28 November 2019
By Tom Collins
news@TheCork.ie
Entertainment
Irish voters are slowly preparing for the next election year and general elections that should be held on or before Saturday, April 10, 2021. However, before the general elections, they are faced with bye-elections on November 29, 2019.
In a country with a population of over 4 million people, around 660 thousand people are regular bettors who focus on Gootball, Gaelic football, and Hurling.
Ireland is also home to one of the largest bookmakers in the world, Paddy Power, which offers diverse betting markets and competitive odds all punters interested in Irish elections betting will know how to appreciate. Lets see the odds from the Irish betting sites.
Bye-Elections Betting Explained: Betting Market, Odds, and Predictions
Bye-Elections are elections for the replacement of any member of Dáil Éireann is not able to perform their duty anymore. By browsing the betting offer at Paddy Power, you will find betting options for constituents who need to elect their legal representatives, such as Dublin Fingal, Cork North Central, Dublin Mid-West, and Wexford.
The Odds
The heated political clash between parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail is seen in every constituency, with similar odds between the rivals signaling a close call in the end. For example, the odds for the seat winner in Dublin Mid-West, Emer Higgins (FG) and Shane Moynihan (FF), are neck and neck, with the odds for their wins set at 7/4 and 7/2, respectively.
The situation is not much different in other constituents, with the addition of electees from the Irish Green Party and the Labour Party in the mix for top positions. For example, in Dublin Fingal, the odds for Joe O’Brien (Green) are set at 9/4, compared to Lorraine Clifford-Lee’s (FF) 10/3.
The Betting Markets
The Irish elections betting market for bye-elections includes single winner bets as the sole type of bets punters can use. Accumulative bets are not possible, but you can place various singles on one bet slip.
The Predictions
The predictions regarding the winners differ from area to area. In the case of Dublin Mid-West, Emer Higgins from Fine Gael lives in Lucan, but she has a support base that encompasses a large part of the constituency, giving her 7/4 odds of winning.
Paul Gogarty from the Independent Alliance, on the other hand, is a well-known name from the Green Party and an acclaimed vote-getter with 5/2 odds of winning.
In other areas, it mostly boils down to a fight between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, with slight leverage on Fine Gael, but Fianna Fail candidates are on their heels.
General Elections Betting Explained: Betting Market, Odds, and Predictions
The general elections in Ireland are scheduled to be held in 2021, but with all the raucous and insecurities about Brexit, governments are dropping like flies these days. General Elections represent an opportunity for punters to enjoy the best Irish elections betting has to offer. There are numerous betting markets, the highest odds, and betting limits at players’ disposal.
The Betting Markets
The betting markets for betting on the Irish general elections are more diverse than the ones available for bye-elections. First, there is the date of the election itself, where you can go for elections being held in either 2020 or 2021.
Secondly, there is the choice of the next Taoiseach after the elections. Also, probably the most essential betting option is the one where you get to choose the party you think will win the most seats. These outright bets are the most popular choice for most punters in Ireland and have the best odds.
The Odds
If you choose to wager on the election year to be 2020, for every 8 euros you wager, you will win 1, while opting for 2021 or after will make you 5 euros for every euro you put on the stake.
The Taoiseach position brings a more uncertain outcome with the main clash set between Micheál Martin from Fianna Fáil and Leo Varadkar from Fine Gael, the current Taoiseach. The odds for Micheál Martin to be the next PM are set at 4/5, while Leo Varadkar’s are 5/6.
The race for winning the most seats in the Dail is also a race between parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, with odds set at 4/5 and 5/6, respectively.
The Predictions
Fianna Fáil is quickly catching up on Fine Gael which holds the current lead, posing for a pure race down to the last vote. In the previous general elections, Fine Gael emerged with 25.5% of the votes and formed the government with the votes from the Independent Alliance, while Fianna Fáil took home 24.3% of the votes. Uncertainty looms, and the most recent polls put support for Fine Gael at 32%, giving it an 8 point lead over Fianna Fáil that has fallen four points to 24%.
