The big bet on the UK election is not who will be prime minister
Britain's general election is a big event for political gamblers
LONDON (AP) — In one of the store-front betting shops that are ubiquitous in London, a bookie howls with laughter when asked if anyone is placing bets on Thursday’s election.
It’s not that you can’t wager on politics. But the odds on the main event this year have become so lopsided that a wager on which party will control Parliament is a bad bet.
A gambler would have to put 100 pounds ($127) on the favored Labour Party to pocket a pound coin in return. A pound bet on the ruling Conservatives would yield 30 times that — if they win. But the bookie wryly noted it would realistically mean throwing away a pound. Then she guffawed again.
In gambling-crazy Britain, politics is fair game for betting. The subject has received more attention than normal in this election because of a scandal revolving around what date the election would be set — one of the many gambling possibilities.
