The US Presidential election is set to surpass Britain’s recent Brexit vote and become the most wagered-upon political event of all time.
According to a report by Reuters as Americans prepared to go to the polls this week, UK-based betting platforms were reporting huge interest in the Presidential vote with opinion polls predicting a tight race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
That may not prove to be the case based on early reports of huge voter turnout, but either way it is good news for the likes of Betfair who had seen around US$130 million wagered by Sunday – not far from the total US$159 million it took on Brexit. Only US$50 million was bet on the 2012 Presidential election.
Another site, Ladbrokes, said it had taken around double the amount bet in 2012. Despite getting the Brexit vote wrong, however, the UK’s sites remain confident of a Clinton victory – claiming an 83 percent probability.
