As this election year has grown more and more unhinged, so too have the debate props for Tuesday’s showdown between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz.
Those wanting to put their money where their mouth is on their political predictions can do so at a number of offshore gambling websites.
There, you can wager your hard-earned dough on things as simple as the debate’s winner, but also on the seemingly unlikely—like if a fly will land on Walz or Vance, as a rogue insect infamously did on Mike Pence’s head in 202o, or if either candidate will have an untimely trip and fall on stage.
Starting with the straightforward: Multiple websites, including BetOnline, and Bet.us, have Vance favored to win the debate in the eyes of a CBS-affiliated poll at odds of -150. That means you’d have to wager $150 to win $100 on a Vance victory. Walz, who was considered the heavy favorite over the weekend, now has slight underdog odds of +110, meaning a successful $100 wager would win $110.
Tuesday will be the first—and only scheduled—debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz. Vance last faced off against a political foe on national TV in 2022, when he attended a Fox News town hall during his U.S. Senate race.
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Now onto the fun. Those willing to wager Pence’s fly moment will recreate itself Tuesday can do so at Bovada, where the longshot odds of +4000 means you could turn $100 into $4,000 if it actually happens. If a candidate tumbles on stage, Bovada will pay out $3,100 off a $100 wager.
Also unlikely but apparently still possible, according to bookmakers, is that a protester will manage to interrupt the audience-free debate (+2000), that Vance will concede that Trump is wrong about something (+1100), or that Walz will tell his opponent, “Get off the couch” (+1000).
The odds for other props aren’t as much of a longshot, but likely wouldn’t exist in a sane election. At BetOnline, you can wager on which will come out of Walz’s mouth first: Cat ladies, Haitians, pets, or “childless.” All have odds of +275.
There are also over-under wagers accepted for how many times something is mentioned by name. That includes Taylor Swift (over/under 0.5), Project 2025 (over/under 4.5), Vladimir Putin (over/under 6.5) and, of course, Trump (over/under 17.5).
Bovada has a long list of buzzwords for each candidate. Among those for Vance includes “fentanyl” (-1000) and “illegal alien” (-850) as the most likely, with “stolen valor” (+300), “de-woke-ification” (+400), and “repent” (+2000) also able to be wagered on.
Tim Walz has proven to be a confident speaker on the campaign trail, but the Minnesota governor never been part of a televised political debate before.
Erica Dischino/Retuers
Walz’s most likely buzzwords on the site includes “opportunity economy” (-5000) and “Project 2025” (-2500). Wagers are also accepted on him saying “just weird” (-150), “tampon” (+300), and “eating pets” (+500).
The websites are also letting people try their luck on the candidate’s wardrobe choices. If either shows up without a tie, bettors can turn $100 into $600 at BetOnline. Odds of +150 are also being offered to anyone who thinks one of Vance or Walz will turn up Tuesday wearing a shirt that’s not white. You can even bet on if Walz will wear glasses in the debate’s first 15 minutes or not, with odds of -600 for no and +350 for yes.
It’s illegal for American sportsbooks to accept wagers on U.S. elections and politics. That means those offering odds for Tuesday’s showdown are not regulated in the U.S. despite them accepting wagers from Americans. Still, Prediction News reported this week that over $1 billion has been wagered on this year’s presidential election.
Tuesday’s debate will be moderated by CBS News and is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. EST.
