Canadian Sportsbooks Drop Political Betting Following Trump Assassination Attempt

Posted on: July 16, 2024, 07:33h. 

Last updated on: July 16, 2024, 09:55h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Two sportsbooks operating in Canada have suspended their betting markets on the 2024 United States presidential election after the failed assassination attempt of Donald Trump over the weekend.

Canadian sportsbooks political betting 2024 odds
Former President Donald Trump reacts after a bullet grazed his ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13, 2024. Two Canadian sportsbooks suspended their political betting markets in the wake of the assassination attempt. (Image: Reuters)

Ontario is the most populated province in Canada and is home to the richest sports betting market. The province, which commenced sports betting operations in April 2022, welcomed several prominent US sportsbook operators, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM.

On Saturday evening, a 20-year-old gunman armed with an AR-style firearm climbed atop a building in Butler, Pennsylvania, some 400 feet from where the former president was rallying Republicans and his fanbase for the November 5 election. Trump turned his head slightly at just the right time, as the gunman fired and the bullet grazed the former casino tycoon’s right ear.

The failed assassination attempt has further fueled Trump’s 2024 campaign. It’s also shined a light on controversial betting on political outcomes, which prompted two Canadian sportsbooks to fold on such markets for the time being.

Lines Suspended

FanDuel on Monday announced it was shuttering its 2024 US betting lines in Canada. Such political betting isn’t permitted stateside but it’s common overseas in the UK and throughout much of Europe, as well as up north in Canada.

In light of recent events, FanDuel has made the decision to suspend its US election markets,” the sportsbook said of its Canadian operations.

Hours later, BetMGM yanked its US election betting markets, too.

As of this writing, DraftKings and bet365 continue to facilitate wagering on the 2024 election. BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, and PointsBet, three other commercial sportsbooks in Ontario, aren’t showing US political markets.

Trump continues to solidify his front-runner status. At bet365, the billionaire is at -275 to win in November, an implied probability of 73.3%. President Joe Biden is at +450, or implied odds of just 18%.

Other possible Democratic successors, should Biden agree to step down, include Vice President Kamala Harris at +1100 — an 8.3% probability. Former First Lady Michelle Obama is at +2500 and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is at +3300.

Biden remains the favorite to secure his party’s nomination next month at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The president is at -334, with Harris at +400, Obama at +1400, and Newsom at +2000.

Sports betting, including political wagering, is allowed in several other Canadian provinces. Ontario is the only province where commercial sportsbooks operate. The other provinces have a government-designated sportsbook operator. 

Vance Doesn’t Move the Needle 

During the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Trump announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his 2024 running mate. As Casino.org reported last week, Vance was the betting front-runner for Trump’s VP nod.

After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator JD Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network.

Trump’s picking of Ohio’s junior US senator did nothing to his 2024 outright odds. Before the Vance announcement, oddsmakers already had Trump at -275 to oust Biden from the White House.