Where to Place Your Bets on the 2020 US Elections

Charles Ingel - Tuesday, 13 August 2019 - Features

When to Bet

The philosophy is the same as for any major sporting event. Early on the uncertainty is greater so you get longer odds. If you bet on the Super Bowl before the season commences you will get long odds because the winners of the NFL and AFC are far from being known. Once the bracket for the single elimination stage emerges after the regular season the odds will fall.

Similarly, for the US presidential election the odds will be relatively longer till the Republicans and the Democrats complete their primaries next summer. Then the two main candidates will be known and the odds will become shorter.

• If you are willing to take some risk for the chance of bigger wins, then you should place your bets before the primaries when there are more candidates in the fray.
• If you are a conservative punter then wait for the final list of candidates and place your bets.

Where to Bet

Where to bet would depend on whether or not you reside in one of the American states that have legalized online sports betting.

American states where online sports betting is legal: Only the sports books licensed by the regulatory authorities of these states (Nevada, New Jersey) can legally offer online betting.

Some of the more popular of these sites are given below:

William Hill

888 Sportsbook and playMGM are other online betting sites that you can try in these states.

Other American states and the rest of the world: Punters in these locations can bet on sportsbooks licensed by offshore jurisdictions. They are more in number and therefore the competition may lead to slightly more favourable odds. Be assured that all sites we recommend are reputed, fair and safe.

Sportingbet

5 Dimes

BetOnline

How to Bet

If you are a regular punter then you would have your own system of deciding on how to go about placing bets. If you are new to online betting then the following tips may be useful in understanding the odds.

You will see that the incumbent president, Donald Trump, has extremely low odds (less than even money) while the closest Republican candidate has very long odds. There are two reasons for this.

• Only one elected president in the history of the United States has been denied a nomination for the second term by the party. This was Franklin Pierce in 1856.
• Only five presidents have lost when running for their second term since 1900. They are George W Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Herbert Hoover and William Taft.

Going by history, Trump should be expected to win the Republican nomination. Therefor betting on other Republican hopefuls, would most probably be a losing cause. Do not get tempted by the long odds, unless you are willing to take a high risk.

History also indicates that Trump should go on and win the presidential election. The odds for this are so low that even if you win you will not get much in hand compared to your bet amount. Fortunately for punters, Trump has high visible unpopularity. This gives the Democratic candidate a reasonable chance to win. The top four contenders have odds not very different. It is best to study each candidate and then take a call.

Joe Biden

Biden is the strongest contender for the Democratic nomination. He distinguished himself in the two terms as vice president under Barack Obama. In 2016, he ultimately deferred to Hilary Clinton, but has now thrown his hat in the ring.

Elizabeth Warren

Warren has had a distinguished profile in the field of financial policy, but first became a US Senator only in 2012. She was the first woman senator from Massachusetts and is now hoping to be the first woman president of the United States.

Kamala Harris

Harris has served two terms as Attorney General of California. Her Indian ancestry may help her win favour from the “immigrant” population. Trump's perceived misogynist image may also work for her.

Bernie Sanders

Sanders unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination in 2016. He is now in the fray again. Sanders was an independent for most of his political career before he joined the Democratic Party.

After making your choice, check out the best online betting sites for the longest odds on your nominee and place bets there.

Prop Bets on the US Presidential Election

Online betting sites offer several other bets on the US presidential election, some of which are highlighted here.

• If you think that Trump's victory is a foregone conclusion, then place a bet on who will win the Democratic nomination. At BetOnline the odds are: Biden 11/4, Warren 7/2, Harris 11/2, Sanders 6/1.
• An extremely conservative bet is to which party the elected president will belong. Sportingbet offers these odds: Democratic 19/20, Republican 17/20, Independent 100/1.
• The United States election also features a popular vote. The odds for Trump winning the popular vote at 5Dimes are 5/2.
• 5Dimes also offer a market that Trump will not be president on January 20, 2021. This bet wins if another Republican or any Democrat or any independent candidate becomes president. The odds are 5/1.

There are two things you need to do (if you can) these elections. Bet and vote. The rest is up to the candidates.

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