Election officials aim to debunk misinformation via transparency
“Transparency” is key to building voter trust in the outcome of the 2024 election, according to officials.
Former President Donald Trump holds a lead at the betting window with a week to go until Election Day for the first time in his campaign history.
Trump is ahead against Vice President Kamala Harris at U.K. bookmaker Beftfair Exchange -175 to +175, his largest lead in the action, which U.S. betting houses cannot participate in, since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
The lead is similar at other betting houses USA TODAY has regulary surveyed.
“While Trump is in the driving seat right now and no doubt feeling as confident as he ever has, his comeback in 2016 shows anything can happen in the last two weeks of an election,” Sam Rosbottom, a spokesperson for the betting house, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.
Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a larger lead over Trump a week before the election but ended up losing on election night. Biden had a similar lead in 2020 to the one Trump currently holds and narrowly won the states required to deliver the Electoral College.
Questions have been raised around betting patterns at offshore cryptocurrency-based betting houses after the Wall Street Journal reported that four mystery accounts collectively pumped $30 million in cryptocurrency wagers on a Trump victory.
Betfair said that it has taken in over £160 million, or $200 million, in its statement.
Betting odds comparison one week out
Via Betfair Exchange
2024
2020
2016
Presidential betting timeline
How accurate have election odds been in past presidential elections?
The betting favorite has only lost twice since 1866, according to the Conversation, a nonprofit news organization.
The only time, other than in 2016, that bettors have missed was in in 1948, when Harry Truman (D) beat eight-to-one odds to defeat Thomas Dewey (R).
Contributing: Joey Garrison