The official date for the next UK Elections might not be close (not before the 2nd of May 2024) but that does not mean bookmakers worldwide don’t provide markets for this major political event. Boris Johnson is leaving the office and Keir Starmer is the number one nominee for the next Prime Minister seat with Rishi Sunak being his rivalry. What do punters need to make a profit from the UK Elections? A political bettng guide that provides the best General Elections betting sites, the highest odds, and the main markets.
Best UK Elections betting sites
Right below, you can view a shortlist of the best political betting sites. The selection is based on the odds, variety of markets, and the number of political events these bookmakers offer.
Most popular markets for UK Elections
The most prestigious betting sites provide a wide variety of markets. From who will be the next Prime Minister to which party will win the most seats, players have plenty of choices in the UK Elections betting “field”.
Most seats: This is one of the most popular betting markets. This is betting on the winner. That does not necessarily mean a party will win enough seats to form a government but to win more seats than any other.
Overall Majority / No Majority: Punters can wager on the winning party’s majority. A single party must win over half of the seats to form a government. In the UK, there are 650 seats right now. Bettors can also bet on no overall majority.
Total Seats: This market may be found as Over/Under. Players can bet on the exact number of seats to be won by a party. Bet on conservatives to win over/under 375,5 seats or ranges, e.g., a party to win 250-275, 275-300 seats, etc.
Local Seat: Closer to the election dates, punters will have the opportunity to bet on which party will win any of the 650 seats.
Turnout Percentage: Bettors can wager on the percentage of the voting adult population. This can be rounded up as a range (65.01% - 70% or more) or equal odds (2-way over/under) market (over/under 63,5% at odds of 5/6).
Special Bets: There are many special bets you can place, primarily as the general election approaches. These include betting on individual MPs to resign, betting on seats/majority in the UK’s different nations, etc.
Next Party Leader: Bettors have the opportunity to wager on who will be the next party leader. Ed Davey is the favorite nominee with the democratic nominee odds at 1.14 and the next conservative leader odds at 3.50 with Rishi Sunak to be the number one nominee.
Over/Under (2-way): Many of the markets listed above are also available in an over/under format and it gives players the chance to bet high/low with reasonably equivalent odds. Conservatives to win over 350,5 seats or the Labour Party to be under a 63,5% voter turnout.
Betting odds in the UK Elections
The political betting market is not steady. The most significant example is that Boris Johnson’s exiting odds before the official general election date (2024) is now rated less than 50% at 1.40 (2/5). On the contrary, Johnson’s prices to stay on his duty until 2024 are on 2.04 (26/25). A 2020 possible election date is at 7.80 (34/5) and Johnson is rated 64% likely to be in post two years from now, in July 2022, at odds of 1.53 (8/15).
The government’s management of the COVID crisis is disparaged all around the world. Less than a third of the public approves of the measures Johnson has been taken. The Dominic Cummings lockdown scandal has inflamed two problems. First, it lavished much public goodwill, and second, it aggravated the media who were already overthrowing over their treatment.
Leader | Party | AVG Odds |
Keir Starmer | Labour Party | 2.50 |
Rishi Sunak | Conservative Party | 4.75 |
Michael Gove | Conservative Party | 10.00 |
Dominic Raab | Conservative Party | 15.00 |
Jeremy Hunt | Conservative Party | 23.00 |
Matthew Hancock | Conservative Party | 23.00 |
Priti Patel | Conservative Party | 26.00 |
Sajid Javid | Conservative Party | 29.00 |
Angela Rayner | Labour Party | 45 |
Conservative Party, also known as Tories, may have fallen from the sky deemed extraordinary during that peak period, but they are still leading by up to 8% in the latest polls. Considering how nasty the news cycle has been, they will be emboldened. The rooted breakdown has hardened since Brexit persists.
Current Leader | Party | AVG Party Odds |
Boris Johnson | Conservative Party | 1.67 |
Keir Starmer | Labour Party | 2.50 |
Nicola Sturgeon | Scottish National Party | 13.00 |
Ed Davey - Mark Pack | Liberal Democrats Party | 51.00 |
Jonathan Bartley - Sian Berry | Green Party | 151.00 |
*The odds above are based on the August 2020 polls.
Complete list of UK Elections Bookmakers
Some of the most popular events players can bet in the UK Elections are Next Prime Minister, Next Labour Leader, Overall Majority, Year of next General Election, etc. You can check the best betting sites for the general election to complete the available markets.
The next General Election in the UK is scheduled to be held on Thursday the 2nd of May 2024. However, there is a high possibility for the elections to happen earlier than the official dates and bettors can find some exciting betting odds.
There were 650 seats contested in 2017 and 2019. Boundary changes are due to come in reducing the number of seats to 600, but this will only apply to elections after 2020.
There are 533 seats in England, 59 in Scotland, 40 in Wales, and 18 in Northern Ireland. These numbers will change after the next election.
After the 2019 general election, Conservatives hold 364, Labour 202, Scottish National Party 48, Liberal Democrats 11, Plaid Cymru 3, Green Party 1, Democratic Unionist Party 8, Sinn Fein 7, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2 and Alliance Party 1, Independent 2, Speaker 1.
You would think that a party would need 325 seats (half of the 650), but in reality, less is required as Northern Ireland’s Sinn Fein party, who do not take up their seats, reduce this. Therefore, a party will likely need 321-322 seats or more for a working majority at this moment.
There are 428 parties in Great Britain and 36 in Northern Ireland. To be honest, only a small bunch of these stand any chance of winning seats in the coming elections.
If one party wins enough seats, the Queen can ask the party leader to form a government. On the other hand, if a party does not achieve enough seats, they can form coalitions with other parties to reach a majority and form a coalition government.
Parties that win the most votes don’t always win the elections. Theoretically, a party can have a higher percentage of people voting for them but achieve fewer seats. This is known as the popular vote. The general election result depends on the number of seats won, not the proportion of people who vote for a given party.
Right now, there is an overall majority. This should result in a conclusion for Brexit. Nevertheless, the process is long and could take more than an entire parliamentary term to be completed. It is highly likely Brexit, or the result of it to be a considerable factor in the next election.