With the election looming and the coronavirus lockdowns being lifted around the country, casinos and sportsbooks nationwide are ramping up their services.
However, if you’re under 21, most of these venues – even operating at full, pre-COVID capacity – won’t do you any good.
Instead, you’ll need to play at a reputable 18 and up online betting site that operates overseas, outside of US jurisdiction.
Best of all, aside from the reduced age-based access you won’t find anywhere else, there is one very compelling reason to gamble at these online betting sites, which is more relevant now than ever before:
Many of them host political betting odds!
In the United States, brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks are not allowed to offer election betting or other political betting fare.
In many individual states, this is explicitly against the law for domestic operators, while in other states, they simply go with the tradition set forth long ago by the top operators in Las Vegas.
Regardless, the upshot is the same: If you want to bet on politics during the most contentious, odds-heavy election cycle in US history (and make a bit more money before new taxes come down to take it all away), you’ll need to sign up at legitimate 18+ online sportsbook like Bovada or BetOnline.
For the just-concluded first debate between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump, several operators had dozens of debate prop bets on the boards, allowing spectators of that fiasco to make some good money on the various outcomes on the stage.
Of course, even if you missed wagering on Trump vs. Biden 1, you’ll get two more chances to make Presidential debate wagers, as the politicians are scheduled to go at it twice more in the coming month.
Granted, the date and time of Trump vs. Biden 2 is up in the air due to the President’s recent COVID-19 diagnosis, but there are plenty of Vice President debate props currently live at the top online casino sportsbooks for 18+ players, so you can win a little money on this evening’s highly anticipated showdown.
Right now, the 18 and up sportsbook with the best political props is BetOnline, and they’ve got betting lines on a host of outcomes, from the winner of the US presidency and various congressional elections to individual state electoral odds and more.
But again, today, the most popular lines are those surrounding the 2020 VP debate.
2020 Vice President Debate Odds
Total times Kamala Harris says “lie/lied/liar”:
- Over 1.5 -300
- Under 1.5 +200
Which candidate will lie first?
- Mike Pence-300
- Kamala Harris +200
Which candidate will say “coronavirus” more times?
- Kamala Harris -150
- Mike Pence +110
Which candidate will say “mask(s)” more times?
- Kamala Harris -250
- Mike Pence +170
Will either candidate be seen in mask at the table?
- No -1000
- Yes +550
Will either candidate stand up during the debate?
- No -2000
- Yes +700
Will Harris or Pence test positive for coronavirus by 10/13/20?
- No -2000
- Yes +700
Will Harris say “pray/prayer/prayed/praying”?
- No -175
- Yes +135
While you might be tempted to go on every single one of the above lines, we would advise against it, particularly if this is your first time betting on politics.
Some of these odds’ favorites are no-brainers – i.e. “Which candidate will say coronavirus’ more times?” (Harris -150) and “Which candidate will say ‘mask’ more times?” (Harris -250) – though some extreme favorites are not necessarily good bets at all.
For example, “Which candidate will lie first?” favors Pence at -300, while Harris is a big underdog at +200. But what constitutes a lie? And who will be relied upon to fact check the claim?
Given that politicians are professional liars, the odds should be a 50-50 tossup, but they aren’t.
On something like that, even though there is arguably a strong media bias that portrays Republicans as more dishonest than Democrats, we’d stay away. Whichever candidate gets to speak first is probably the one that will end up lying first, and there’s no telling who that will be.
Remember, there’s nuance to how debates work, and many wagers might come down to arbitrary, uncontrollable, or unpredictable things. The debate format – which will only be announced after these odds are off the boards – may determine half or more of the above bet outcomes.
Make sure you take all that into account before betting, and don’t feel like you’ve got to go on every line. Pick two or three lines that you think are can’t-miss props, and give yourself props when you win – even if you don’t win that much.
And as always, as the November general draws near, you should check back at any of the top 18+ online casinos with sportsbooks in order to get the freshest election odds available.
Note: If you’re not yet a member at one of the 18 and over casinos that offer political betting lines and wish to bet on tonight’s debate, signing up is fast and easy. However, to make sure your account gets funded in time for the event (9:00 PM EST), you may need to deposit with a credit card or get your bankroll loaded up via a rapid Bitcoin deposit.