Will “Sleepy Joe” be the first derisive nickname President Donald Trump bestows upon Joe Biden?
Will either candidate wear a mask onstage? How many times will Biden say “Barack Obama”?
Will Trump say “fake news” or “China” more often? And will there be a “malarkey” anywhere?
Some of the United States’s largest sports betting companies are offering free-to-play contests in which viewers predict what will happen at Tuesday’s presidential debate for a chance to win real money or prizes, The Associated Press reported.
It’s the latest example of how the fast-growing sports betting industry is making inroads into mainstream popular culture. As of Monday morning, nearly a half-million people had entered contests run by FOX Bet, DraftKings or FanDuel.
So contestants familiar with Democrat Biden’s favourite sayings could win some money. And if contestants think they know what Republican Trump is about to say, they can predict it very strongly.
“Politics is a really interesting thing to try to predict,” said Alex Baker, a 34-year-old Chicago man who runs a fantasy sports website.
“A lot of times the betting markets do the best job of predicting what the outcome of the election will be in real life,” Baker said.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, left, and President Donald Trump will face-off in the first presidential debate of the 2020 US election on Tuesday [File: AP Photo]FanDuel and DraftKings each offer a prize pool of $50,000 to be split among top finishers; FOX Bet’s pool is $25,000.
After downloading the relevant app, contestants make choices in the same way that sports bettors gamble on things that will or will not happen during a game; such wagers are called propositions, or “props” for short.
But instead of predicting whether Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will throw for two or more touchdowns in a game, contestants in the debate pools will predict things that might be said and done on the stage.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden sometimes says in his campaign speeches that President Trump’s comments are ‘malarkey’, an Irish American slang word meaning ‘insincere’ or ‘foolish’ talk [Patrick Semansky/AP Photo]“I don’t think they’re going to do anything, not fist bump or shake hands or anything,” said one contestant, Matt Marino of Houston, a 36-year-old executive with a pipeline logistics company.
Among his other predictions: Biden will wear a mask onstage; Trump will not. Biden’s most frequently uttered words will be “Barack Obama”, while Trump will say “China” more frequently than “fake news”.
Baker was confident Trump would utter the words “law and order” during the debate because “that’s a large theme of his speeches lately.”
He also thought Trump would say the word “China” before Biden does, but was less sure whether the former vice president will mention his Corvette.
Part of the idea behind the contests is to interest those who do not currently bet on sports, get them familiar with the concept on free games and hopefully, win them over as paying sports betting customers.
President Donald Trump frequently refers to his Democratic presidential rival as ‘Sleepy Joe’ [Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo]“We also know that a lot of customers love the fun aspect of bragging rights with their friends and family, and that applies here, too,” Levin said.
FanDuel began offering free prop contests during the Democratic debates earlier this year involving Biden and US Senator Bernie Sanders, said Mike Raffensperger, FanDuel’s chief marketing officer.
“We’re thrilled with customers’ appetite to use culture at large as an opportunity to compete with others for a chance to win cash,” Raffensperger said, noting the company has hosted similar contests involving reality TV shows.
While some debate watchers will engage in drinking games, taking a slug every time a particular candidate says or does a particular thing, Marino will be waiting for the first time Trump gives Biden a nickname.
“He’s definitely going to call him ‘Sleepy Joe’,” Marino predicted
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September 29, 2020 at 05:15AM
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Trump-Biden debate spurs cash contests for best predictions - Al Jazeera English
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