William Hill Tells G911 Comey Clearing Sparks Run of Action on Hillary
LONDON -- Election betting odds at at least one online sportsbook are changing rapidly in reaction to the news Sunday that the FBI has cleared Hillary Clinton of any wrongdoing in connection with its investigation into her latest batch of emails.
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The FBI had announced last month that it had found a new cache of Clinton emails on a computer belonging to a Clinton aide and was investigating whether any classified information had been transmitted via any of the emails.
News of the new probe caused betting odds at sportsbooks booking the election to rise for Clinton and fall for her opponent, Donald Trump.
With this latest news about the investigation, however, that has reversed today, and now Clinton's odds are falling and Trump's odds are rising.
"Following the news that the FBI have found no evidence of criminality in Hillary Clinton's emails, her odds of becoming President have been rapidly cut from 1-4 or risk four dollars to win one dollar, to 1-5 or risk five dollars to win one dollar, by William Hill (www.williamhill.co.uk)," said the British online bookmaker's spokesman, Graham Sharpe, in an interview Sunday with Gambling 911.
"In addition, we have lengthened Donald Trump's odds from 11-4 or risk four dollars to win eleven dollars, to 10-3 or risk three dollars to win ten dollars," Sharpe added. (For an easier comparison, whereas a $12 bet on Trump would have previously returned a $33 profit, a $12 bet on Trump now will return a $40 profit.)
Sharpe also told Gambling 911 that news of the FBI's action has sparked a run of action at William Hill.
"The news has sparked a run of bets for Hillary, so we have taken rapid evasive action in case the heavy hitters come in to place more five- and six-figure bets like the ones we already have for her to win," Sharpe said. "That includes bets of 550,000 euros, 183,200 pounds, 50,000 pounds and a couple of 30,000-pound wagers," Sharpe said.
Sharpe also said that some large wagers had previously been made on Trump, but did not indicate that any such big bets have been made on third-party Presidential candidates Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party or Jill Stein of the Green Party.
In addition to wagering on who will win the U.S. Presidential election, William Hill is also offering so-called election prop bets, such as which candidate will win the State of Florida or the State of Pennsyvlania, or, any of the 48 other states.
By Tom Somach
Gambling 911 Staff Writer
