Political betting in the UK often revolves around major political events, elections, and referendums. While the popularity of specific bets can vary, some common political betting markets in the UK include:
1. General Elections:
- Betting on the outcome of general elections, including which party will win the most seats or which party leader will become the Prime Minister.
2. Party Leadership Elections:
- Betting on the outcome of internal party elections, such as who will become the leader of a political party like the Conservative Party or the Labour Party.
3. Referendums:
- Betting on the outcome of referendums, such as the Brexit referendum in 2016. This could include bets on whether a referendum will pass or fail and the margin of victory.
4. Specific Political Events:
- Betting on specific political events, like major policy decisions, resignations of key political figures, or the passing of important legislation.
5. Next Prime Minister:
- Betting on who will be the next leader of the country, regardless of whether it’s through a general election or a party leadership change.
6. Specials and Novelty Bets:
- Bookmakers sometimes offer novelty bets related to politics, such as bets on whether a politician will make a specific statement, wear a certain outfit, or get involved in a particular controversy.
7. Local Elections:
- Betting on outcomes of local elections, including mayoral races and council elections.
8. Budget and Economic Policies:
- Betting on specific economic events, such as whether a government will meet certain economic targets or introduce specific policies in the budget.
Politics on betting exchanges
Politics on betting exchanges has grown in popularity and now there are hundreds of markets open for people to bet on. These markets cover international politics, such as who will be the next Prime Minister, or the next US President.
You can also bet on who might become the next leader of a party, who might win the most votes in an election, or even when the next election might take place. As on all betting exchange markets you can choose to back or lay. For example, you can back Boris Johnson to win the next general election or lay the bet, so you are betting on him not to win the next general election.