A 2019 study into gamers and voting behavior brought up some interesting results. Matching the national turnout, 59% of gamers claimed they would vote in the next presidential election. 37% of gamers align to the Democrat party, while 33% claim to be Republicans. 18% stated they were independent, and 12% placed in the ‘other’ category. So, it seems that, in the gaming population, there are a lot of swing voters who might be intending to vote, but still don’t know who they will vote for. Therefore, could betting on the US presidential election help politically inexperienced people understand how everything works?
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Could Betting Help People Get into Politics?
Betting acts in some ways to bridge the gap between a vested interest in politics and democracy, and a sense of confusion about how everything works. Gamers, especially those who might be unsure who to vote for, could better understand the system when things are explained in terms that they might respond to. So, seeing the list of events and outcomes and understanding how the odds work could not only show them what goes into an election, but could even give an insight into what the voting behavior of each state is like.
What Do Betting Odds Tell Us?
Betting odds don’t just tell us who might be more likely to win (which can change at the eleventh hour, as per the 2016 election) but can give us a wealth of information. For instance, the popular vote – taken from the citizens of the USA – may not reflect the overall total, which is also influenced by the electoral college system.
The 2016 election saw Hillary Clinton win the popular vote but lose the presidency due to the structure of the system. The same thing happened in 2000 when Democrat Al Gore achieved more votes from the people than George Bush, but Bush gained support of the electoral college.
Betting Odds Show State Differences
Moreover, as the United States Presidential Election odds show, you can also identify which states might be important, as far as the electoral college goes, based on the odds given for which way the state may lean. Some states, such as Hawaii, are safe Democrat states, while Alaska is a safe Republican state – so the odds will reflect this.
Other states, like Florida, are known as swing states, so have odds that reflect this. In May 2020, the odds for the Republicans and Democrats taking Florida are even. Events closer to November 2020’s polling day could see these odds change – whereas odds for safer states are less likely to be affected by things that happen.
Not everyone is naturally interested in politics. For every person who absorbs every titbit of information, there is someone completely apathetic to the entire process. A well-rounded political education doesn’t have to be a case of studying books and watching stuffy documentaries. It could come down to something as simple as connecting with elements of politics in a way that makes sense to you. So, for the 41% of gamers who won’t vote, and the 30% who are not voting for the two major parties, checking out the betting that goes into the election could help provide a better idea of the system on the whole.
