Several bookmakers have suspended markets on the US presidential election following the news that Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus.
Bookmakers have suspended markets on the US Presidential Election following last night’s news that US President Donald J. Trump tested positive for COVID-19.
At the time of writing several betting sites including Sky Bet, PaddyPower, Coral and Unibet have stopped taking bets on the US election.
This comes after Trump and his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, clashed in the first televised US Presidential Election Debate earlier this week.
Bookmakers no longer taking bets
The list of operators not taking bets on the election currently includes:
- Sky Bet
- PaddyPower
- Coral
- Unibet
- Betway
- Bwin
- Bet365
- William Hill
- BetVictor
- Betfred
- BoyleSports
- 10Bet
- Vbet
- Gentingbet
- Sportpesa
*This list of operators is subject to change.
Is anyone still taking bets?
Out of the most high profile bookmakers, Novibet currently appears to be the only operator still taking bets on the winner of the US Presidential Election.
As of 10:50 am, the operator currently has a Joe Biden victory priced at 4/7 while another Trump victory is priced at 29/20.
While most bookmakers have suspended markets on who will win the presidency in November some operators are still taking bets on other US political markets.
Betfred is still taking bets on the 2020 US House Of Representatives Election and has priced a Democrat victory 1/6 while a Republican victory is priced at 7/2. Vbet is also still taking bets on which political party will win each US state.
Trump tests positive for COVID
Bookmakers suspended US election betting markets following the news that Trump and his wife Melania both tested positive for the coronavirus and are now self-isolating in the White House.
In a tweet, Trump said: “Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
This news came after one of Trump’s closest aides, Hope Hicks, tested positive for the virus. Hicks, travelled with Trump on Air Force One to attend the first Presidential Debate held earlier this week in Ohio.
Trump’s physician, Dr Sean Conley, released a statement last night which said both Trump and the first lady were “well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.
“Rest assured I expect the president to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.”
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Trump has downplayed the severity of the virus and has mostly spurned the wearing of masks and face coverings. The president has also been pictured not socially distancing with his aides and others during events.
When an individual tests positive for the virus or shows symptoms, they are required to self-isolate for up to two weeks, and although Trump is the president, the rules will still apply to him.
America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a person must self-isolate for 10 days after a positive test.
Impact on the election race
Trump’s positive test could have a detrimental impact on his chances of winning the presidency in November.
Last week, Trump told Americans not to worry about the virus because “it affects virtually nobody” aside from those who are elderly or have heart conditions and now, just 32 days before the election Trump has tested positive for the virus.
As the president will have to quarantine for treatment over the next two weeks, his campaign rallies will be called off and his appearance at the next presidential debate is uncertain.
Trump’s recurring message has been “rounding the turn” when it comes to handling the virus but this message has now been undermined by his own positive test and the fact that more than 200,000 Americans have died from the virus.
It also doesn’t help that Trump belittled his democratic opponent during Tuesday’s presidential debate for frequently wearing a face mask and not having campaign rallies that matched his own in terms of size and turnout.
Biden’s party will also be on high alert following the news as the former vice president shared a stage with Trump during Tuesday’s heated debate. At this point in time, anything can happen in the run-up to voting day.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
