Political Betting Canada: Betting on Elections
Political betting is hot stuff right now. The political world has been shaken up over the last couple of years and not since the 1940s have we experienced so many radical hits in the ways that our countries are governed. Whether you see that as a bad thing or a good thing is not relevant to this article and we’re not going to get into that here. What we’re interested in is the fact that more and more betting sites are offering odds on politics and there are usually some huge wins to secure.
In this article, we’ll show you the whys, hows, and wheres of political betting. This is one of our favorite markets to gamble on, and we’re not alone in that. So, if you’re new to it, if you’re interested in it, or if you’re just looking for more ways to bet on these markets, then this article is for you.
Why are Political Bets so Popular?
The main reason people bet on these markets is that gambling sites don’t have a good grip on them. We generally assume that bookies know best; that if a certain person or team is an outsider, then it’s probably not worth betting on them. But in 2016, the biggest year of political betting, this view changed and the betting sites didn’t know what hit them.
The first mistake was offering big odds on the UK to vote to leave the European Union. The polls told them that it wasn’t going to happen. The experts told them that it wasn’t going to happen. And they believed everyone. However, they were quickly proved wrong and they lost millions as a result. People from all over the world were gambling, including many gamblers here in Canada and south of the border in the United States.
If this wasn’t bad enough, it was followed by an even bigger mistake. It began with the bookies offering very short odds for Hilary Clinton to win the 2016 election. They offered these odds as far back as 2014, and were convinced the win would be hers. The second and third favorites were democrats. Even when he had announced his intention to run, Donald Trump was still priced over 1000.00.
Boy, were they wrong!
Operators thought it was a joke; that Trump winning the election would never happen. That thought process didn’t change, even when it was a two-horse race. For the second time that year, the polls were wrong. Bookies lost a lot of money, all of which went into the pockets of delighted gamblers worldwide.
So, if you want a good reason to bet on political markets, this should be it. It’s rare that the bookies don’t know what they’re doing. It’s rare for them to be so wrong so many times. But it’s happening, and it’s giving smart gamblers an incredible chance to make a fortune.
How to Bet on Politics
Before you join a new website be sure to check to see if they have a political betting section. You can’t place any bets and there are some restrictions on what areas of the site you can access and on how much you can do. However, you should be able to click on the “Sports” section and then browse through it. This will give you an idea of the bets being offered right now. It will also tell you just how seriously they take this particular industry. If you can’t find a great variety of bets, then you’re probably better off giving them a miss.
You won’t find a huge list of bets, even on the bigger sites. But you should find at least half a dozen, even during the slower periods. If there are more, you could be onto something good.
Site by Site
You can find political betting markets in their own designated section. For example, these sites list politics under the following headings:
- Bet365: Sports > Specials > World
- Sports Interaction: Sports > Specials > Politics
- BetWay: Sports > Politics
- WilliamHill: Sports > Politics
- Bodog: Sports > All Sports > Politics
As you can see from Bet365 listed above, some political sections don’t actually use the word “Politics” and can typically be found under “Specials” or, as is the case with many sites, “Novelty Bets”. You will be able to use any free bets you have been given on these markets. They work just the same as the sport betting markets you’re used to, even down to the fact that they are all available as in-play markets.
Where to Find Political Betting Markets
Political betting may be huge on some sites, but it’s practically non-existent on others. It is one of those rare markets that some bookies can’t get enough of, but others want nothing to do with. eSports is the same. Some betting sites and experts consider this to be the second biggest market in the whole industry, and on sites like Pinnacle Sports, it is. But on the other hand, many sites don’t have any bets on it whatsoever.
So, even if political betting grows to be just as popular and big as eSports, it doesn’t mean you’ll start finding it everywhere. As of 2017, the biggest political betting sites include SkyBet and Paddy Power, closely followed by the likes of Betfair. Of course, this is no good for a Canadian gambler as those sites aren’t available here.
Sports Interaction is though and they have a wide selection of political bets. Unlike other sites that accept Canadian gamblers, they are a little less focused on the European marketplace, so you may even find some bets on Canadian politics. If not, you will certainly find bets on American politics, as well as other big events that have a global impact. You can also get a $100 signup bonus as soon as you join.
As mentioned above, other sites that allow Canadians to join and offer political betting include BetWay, Bet365, WilliamHill, and Bodog.
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