Can you bet on politics at Bovada? 2026 midterms and 2028 odds

ByCrown Wagers Editorial Team Updated Bovada Help

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Yes. Bovada’s sportsbook has a politics section, and on September 29, 2026 it listed markets on the 2026 US midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election. Bovada is an offshore sportsbook with no US state license. Sportsbooks that US states do license don’t offer election betting at all.

What you can bet on

The two big US markets right now are the midterms, with Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and the 2028 presidential election, which falls on November 7, 2028. Bovada’s politics menu also has sections for Canadian, European and world politics.

We couldn’t confirm which individual 2026 races and props are open. For the 2022 midterms, Bovada’s betting blog described odds on which party would control the House and the Senate, individual Senate races, voter turnout and approval ratings. The 2026 lineup may be different, so look at what’s posted before you plan a bet.

How to place a politics bet

  1. Sign in and open the sportsbook.
  2. Choose Politics, then US Politics or another section.
  3. Click the odds for your pick to add it to the bet slip.
  4. Enter how much you want to risk, check the potential win and click Place Bets.

The odds read the same way as a moneyline on a game. A $100 bet on a candidate at +150 returns $250 if it wins, your $100 plus $150 profit. A $100 bet at -200 returns $150. Our guide to money lines explains the format.

Limits, rules and taxes

Bovada doesn’t publish betting limits for politics. Its politics rules page wasn’t loading on September 29, 2026, so we can’t confirm how it settles these bets, including what happens if a candidate drops out or a result is contested. Check any rules posted with the market, or ask Bovada customer support, before you bet.

Bovada’s general rules still apply. You can’t cancel a bet once it’s accepted, and bets on an obvious line error are voided. Bets on later elections also tie up your money. A bet on the 2028 race placed today won’t settle for more than two years.

If you win, the IRS treats gambling winnings as taxable income, even though Bovada says it doesn’t report winnings to tax authorities.

Why US sportsbooks don’t offer election betting

Sportsbooks licensed by US states don’t offer election betting, because state laws and regulations don’t allow it, so you won’t find election odds at one. Many states also have laws against betting on elections in general. A June 2026 count by the Pew Research Center found 23 states that ban it outright and 9 more that restrict it in some situations.

Bovada operates outside that system. It claims licensing from the Union of the Comoros, and it doesn’t accept players in 19 states and Washington, DC. See where Bovada is available for the full list. Whether betting on an election is legal where you live depends on your state’s laws. This isn’t legal advice.

Prediction markets

The other place Americans trade on elections is prediction markets. Exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), such as Kalshi and Polymarket’s US exchange, list contracts on the 2026 midterms, including which party will control the House and the Senate. Each contract is tied to one outcome, is priced between 1 and 99 cents, and is bought and sold on the exchange.

Kalshi had to go to court to list its congressional-control contracts after the CFTC rejected them in 2023. On September 12, 2024, a federal judge in Washington, DC ruled that the agency had exceeded its authority, and the CFTC dropped its appeal in May 2025.

Not every state accepts that. Arizona’s attorney general filed criminal charges against Kalshi on March 17, 2026, including four counts of election wagering, and Kalshi has called the charges meritless. Other states are in court with prediction markets too, mostly over sports contracts, so what’s available can depend on where you live and may change as those cases play out.

For more on how Bovada works and what you give up with an offshore book, read our Bovada review.

Bovada’s election markets are in its sportsbook. This link goes to Bovada’s sportsbook welcome page.

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Only bet what you’ve set aside to lose. If gambling has stopped being fun, call or text 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738) for free, confidential help, 24/7, or chat online with the National Problem Gambling Helpline.

Sources

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