Boston – Massachusetts now legalizes betting on most sporting events. But what if you bet on politics, one of the state’s most popular spectator sports? Will it be the next frontier for legalized gambling?
Technically, it’s still not legal in the US. But with the ability to bet on politics already through Canadian and overseas markets, it will only be a matter of time before we can do so here. .
The recent general election in Massachusetts politics has not been very competitive. Picking the Republican nominee as the winner is like betting on the 16th seed to beat the 1st seed in the NCAA basketball tournament. But party primaries can sometimes provide a playing field, and betting on them can get a lot more attention than they already get.
New Hampshire primaries are held every four years. Despite recent pressure from President Biden to strip Granite state of first-in-the-nation status, New Hampshire law dictates that they must go first, even if that means moving next summer. I set the chances that the media will still come out in droves at 2 to 1. After all, they are doing so for the Iowa State Fair straw vote, but if NH Governor Chris Snunu runs for office, making the primary meaningless because of his favorite son’s status. , making him 3 to 1 against the media voter turnout.
Imagine betting that the Massachusetts Legislature will pass a budget by the constitutionally mandated June 30 deadline. That hasn’t happened in the last eight years in a row, so I set the early line at her 10-to-1.
And here’s a fun prop bet for you involving Gov. Maura Healy, who you may know by now is a former point guard. How many times should I use the metaphor?
How likely is it that this fantasy will become a reality? In the 2020 Biden-Trump showdown, his one sportsbook in the UK alone saw him bet over $300 million, so clearly he can make a lot of money with political bets. And you know what they say about money in American politics – it talks and everything else walks.
But I have to answer one question (if that’s not an oxymoron) about the integrity of political gambling. How does it prevent politicians from doing or saying stupid things and skimming scores or running elections blatantly?
John Keller
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