Category: US Politics

  • Donald Trump’s odds shorten again

    Donald Trump’s odds shorten again

    The most unconventional and unlikely presidential candidate in US history just hit his highest rating yet in the race for the White House. In finally securing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump killed the hopes of numerous detractors and ended one of the most exciting and dramatic races in the history of political betting. In response,…

  • New bets on the race to be Donald Trump’s VP

    New bets on the race to be Donald Trump’s VP

    We are fast learning to expect the unconventional and unpredictable in politics, but it’s hard to remember any trickier market to play than this cycle’s Republican Vice Presidential Nominee. Quite simply, as with everything else about Donald Trump, normal rules need not apply. Normally, we would expect the presumptive nominee to pursue a balanced ticket, to…

  • Stop Trump plot thickens with rules committee picks

    Stop Trump plot thickens with rules committee picks

    A further significant development in the Republican nomination saga. We now know who will comprise the party’s Rules Committee, which will meet on July 14th to lay out the rules governing their convention four days later. They have the power to kill any Stop Trump moves stone dead, or bring them to life. It is a…

  • Is this how the GOP plan to ditch Donald Trump?

    Is this how the GOP plan to ditch Donald Trump?

    Against a backdrop of never ending controversy and catastrophic poll numbers, we’ve been waiting to see if and how Donald Trump’s enemies would try to stop him at the convention. We may now have an answer to both. First, Paul Ryan said that House Republicans must go with their conscience when deciding whether to support…

  • Seven potential VP picks for Hillary Clinton

    Seven potential VP picks for Hillary Clinton

    Now Hillary Clinton has passed the threshold to secure the Democrat nomination, betting focus shifts to her choice of running mate. In last week’s piece for Betfair, I weighed up the chances of seven possible vice presidential candidates. Bernie Sanders – Odds 12.0 While Hillary Clinton’s long-term focus is on Donald Trump, a more pressing concern…

  • Could the GOP still block Donald Trump?

    Could the GOP still block Donald Trump?

    Just a week ago, Donald Trump’s improbable bid to be president was looking likelier than ever. Senior Republicans were uniting around him and his poll deficit was closing fast. Hillary Clinton drifted out to 1.58 in the Next President market. Now, after just a small taste of what his campaign will look like, the handwringing has…

  • Why I’m backing Tom Perez for VP

    Why I’m backing Tom Perez for VP

    The art of betting on politics, (or pretty much anything for that matter), is being able to cut through the froth. And there seems to be more froth around than usual this cycle. Granted, some of that froth turned out to be serious – like a reality TV star with no political experience, ground game…

  • Clinton on the brink of victory but can she unite Democrats?

    Clinton on the brink of victory but can she unite Democrats?

    Next Tuesday, arguably the most memorable primary season in the history of US politics will draw to a conclusion. Whereas the term ‘Super Tuesday’ is normally associated with the slew of key races at the beginning of March that, historically, have proved a decisive moment, the term has been repeatedly used during this cycle and…

  • 7 potential VP picks for Donald Trump

    7 potential VP picks for Donald Trump

    With the Republican nomination secure, the next big election market involves identifying Donald Trump’s running mate. So far I’ve taken two positions, opposing John Kasich and Ben Carson for the job. Here I look at seven alternatives being reported as in the running. Newt Gingrich Dominating the market is one of the best-known figures in…

  • Reflections on that incredible GOP race

    Reflections on that incredible GOP race

    In mentioning a profound sense of anti-climax, I probably speak for most political gamblers. A brokered Republican convention, given wall-to-wall media coverage, with endless speculation about rule changes and new candidates would have been a dream scenario, producing volatile markets and countless opportunities to bet. Yet from being rated a near certainty on betting markets…