Nevada Bookies Want to Accept Bets on the Next US President

While many things are legal in Nevada, political betting isn’t one of them. Bookies are trying to change that, but for the time being, UK bookmakers are the place to go.

Nevada is the laissez-faire capital of the United States. Almost everything is legal there. Almost. One of the things that isn’t is taking bets on who will win the next US presidential election. American gambling laws allow states to self-regulate their industries, and Nevada bookies are calling for the legislature to lift a ban on political betting.

In addition to obvious financial gain for interested parties, some such as legendary bookmaker Sonny Vaccaro have argued that allowing punters to place wagers on politics will increase voter turnout. There is a clear logic, as voting has a direct effect on one’s chances of winning the bet.

Bettors look across the Atlantic

Currently, America’s loss is Britain’s gain. Online sportsbooks in the UK like Bet365, BetVictor and Ladbrokes are already offering odds on which candidate will win the 2016 election.

Alex Donahue of Ladbrokes told CBS news the following: “I can see we have Hillary Clinton as a 6-to-4 favorite, and then there is a massive gap to Marco Rubio and Chris Christie who are both in there 12 to 1. We have George Clooney at 200 to 1.” In 2012 the company took in $2 million in bets.