Trump vs Biden I: Cloudbet Markets Give it to Not-So-Sleepy Joe

Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency, won support from the betting public as he withstood a hail of bluster and interjection from President Donald Trump during a combative and fiery first presidential debate.

Odds on a Biden win shortened to 1.65, meaning betting markets give him a 61% chance of being elected, according to prices compiled by crypto sportsbook Cloudbet. That compares to 1.73 (58%) just before the debate. Trump’s odds drifted to 2.28 from 2.16, amid indications that bettors had taken significant positions on the president ahead of the debate.

Biden had managed to mostly fend off Trump’s constant interruptions and aggression, as part of his campaign’s ongoing attack on the Democrat’s mental acuity and cognitive abilities, commentators on both sides of the political spectrum said after the debate. Others said the chaos of the encounter blurred any attempt at messaging on key issues, and did little to sway undecided voters who are crucial for victory in key swing states.

Cloudbet is tracking the two candidates’ price movements closely as part of its comprehensive politics offering that allows customers to bet on the election winner as well as on state-by-state outcomes. The operator’s politics page features a superbly designed electoral college map integration that gives users an instant opinion on which party is likely to win the election, based on real-time odds presented for each state.

Cloudbet saw a significant pick-up in betting activity ahead of the debate: About 10% of the value of all bets on the U.S. election were placed in the 24 hours leading up to the event, a spokesperson for the crypto operator said. Bets on Trump accounted for 90% of the new positions.

“Some people thought that Biden’s weaknesses were going to get clearly exposed in the debate,” the spokesperson said.

The election map significantly amplifies what’s on offer at Cloudbet for players seeking the best odds for bitcoin politics betting from the comfort of their homes or on the go. Since it relaunched its website in April, the operator has unveiled a swathe of bold new features to attract a more diverse audience, including esports, USDT betting, and easy credit-card coin purchases.

Founded in 2013, Cloudbet is one of the world’s longest established bitcoin operators. The site also accepts ethereum and bitcoin cash.

The operator grabbed the attention of industry observers in June with an ambitious English Premier League campaign, under which its sportsbook charged no margin on pre-match bets for all games left in the season. That allowed customers to access the fairest prices — and therefore the highest returns — in the market.

The campaign was an extension of Cloudbet’s long-standing “best odds” campaigns on sports including soccer, basketball and tennis.