news

"Oh Look, America's Subconscious is on a Seesaw Again: Harris vs. Trump—Who Will Make Us Cringe Less?"

Oh, brilliant! Just what we need—bookies treating our first female VP like a racehorse against Trump, the reigning king of chaos. Because apparently, the DNC is just another Super Bowl for political gamblers. Way to miss the point, Vegas!

Published August 26, 2024 at 4:13am by James Powel

2024 Election: Kamala vs. Trump - The Betting World's Hot Mess

Oh, the sheer chaos of it all! The post-DNC glow hasn't quite translated into a clear betting frenzy for our beloved Vice President Kamala Harris. She's either barely ahead or tied with—you guessed it—former President Donald Trump. Because of course, this is the hot mess we live in.

The spread between these two at bookmakers is like a roller coaster ride. Offshore bookies like Bovada and BetOnline are rooting for Harris as a "clear but narrow favorite," while U.K. big shots Bet365 and Betfair have them tied. Classic move by the Brits to keep us on our toes.

In true gambling-is-life fashion, over $5.125 million was thrown around at Betfair Exchange during DNC week. You know, the gambling our own bookmakers can't legally touch? But hey, democracy, right? The action tipped toward Harris during her honeymoon phase but has since cooled off. Sigh, fickle gamblers.

Want to stay in the loop with Election 2024? Sign up for USA TODAY's On Politics newsletter, where the drama never stops.

Presidential Election Odds as of August 26

Betfair Exchange

Kamala Harris: +102
Donald Trump: +105

Bet 365

Kamala Harris: -110
Donald Trump: -110

via Covers.com

Bovada

Kamala Harris: -115
Donald Trump: -105

BetOnline

Kamala Harris: -120
Donald Trump: EVEN

Oddschecker

Kamala Harris: +102
Donald Trump: +106

Election Odds Accuracy: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Fun fact: Betting favorites have only lost twice since 1866. Kamala's got the narrowest lead over Trump at the 75-day mark, barely at -102. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's odds were at -323, and we all know how that turned out—one of the two times the betting underdog won.

The other upset? Oh, just 1948 when Harry Truman defied eight-to-one odds to defeat Thomas Dewey. Because history loves to keep us guessing.

And who could forget the veep-stakes? Bettors barely gave Minnesota Governor Tim Walz a second glance when the market opened for Harris' VP pick. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly were the crowd favorites most of the time, with Walz only shooting up the odds boards in the final days. Sneaky, sneaky.

Stay woke, folks. This election circus is far from over.