With so much going on in UK politics recently, there are plenty of political betting offers up for grabs. With the threat of a general election on the horizon and the latest dramatic shifts with Brexit, now has never been a better time to get involved in the UK political betting market. Read on to find out about the best offers, odds and tips on betting on politics.
If you’re a new customer, then most betting sites have bonuses available which can be applied to the politics markets. Bear in mind that some welcome bonuses are not valid on political bets, for example; William Hill’s bet £10 get £30 bonus, so make sure to check the terms and conditions if you’re looking to claim a specific welcome offer. Sometimes, your bets will automatically qualify you for offers, but other times you may have to enter a code. If you’re new to betting, or are used to just placing the odd political bet, these welcome bonuses should be the first thing you take advantage of.
When it comes to politics, everyone has their opinion, which is what makes the betting markets and options available so vast. One of the most popular markets across all bookmakers is ‘next prime minister’. Usually, this is something that’s only popular when a general election comes around, but with so much uncertainty in the current political climate, bookmakers have seen an influx in bets of this type. Along with this, you can also bet on who you think will be the next conservative or labour leader, something which will inevitably change in the near future. There are also markets available on who the next cabinet minister to leave will be.
Of course, we couldn’t discuss political betting odds without mentioning the B word… Brexit. One of the reasons why political betting is experiencing a boom is due to the uncertainty and the implications of UK politics. Brexit has opened up many new markets and made outcomes such as whether the House of Commons will vote no or yes on the EU withdrawal agreement, and is Theresa May will still be the Prime Minister on April 1st 2019. There are also markets available on the chances of a vote of no confidence happening in 2018 and the year of the next general election.
A second Brexit referendum would cause "irreparable damage" to the integrity of British politics, Theresa May will warn MPs later today https://t.co/SVcWZqLP6g pic.twitter.com/PijrZ0dEJV
— ITV News (@itvnews) December 17, 2018
When it comes to political betting, not all bookies are equal. We’ve outlined a few of the top bookmakers below along with some of our tips on how to get the best returns.
For sheer volume of choice, Paddy Power comes out on top. As well as offering some great odds on the the usual markets – next Prime Minister, next Labour leader etc – they also have good odds available for a number of unique specials, such as a no confidence special and other Brexit-specific markets. As well as a broad UK politics market, you can pick up a range of non-UK related bets, anywhere from from Ireland to the US. There’s even a whole section dedicated to Donald Trump if that’s more appealing.
Another strong contender in our list is Ladbrokes, who are currently offering a lucrative ‘bet £5 and get £20 in free bets’ welcome offer which is redeemable on political bets. There are some interesting specials available too, such as being able to bet on whether there will be another UK EU Referendum before the end of 2019 and whether the UK will remain in the EU or leave.
Third on our list is William Hill, who has also ramped up its UK political market betting options. Although there’s not as much to choose from compared to the others on our list, the odds on offer are super competitive. You also have the peace of mind you’d expect from such a big betting site. Furthermore, they have a new customer offer which rewards you with three free bets on your first £10 bet (at odds of 1.2 or better).
Of course the betting doesn’t stop here, and we would recommend taking a look around to find the best odds for your prefered outcome. Sites such as Coral, Betfair and Bet365 all have decent offers available, with many offering welcome bonuses to entice new customers and bet boosts and bonuses to reward existing customers.
With so many markets available and so much uncertainty around UK politics, there’s never been a better time to get involved in political betting. Even the top politicians can’t agree, which is why you can see such a fluctuation in the odds bookmakers are offering. For this reason, we recommend hunting around for the best odds before placing your bets. Also, look out for those welcome bonuses and take advantage of free bets and any money back offers to increase your returns.
One popular tactic is to place multiple bets on different outcomes, either as an accumulator or as separate bets. For example, you could bet that the House of Commons will vote no on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. This defeat could spark a vote of no confidence in Theresa May which could potentially lead to a Labour-led government with Jeremy Corbyn at the helm. If all of these bets paid out, your return would be a lot higher than if you’d only bet on one market. The outcomes in political betting can be more predictable, as often, one vote can determine the outcome of the next. Accumulator bets are often more random when it comes to sports betting.