The presidential election is two long years away, but DraftKings has already posted odds for its sportsbook in Ontario. The U.S. bars wagering on elections.
“I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time. I think it’s going to write a lot of business, said Johnny Avello, DraftKings’ director of race and sportsbook operations. “I had guys call me in the past and tell me they wanted to bet a half million dollars on it.”
DraftKings made former president Donald Trump the +250 favorite to be elected again in 2024 and installed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the 3-1 second choice. President Joe Biden is the +550 third pick, followed by Vice President Kamala Harris at 12-1.
DeSantis, a Republican, has seen his odds improve in recent months. He briefly replaced Trump as the 2024 favorite in late June at London-based betting exchange Smarkets before dropping lower. DeSantis is the 3-1 co-favorite with Trump at United Kingdom-based BetFair sportsbook.
“There are a lot of reasons to look at the second choice in the Republican Party,” Avello said. “Trump could be in a little bit of trouble right now, and he’s going to be a lot older by the time the election takes place. We’ve got a long way to go.”
Nevada Gaming Control Board senior research analyst Michael Lawton told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2020 that lawmakers, not just gaming regulators, would have to approve the change.
U.S. bookmakers would love it.
“We’ve talked to people around the world,” Westgate SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay said. “The books that offer it say it outhandles the Super Bowl 10 times over. And it makes sense.”
