FanDuel prematurely launches political betting in West Virginia

FanDuel yesterday began offering odds on various political betting markets in West Virginia after the operator claimed it was given the green-light by the West Virginia Lottery Commission.

However, the markets were quickly taken down after the state regulator said it needed to “fully research [the markets] and work through any implications.”

FanDuel said in a statement to Bloomberg: “While the markets were approved, the West Virginia Lottery has asked FanDuel to refrain from offering the markets until they have time to fully work through the implications of this new market offering.”

While they were live, FanDuel had priced 2020 presidential candidates Trump and Biden at 110 and +125 to win next year’s election.

The operator had also priced candidate Bernie Sanders at +1600 and Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo at +1400 to become the party’s formal presidential nomination.

West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner condemned the move in a statement: “Gambling on the outcome of an election has no place in our American democracy.

“This a terrible idea. Let’s shut this down right now and be very clear about it,” Warner said.

Political betting analyst for UK operator Star Sports William Kedjanyi recently told EGR NA: “Sports betting has exploded in the states that have legalized it and I have no doubt that political betting would go the same way.

“Elections generally give you a wide range of options and individual markets as you can bet on Senate races, you have the primaries, and you have the big event itself,” Kedjanyi said.

“The US never really stops in terms of its election cycle because two years after an election you have the mid-terms.”

New Jersey gave operators permission to take bets on the Oscars and in recent weeks sportsbooks have pivoted towards alternative and novelty markets on the continued lack of traditional sport in the current climate.