Political betting is something that has become more mainstream in recent years. Bookmakers use to offer odds as just a novelty, but the general election has become a big deal when it comes to betting markets and customers enjoy the chance to predict the outcome of major political events.

There are nearly always political betting markets available and many of these focus on elections in the UK and US, with Prime Minister and Presidential betting being the most popular among them.

You can also bet on Party Leader, Next Mayor and even Next Majority Leader betting market if you think you can gain a political edge.

UK Political Betting

Betting on UK politics can be an intriguing business, especially around the time of a general election. Virtually every bookmaker will offer some kind of betting opportunity when it comes to general election odds, with the most obvious starting point the chance to bet on the winners of the latest general elections.

In recent general elections, the online betting sites have really spiked in popularity and begun offering betting markets such as Hung Parliament, Coalition Party and Number of Seats when it comes to each political party. There is often the chance to bet on two-way markets where you go over or under a certain number of seats. General election betting markets can be plentiful and that includes betting on the outcome for each constituency. There are literally hundreds of betting markets. So, if you have a view about the outcome of a particular constituency, then you can put your money where your mouth is.

US Political Betting

Betting on US politics is a popular business since the President of the United States of America is regarded as the most powerful position in the world, with the US general election providing a stack of betting opportunities in addition to the actual outcome of the Presidential election itself.

US political betting markets are plentiful when it comes to the voting for the Republican Party and Democratic Party, and punters can bet accordingly as each candidate puts forward their case to represent their party in the big vote.

When Donald Trump was chosen to become the Republican candidate, he was cast as the outsider against several other candidates. He was also an outside chance against Hillary Clinton when it came to the Presidential betting, so it often pays to look beyond the obvious with this type of betting.

How to Bet on Political Betting Odds

Political betting is not like betting on different sports, as the action is played out through a ballot box or the House of Commons rather than on the field of play.

Betting sites often must rely on polls like everyone else and information sources are absolutely vital when it comes to this type of betting rather than simply acting on hunches.

Opinion polls are usually quite helpful when it comes to political bets, while there are some data modelers who can base their predictions on several different factors. It’s literally impossible to gauge what will happen in a General Election overall, although early results can form an accurate barometer.

In-play betting is often available for political betting, and Election night in the UK and US means that online political betting sites will have markets running through the evening which will change in accordance with the various voting results coming in.

It also depends on the weight of the money that's coming to different parties too.

Politics Online Betting Sites

TThere are lots of bookmakers offering odds on political betting markets, and it’s important to compare them to see what views are being taken by operators. While you will get similar football betting odds across the board, operators are more likely to take a range of views when it comes to politics.

Some bookmakers will also offer extensive betting markets on things like Brexit, the Irish elections and some EU betting markets too. It’s great for punters looking to bet on something which is a little bit more niche than a UK or US betting market, and it’s often worth shopping around.

Bookmakers will often restrict betting customers to smaller bets when it comes political betting since some people are prone to getting inside information when it comes to the nomination of a Party Leader or even something like a By-Election taking place in the United Kingdom.