his storied career as a real estate mogul and reality television star to guide his decision making. Below you will find the current election odds for Donald Trump.
Trump Coronavirus Update:
The US coronavirus scare has shaken the stock market, leading to modern era lows. As the market is Trump's chief strength heading into his re-election effort, his current odds are at their lowest level since he was elected President in 2016. A week ago, he was comfortably ahead of Biden head-to-head, but they're now even. Trump's GOP nomination odds are also way down, dropping from -5000 days ago to just -1600 (though he's still comfortably ahead of everyone else on the Republican odds boards).
- Odds To Win Presidential Election TBA
2020 Democratic Nominee
Joe Biden
Former Delaware Senator (1973-2009), Former Vice President of the United States of America (2009-2017)
After serving as a US Senator for the state of Delaware for over 36 years, Joe Biden became the Vice President of the United States and served alongside President Barrack Obama for both of his terms in office. After a four-year absence from politics, Biden has returned as a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party in 2020, where he is the current DNC favorite according to the democratic election odds. Right now, the Vegas odds indicate that Biden is America’s choice on the left to face off against Donald Trump. Below you will find Joe Biden's current odds leading up to the 2020 Presidential election.
Biden Coronavirus Update:
The coronavirus impact on Joe Biden's chances to be President has been marked, as he's now neck-and-neck with The Donald. His odds to win the DNC nomination are also far higher than all other candidates or potential candidates, and barring a beatdown from Bernie in the March 15 debate, Biden is likely to easily win the majority of the delegates and punch his ticket to the general election. The WuFlu has been even more valuable to Biden than Pete Buttigieg's and Amy Klobuchar's endorsements before Super Tuesday.
- Odds To Win Presidential Election TBA
Top-Rated Online Sportsbooks For Betting On The 2020 Presidential Candidates
Site | Bonus | Rating/5 | USA | Visit |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 50% Max $250 | 4.5 | ||
2 | 50% Max $1,000 | 4.4 | ||
3 | 100% Max $1,000 | 4.4 | ||
3 | 75% Max $1,000 | 4.1 |
Independent Candidates
Kayne West
Musician, Entertainer, Business Owner
Kayne announced his ambition to run for President of the United States via Twitter. After initially supporting Donald Trump, Kayne turned his back on the current president by tweeting, 'My eyes are now wide open and now realize I've been used to spread messages I don't believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!' He also sat down with various media sources and said he was taking off the red hat. Once Yeezy (Kayne) announced his bid for Presidency, election odds for Kayne West shot up the polls like one of his numerous hits.
- Odds To Win Presidential Election TBA
Potential Candidates
Mark Cuban
Businessman, Investor, Owner of Dallas Mavericks
Despite no political experience, Mark Cuban has been teasing a political run for a number of years now. Cuban has had great success in business and is now worth an estimated $4.3 billion, according to Forbes Magazine. Even with the funds to run for office, there has not been much indication that he is eyeing a 2020 Presidential campaign, or if he would run Republican, Third-Party, or Independent. Nevertheless, sportsbooks have released odds for Mark Cuban to win the presidency.
- Odds To Win Presidential Election TBA
Andrew Cuomo
56th Governor of New York State
Andrew Cuomo's ratings are soaring in New York after polling very low for the last several years, in large part due to his presence on television there (and nationally) during the coronavirus outbreak. He has used his airtime to consistently bash President Trump, and though he has denied any interest in running for President in 2020, legal election betting sites have Andrew Cuomo odds trending second behind Biden on the Democratic candidate boards and third behind Trump and Biden to win the presidency in the November general.
- Odds To Win Presidential Election TBA
Types Of Betting Lines For Election Outcomes
Sportsbooks are always looking for new angles to present attractive or interesting betting lines that will entice potential political bettors into wagering on upcoming elections. Here are some of the basic bets that you will typically see during an election cycle:
- Who Will Win the Presidential Election?
- Who Will Be The Democratic Candidate In The Presidential Election?
- Who Will Be The Republican Candidate In The Presidential Election?
- Which Party Will Win The Presidential Election?
- Who Will The Republican/Democratic Nominee Choose As Their Running Mate?
- Who Will Be The Next Candidate To Withdraw From The Race?
- State Primary Winners
- Debate Props
These reflect the most common betting lines that you will see at any online sportsbook, but oddsmakers are always looking for fresh and exciting ways to offer odds, so new categories are created often.
As a rule, the above wager scenarios fall under the normal classifications of sports bets, including straight moneyline wagers, spread bets, totals bets, props, specials, and futures. All of these wager types give eager political betting fans tons of chances to win big, and Vegas election odds promise to trend for the foreseeable future.
Current Vegas Election Odds for 2020 Presidential Candidates
The latest posted odds for Presidential hopefuls have Donald Trump favored to win. Trump's odds have remained steady throughout the run-up to the 2020 election, and bookmakers have kept him as the favorite for the entire primary cycle to date.
Las Vegas Odds On Presidential Election Now
Just remember: While you’ll come across lots of Vegas odds on Trump and other candidates online, no Vegas sportsbook is actually allowed to accept such wagers. Instead, they simply release “hypothetical” political betting lines as a marketing tactic to generate business at their sportsbooks. If you want to wager on real election odds, you’ll have to use an offshore sportsbook like one of those listed here.
US Presidential Election 2020 - Odds To Win
- Donald Trump TBA
- Joe Biden TBA
You may have noticed that Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Mike Pence, and Nikki Haley are not currently running for President. Regarding Clinton and Obama, their inclusion is due to the possibility of a brokered Democratic convention where a new candidate could potentially join the fray if nobody wins the majority of delegates. Pence’s and Haley's presences are likely due to the potential for Trump to vacate the office of the President for health or other considerations between now and the 2020 election. These odds for non-candidates also suggest that Weld and Gabbard should exit the race at once.
- Elizabeth Warren
- Michael Bloomberg
- Amy Klobuchar
- Pete Buttigieg
- Tom Steyer
- Deval Patrick
- Andrew Yang
- Michael Bennet
- John Delaney
- Cory Booker
- Marianne Williamson
- Julian Castro
- Kamala Harris
- Steve Bullock
- Joe Sestak
- Wayne Messam
- Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke
- Tim Ryan
- Bill de Blasio
- Kirsten Gillibrand
- Seth Moulton
- Jay Inslee
- John Hickenlooper
- Mike Gravel
- Eric Swalwell
- Richard Ojeda
- Bernie Sanders
No. Betting on election results is legal as long as you use a licensed offshore sportsbook operating online. Las Vegas sportsbooks do not offer betting lines for political odds (or any other entertainment odds), and other states that have regulated sports gaming have followed suit.
However, bookmakers still release hypothetical Vegas odds on elections, and offshore sportsbooks often use these as preliminary guidelines when setting their own real-money election betting odds. Ironically, the only way to legally bet on Vegas election odds is to do so at non-Vegas offshore sportsbooks!
Vegas odds on the Presidential election are what gamblers look for when they want to place wagers on Presidential campaigns and political odds in general. However, the term – though common – is a total misnomer, as Nevada does not allow political betting (and never has). So, when bettors search for Vegas election odds, their only safe, legal way to wager on such lines is to use offshore betting sites. Politics is nothing if not a series of loopholes and workarounds, right? Fortunately, betting on politics at online sportsbooks is quick, easy, and totally transparent.
Donald J. Trump is the favorite to win the 2020 Presidential election and is currently holding steady at odds of -160 or so. That means that a wager of $160 will earn a payout of $100 if Trump wins. He’s been favored by as little as -105 during this cycle, but since the Democratic field has narrowed, his odds have gone up. Can you imagine a Trump-Biden debate? The political props for that calamity would be incredible!
Since Vegas oddsmakers do not offer betting lines on “entertainment” events (which is, perhaps fittingly, the category that political betting falls under at most sportsbooks), your only option for betting on politics is to place wagers with one of our recommended offshore sportsbooks.
US citizens will vote for the next President of the United States on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The winner of the election will be inaugurated and assume office on Wednesday, January 20, 2021.
Maybe? Officially, Hillary Clinton is not currently running for President in the 2020 election cycle. Many sportsbooks have included her amongst the candidates in their election odds because there is the potential for a brokered Democratic National Convention. If that occurs, it would leave the door open for Clinton to be introduced as a nominee, if she wants to face The Donald in a rematch. The odds of this happening are unlikely, but you can still bet on them!