Betting is typically associated with sports, but experienced punters know there’s more to it than just that. Cinema or music awards, reality shows, even whether a groundhog will see its shadow, are subject to betting. And of course, there is political betting. Many might think this is a fairly modern practice, but a paper by Paul W. Rhode and Koleman Strumpf, back in 2012, unveils that the phenomenon can be traced back to 16th century Italy and 18th Century Britain and Ireland.
Of course, things have significantly changed since the “Whigs and Guilds” era of British politics. Now, instead of having to go to the local pub, punters can bet on politics online (so the pub is optional), using the same sites they use for sports betting. But remember. The two follow different rules. If you want to learn how to bet on politics and win you can do so by checking our guide on betting on politics. Once you’ve understood what you’re doing, it’s time to see where to place that wager. Check our list of the best political betting websites and read our guide to find out which one fits your preferences and your betting style.
If you are big into politics, if you read the political papers daily, if you know the leader of every EU country or which party is every US governor affiliated with, then the only question for you is where to bet on politics online. For most people, only betting on elections you are comfortable with and understand the following piece of advice. Check for the bookies who offer the most elections to choose from. Make sure you can bet on the next US president. Make sure you can bet on the next Prime Minister of the UK. Even make sure you can bet on Greek politics, or Irish, or Australian. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be an election per se. You can bet on the next conservative leader, or on the next country to leave the EU. A controversial topic, but maybe there’s an opportunity there.
Unlike sports, opportunities for political bets online are scarce. Elections, perhaps thankfully, don’t happen every week. So when they do come, make sure your political betting site doesn’t ignore some of the most interesting bet types. Betting on political outcomes isn’t just about predicting the winner of the popular vote. There are so many politics prop bets that they can’t be easily counted. There’s the spread, number of seats. number of parties in the parliament and myriads more, always depending on the political system of the country in discussion. So, making a full circle and returning to the original point, remember to only bet on elections you understand. There are so many different systems in the world, that falling in a rabbit hole of the unknown and the obscure, can easily overwhelm you.
It’s not unlikely that as an election approaches, the results are more or less expected. Politicians know it, you know it, bookies know it. In those cases, it’s only about spreads and gut feeling. This is why long-term political betting is so important. And it isn’t just elections. Bookies can get pretty creative with political future bets. Will the Prime Minister complete his term? Will the President be impeached? Will a given party maintain the majority in the House throughout the term? If you have a wild imagination, you can always find something for you.
Well, it’s usually up to you to time your wagering right, when you bet on politics online. Betting, political, sports, or any other kind, is all about value. Compare sites. Depending on their level of attention and their commission, there are the ones that heighten your value. Check their US and UK politics betting odds and never stop comparing between sites, until you find what you need. We have made a shortlist for you, but it’s up to you to see when it’s the time to place your wager and on which site.
If there’s one issue with political betting, it’s that ambiguity is somewhat often. What’s the end date of the bet? If betting on the number of MP’s a party will elect, are affiliated independents included? These are some questions a good customer support feature will answer in no time. Check if your site of choice has a call centre, live chat, and e-mail service. Usually, the more options they offer, the likeliest it is you have found a top-notch betting site for politics and more.
When you first figure out how to bet on politics online, you don’t need other distractions. You want to make your life as easy as possible, so a hard-to-navigate bookie’s site is a non-option. Like it or not, a user-friendly platform is a priority, especially for new bettors. Most bookies have respectable desktop sites and apps, that are only getting better as time goes by.
It should really go without saying, but unfortunately, there are many people who break the number one rule of online betting and that’s none other than “avoid illegal and unregulated betting sites like the plague”. Don’t forget it is your money that’s on the line. You want to be sure that your deposits are secured, the withdrawals are fast and your banking details are safe and kept personal. That’s what makes a bookie’s reputation. If you see a sketchy site, run away, no matter how appealing their political betting bonuses seem like.
Nobody can answer this question for you. We made a shortlist of the sites below, but now it’s your turn to check them one by one and see which works better for you. Which makes the most sense based on your personal betting style. Make your choices and enjoy wagering on politics.
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