The eyes of the entire world were watching the results trickle in last week. With bated breath, not just people in the United States, and not just people interested in politics, were wondering what the world would look like, and when we would know.
This was obviously one of the tensest elections in a long time. And the extended period of slowly leaking out results was like an action movie. The drama and the extension were strung out for as long as possible, it seemed. This only raised the stakes more and more.
So it is no wonder that this year’s elections were the most-betted-on in history. Millions of dollars exchanged hands when the results were finally known. In fact, it was the most betted event in history. Period.
With so much excitement and wildly different projections, there wer plenty of people who assumed they knew something no one else did. Some were on the lookout for the “Shy Trump Voter,” for example.
Bookies knew that many were excited about it, so they made a lot of different types of bets available for their customers. In Bovada, for example, you could bet not only on the winner of the entire election but also on the winner of each individual state. So you could bet on Biden to win it all, but on Trump to win Florida, for example.
Let’s hope this level of detail sticks around in political betting for some time to come.
This whole campaign has been full of fun betting opportunities. At one point, you could have bet on whether or not Donald Trump would pardon the Tiger Kind. These are strange times indeed! You could also bet how many times Trump would call his opponent “Sleepy Joe” during the debate, whether or not he would get kicked off of Twitter, and many other strikingly unique bets.
When we say a lot of money was placed on this event, we mean a ton of moolah! Over one billion dollars was bet on this event, by some measures, surpassing all other betting events ever!
One bettor placed $27,000 on Trump to win. Because Trump is disputing the legitimacy of the election, the bettor requested a refund. Neither the courts, nor Trump’s Republican colleagues, nor the sportsbooks are going along with this narrative.
At BetOnline, over 70% of the money they received was wagered on Trump to win. This may come as a shock because Biden was the overwhelming favorite according to pollsters. Many are expecting an upset. Smelling an upset is a good way to make some extra money.
However, as we now know, Trump did not prevail. If he had, BetOnline would have lost millions of dollars. But for now, the votes have come in and Biden has won both the popular vote and the electoral college.
Of course, US Presidential elections are not the only politics you can bet on. They may be the most likely to grab worldwide headlines, but there’s no reason you can’t have just as much fun betting on politics from other countries.
In fact, when you bet on politics in the UK, for example, you may have an advantage. Because fewer people are paying such detailed attention, you can study up and gain an advantage. We could make the same recommendation for French politics.
As with all betting, the biggest headline competitions are not always the best bets. In fact, for this very reason, they can be the hardest to gain an upper hand.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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