Welcome to our expert guide to political betting sites. This article contains everything that you need to know about the subject, including website reviews, information on different political markets and betting tips. Let’s start off with a list of our favourite sites for political betting online.
Let’s now go into some extra detail, with some in-depth reviews of the leading bookies you can bet on politics with. If you take the occasional punt on sports, then you’ll recognise some of these names as being among the leading online bookmakers in the UK today. Read more about the best political betting sites as our experts lift the lid on their coverage of current affairs:
The political section on Betfred has a UK and US focus, with other politics markets from around the world being added as and when needed. They offer comprehensive coverage, with specials available concerning leaders like Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer in the UK section and plenty of options for US election betting markets.
Known as the Bonus King, you can be sure of a generous welcome deal at Betfred, who will quadruple your first £10 bet. For existing users, there are also daily price boosts which could be applied to political markets come election time. Betfred have plenty of extra features to offer their users, such as great apps and even a blog site that gives betting tips on politics.
The first thing that will strike you when you visit 10bet, is the clear and crisp site design. It’s really a pleasure to use and you’ll soon find the well-stocked politics section. As well as UK and US political markets, we also found a market on the next country to leave the EU and one for the Irish general election.
New users are treated to a 50% bonus on their first deposit, up to the generous amount of £50. Another regular promotion that can be used with politics bets is the acca boost. There’s some quality apps, plenty of payment methods and a useful Cash Out option, to guarantee an early profit when betting on politics.
As the name suggests, BetUK is aimed squarely at the British betting market. That doesn’t mean that they only feature UK politics markets. We also found markets concerning American and EU politics, though naturally, it is in the UK where the most markets are available.
When you sign up for an account at BetUK, your first £10 bet will see you receive £30 in free bets. The BetUK Acca Club will provide you with boosted accas and free bets. There are also daily specials which will occasionally throw up politics bets with enhanced odds. Apps for Apple and Android devices, let you place your politics wagers, no matter where you are.
Launched in 2020, LiveScore Bet comes courtesy of the popular score update brand. They’ve made a confident start to life in the betting industry and that includes their politics coverage. This section is nicely laid out, with plenty of UK election betting markets, along with coverage of US, Ireland and EU politics.
New users will get £20 in free bets when they place an initial £10 bet. Existing customers will enjoy a £10 free acca bet every week, when they place two £10 multiple bets. Dedicated betting apps are available, along with lots of payment methods and a reliable customer service team.
Emerald Isle bookmakers BoyleSports are a great choice for anyone looking to place Irish politics bets. There’s lots of Irish markets here, ranging from betting on election winners, to next political party leaders and the identities of the next President and Taoiseach. US politics and the UK scene are also well covered, including markets based on Scottish independence.
New users will get their first £10 doubled, receiving £20 in free bets. BoyleSports are also great for fans of accumulator bets, with acca boosts, insurance and free bets available. With great betting apps and a smart site design, this brand is one to be considered.
One of the best known names in the UK gambling industry, betway are certainly a good choice for fans of betting on politics. We found markets here that we didn’t elsewhere, such as specials involving the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the SNP leader Humza Yousaf. Overall, the politics coverage is broader than at most other bookies.
New users get their first acca bet refunded if it loses. Existing customers can enjoy a Free Bet Club and daily Betway Boosts, that can sometimes feature political markets. With dedicated apps and a very useful Cash Out feature, betway should be part of your political portfolio.
The place to go for political spread betting is Spreadex right now. Along with normal fixed odds markets for UK and US politics, they also have spread betting markets. You can choose to buy or sell in markets such as the result of the next UK general election, or the party that will gain the most seats. So if you were to back Labour to win and they won by a huge majority, you’d earn more winnings than if it were a slim victory. The bigger margin that they lost by, the more that you would stand to lose.
Open a Spreadex account and when you place a £25 fixed odds bet, you will get £50 in bonuses. Unfortunately there’s no offers for existing users that can be used in conjunction with political betting. If you want to place spread bets on the go, then there’s dedicated apps for iPhone and Android.
Founded in 2021, Mr Mega is a relatively new name on the politics betting scene. The politics market can be found in a section that is shared with various specials markets, such as entertainment awards. Yet once you find the politics markets, you’ll find that there’s plenty of coverage of UK and US political matters, with strong odds.
New users that sign up and bet £15, are rewarded with a £15 free bet. For existing users, there’s an acca boost deal and the chance to take an early profit on your politics bet with Cash Out. At present there’s no betting apps, but hopefully this will be something that’s added as the brand becomes more established.
Unlike fellow Irish bookmaker BoyleSports, QuinnBet doesn’t quite match the detailed coverage of politics in the Emerald that we would have expected. They do at least cover the UK and USA political scene well, with plenty of markets and competitive odds.
Where QuinnBet really excel is with their range of offers. New users get 50% back on any losses on their first bet, which allows you to take a chance in terms of backing an outsider. There’s also daily free bets, acca bonuses and a 25% weekly rebate on any losses.
Finally we end with a newbie to the world of politics betting. Betstorm launched in 2021 and they have made a lively start. They feature political markets covering events in the UK, US, Greece and Turkey, which is a wider spread than we found at some more established brands.
The menu system may take you a little while to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be fine. New users get a generous welcome offer in which your first deposit is trebled. There are also free bets to be enjoyed every Monday and betting contests to compete in.
The following table ranks our recommended sites in various categories for online political betting.
Best Bookie For Politics | Betfred | UK Politics | BetUK |
Most Markets | betway | US Politics | Betfred |
Best Odds | 10bet | Irish Politics | BoyleSports |
Best New Site | LiveScore Bet | World Politics | Betstorm |
You can essentially bet on anything where there is a definitive outcome and that includes politics. For the most part, political betting concerns elections and votes. That includes elections to decide a country’s government, party leadership votes and referendums to decide a nation’s decision on a certain political matter.
There are also markets based on when certain political shifts will happen, such as when an election may be held, or when a party leader might leave their job. Odds are based on factors such as past results, polling and the amount of money being wagered by punters.
Sometimes the bookmakers are reliable when it comes to predicting political results, while on other occasions they get it wrong, which is good news for bettors. The bookmakers were spot on when it came to the Scottish independence vote in 2014, making ‘no’ the 2/5 favourite, which implied a 70% chance, at a time when the polls were roughly 50/50.
On the week of the 2016 Brexit referendum, bookies cut the odds of a remain vote to just 2/9, implying an 82% chance of victory. The polls at the time saw the result as being much closer and the Leave campaign was ultimately successful, with 52% of the vote.
Donald Trump started out as a 150/1 outsider to become the President of the USA in 2016, back when he was still seeking the Republican nomination. On the day of the election, his opponent Hilary Clinton was just 1/6, rated by the bookies as having a 85% of winning. Trump did not become the favourite until deep into the process of counting votes.
So as you can see, when it comes to politics, even the pollsters and the bookmakers don’t always get it right. That can present plenty of opportunities for you to do just that.
Now we’re going to take a look at the odds for a major political gambling market. Here are the current UK general election betting odds, showing which party is rated likeliest to have the most number of seats.
Political Party | Odds |
Labour | 2/7 |
Conservative | 7/2 |
Reclaim Party | 100/1 |
Liberal Democrat | 200/1 |
Reform UK | 500/1 |
Green Party | 500/1 |
UKIP | 1000/1 |
In this section we’re going to drill into some of the most popular political betting options that you’re likely to see through online bookmaker brands on their sportsbooks.
Here are the most common markets that you will see when looking at UK politics betting sections.
Here are some of the most popular markets that you can expect to see when looking at a US political betting section.
There are other political betting markets available from different parts of the world. Here are some of the ones that you are likely to find.
When it comes to promotions and bonuses, there are plenty that can be used in conjunction with betting on politics. Obviously there are many that are centred exclusively around the biggest sports for bookmakers, such as football and horse racing, but there are still lot of opportunities for political betting UK punters. Let’s take a look at some of the types of offers that you can enjoy.
When you sign up for a new account at many online sportsbooks, they will 100% match your first deposit with a bonus amount. Some, will give you an even bigger bonus figure. This type of offer is also sometimes available for existing users, with future deposits getting a boost.
Many bookmakers prefer to give free bets as a welcome present. After you place your first bet, they will give you a certain number of free bets to use. Free bets are also often given to existing users, which can then be used for wagering on politics.
A third type of welcome offer is a no-lose bet, where you get your stake refunded if your first wager is a loser. These can also be given out as a bonus to existing customers, giving the opportunity for punters to place a political bet at a high price, without having to worry about the outcome.
A common type of promotion that you see a lot of sportsbooks is daily enhanced odds offers. The prices of certain popular markets are given a boost beyond their normal level. This can include political betting odds when there are big events such as elections.
During elections, when there are lots of political markets due to be settled at a similar time, you might want to place an accumulator bet. With acca insurance, if only one of your selections loses, then you will get your stake returned, up to a certain stated amount.
This is another accumulator based accumulator. With an acca bonus, the more selections that you choose, the bigger the boost to your profits will be added.
No one likes to lose bets, but sometimes it can happen. When it does, having a cashback or rebate offer available, can certainly soften the blow. You will receive a percentage of your losses back every week or month, to add to your betting balance.
Regardless of what the country in question is, there are certain staple political betting markets, that tend to be used by bookmakers. We’re going to take a look at some of the most popular types.
Here are a few tips that will help you with your political betting. Follow this advice to boost your profitability.
Polls have not always proved to be accurate when it comes to elections and referendums, even though they are supposed to indicate public opinion on the political landscape. This has especially been true in recent years, with the results of the 2016 Brexit Referendum and the US election of the same year, being at odds with the polls. Though polls are worth looking at and considering when placing election bets, they’re no longer trusted in the way that they once were. Take this on board as part of any betting strategy you use with politics odds.Tip 1: Don’t Trust Polls
The previous point brings us to the concept of ‘shy Tories’. When people are asked who they will vote for by pollsters, it would seem that voters of left-wing parties such as Labour, are more likely to answer honestly than right-wing parties, such as the Tories/Conservatives. You can therefore expect right-wing parties/outcomes to be more likely than the polls might suggest.
Do plenty of research before placing a political bet, but make sure that you vary it. So don’t just read left or right-leaning newspapers or websites, read both. There are different types of people using Twitter, than Facebook, so check out what is being said about political events on both sites. Talk to a varied group of friends, family and acquaintances. It is easy to simply gauge the opinion of people that are just like yourself, but you are danger of creating an echo chamber situation, where you assume everyone agrees with your views.
We hope you enjoyed our guide to betting on politics. As you will have discovered, theres plenty of choice for UK punters in this area, with many online sportsbooks covering politics in-depth. All of our recommended websites fall into this category, but our absolute favourite political betting site is Betfred.