The presidential election season is heating up in the United States and candidates from both sides of the aisle are hunkering down in preparation for months of battling it out from state to state. Betting on political outcomes continues to become more popular with each passing election cycle, but where can bettors located in the United States go to bet on elections legally?

Although PASPA was repealed in 2018, allowing for states to decide the fate of sports betting in their region, this left the waters for entertainment betting murky. The entertainment category is where political betting finds itself alongside other popular categories such as the Academy Awards, the Grammys, and reality shows such as Big Brother and American Idol.

Las Vegas sportsbooks offer no form of entertainment betting of any kind. For those states that have allowed for in-state regulated gambling and sportsbooks, they have followed the example put forth by Las Vegas and also prohibit entertainment betting. All betting lines offered in those self-regulated regions are for sports only.

That leaves only one political betting option for those living in the United States, and that is a licensed, regulated offshore sportsbook. Our recommended offshore sportsbooks are currently accepting wagers on a variety of political outcomes and are creating new categories frequently. Typically, any offshore sports betting site will also provide betting lines for political outcomes. The best part is, almost all US states allow for offshore betting.

BetOnline is offering these current odds on which candidate will end up being the Democratic nominee in 2020.

Democratic Nominee for the Presidential Election

• Bernie Sanders +100
• Michael Bloomberg +225
• Joe Biden +700
• Pete Buttigieg +1000
• Amy Klobuchar +2500
• Elizabeth Warren +3300
• Hillary Clinton +3300
• Tom Steyer +6600
• Michelle Obama +8000
• Tulsi Gabbard +8000

Judging by the odds presented here, Bernie Sanders is the current front runner and is expected to win the Democratic nomination. Of course, if you feel that one of the candidates toward the bottom of the list still has a legitimate chance, then place your bet now while the odds are at their highest so you can earn the best payout.

The odds list some candidates that are not currently running for president, such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Imagine what their odds would be if they were actually running. Tulsi Gabbard is currently rated at worse odds than Clinton and Obama and should probably consider dropping out of the race at this point. Clinton has been rumored to be attached to Mike Bloomberg’s campaign, but as of August of last year, Obama has no intention of entering the presidential race.

Speaking of dropping out of the race, betting lines have been offered for who will drop out next.

Next Candidate to Drop Out

• Tulsi Gabbard -150
• Elizabeth Warren +275
• Tom Steyer +500
• Joe Biden +700
• Amy Klobuchar +1600
• Michael Bloomberg +3300
• Pete Buttigieg +5000}
• Bernie Sanders +10000

The next democratic primary is in South Carolina on February 29^th, and a candidate will likely drop out shortly after the results are revealed. Current odds list Bernie Sanders as the favorite in South Carolina, but Joe Biden is listed just behind him. Can Joe pull a fast one in the Gamecock state and get his campaign back on track?

Odds to Win South Carolina Primary

• Bernie Sanders -120
• Joe Biden +100
• Tom Steyer +1600
• Pete Buttigieg +2000
• Amy Klobuchar +2500
• Elizabeth Warren +5000

*Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Games of Thrones Season 8, Episode 6.*

“When you bet the Game of Thrones, you make a profit or you lose.”

And if you’re right, how much profit often depends on when you placed a bet.

A majority of bettors at offshore betting sites correctly picked which character would rule the Seven (or Six, rather) Kingdoms of Westeros at the end of the final episode for HBO’s hit television show Game of Thrones.

What made GoT unique was the fact that any character could die at any moment, creating a sense of tension in each episode that is often not found in television dramas.

Even before Season 8 began, it was pretty much anyone’s game. But the betting market essentially forced the bookmakers to crown a new favorite heading into the GoT’s final season.

As we now know, Bran Stark ended the series as the Ruler of Westeros — though, the Iron Throne is no more — but he’d never been the favorite at any of the offshore betting sites.

Even as late as March 2019, many offshore sportsbooks had Bran’s odds listed somewhere between +1400 and +2000, giving him around a 4-6% chance to win the Games of Thrones.

But in the weeks leading up to the start of Season 8, a popular fan theory began making the rounds on social media. The theory claimed that Bran was actually the Night King and would rule Westeros when it was all over.

Because the theory seemed plausible and was backed up by quite a bit of evidence, bettors flooded the offshore betting markets to put money on Bran, causing him to skyrocket to the top — ahead of Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, and the Night King — and rightfully claimed his place as the favorite.

Heading into Season 8, Bran’s odds to rule Westeros at the end of Game of Thrones were listed between +100 (or even) to +200, which meant he know had anywhere from a 33% to 50% to be named King.

But after the Night King was killed in Episode 3, and the fan theory had been debunked, Bran was still listed as the favorite. But why?

Well, that’s when another leak surfaced, and this time, it detailed and provided evidence for not only why Bran will rule Westeros, but predicted exactly what would happen to the Clegane brothers and said that Daenerys, aka the Mad Queen, would burn King’s Landing to the ground.

Once both of those came true in Episode 5, bettors slammed their tickets on Bran, causing his betting odds to go from +200 (his worst odds) to a staggering -500 before Episode 6 aired last Sunday.

At -500, Bran now had an implied chance of 83% to rule Westeros, and by the end of the GoT series finale, we now know he had a 100% chance since he did become the ruler of Westeros when all was said and done.

If you bet money at an offshore betting site before the final episode, then you got a modest sum. Before the season began? A 2-to-1 payout.

But if you bet back in March, then congrats because even at +1400, a $100 wager netted you $1400 last Sunday.

So, what’s the lesson here?

The early bird (or Raven, if you will) gets the worm. It’s always good to be “in the know,” especially when betting on a TV show.

And at the end of GoT series, the early bettors got the best payout.

Recently the New Zealand Government has discovered that multiple offshore gambling sites have been using the official New Zealand web address (.nz). At least 13 offshore gambling sites operating outside of New Zealand has been using the web address. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) told media sources that the 13 sites are now blocked.

New Zealand carries a reputation of being a well-regulated country, and DIA officials believe that criminal organizations are taking advantage of their reputation by using their official country-based web address with no affiliation.

Offshore sites have often caught a bad reputation because of rogue sites claiming validity. Before signing up with any gambling site, it is a smart choice to do some research into the brand. Check out online reviews or play some free play games to get used to the action.

While the recent incident happened in New Zealand it is no surprise that there are other illegal offshore sites operation around the world in countries like the USA, Germany, Australia, and others. Here are the top three most important factors to consider when trying to validate an offshore gambling site.

Licensing & Compliance Records

Trusted online gambling sites will have a license from a gaming regulator and compliance records to show that their games have been subjected to outside testing. This information is usually easy to find since validated offshore casinos are proud of their licenses. You can usually scroll to the bottom of the home page to get a good start on finding online gambling licensing information.

Gaming software

Gaming software is one of my personal favorites. Let’s say that you found an online casino site that also offers a good bonus and multiple games you would like to wager on.  You check the site out and find that they use RTG Games (Real-time gaming), Rival, Playtech, or NetEnt. Games. To verify that the games all you have to do is go to the gaming manufacturing website and verify that they produce those titles.

Reputation

Reputation is probably the most important aspect to verify before giving out your personal information to an online gambling site. To verify an offshore betting sites reputation you can ask any of your friends who might have played the site, or you can search a related online forum. Be aware that not everyone will have a good story to tell and you need to know how to read between the lines. Did this guy leave a bad review because he got caught cheating or did the site screw this guy? I always look for things like payout speed, where the site is licensed from, and how long they have been operating.

Our Guide

Our guide is the collaborative effort of a team of online betting experts who have put their focus into offshore gambling sites. Legal online gambling is still in its infancy in the USA, and many states believe they just don’t have access to online sports betting, poker, or offshore casino gambling.