President Donald Trump Uses State of the Union to Petition Las Vegas Billionaire Sheldon Adelson

Posted on: February 6, 2019, 09:29h. 

Last updated on: February 6, 2019, 09:29h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union (SOTU) address covered an array of topics, but also featured his positions on Jewish polices in what likely appealed to Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson.

Donald Trump odds SOTU political betting
America remains divided, and it was evident during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union. (Image: Doug Mills/Reuters)

The Las Vegas Sands founder and CEO was the Republican Party’s largest single donor during the 2016 campaign cycle, and with the 2020 presidential election just around the corner, the commander-in-chief took time in his SOTU address to address the billionaire.

The president highlighted his administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as “the true capital of Israel.” Adelson sat last year in the front row next to the Trump family during the opening of the United States’ embassy in Jerusalem.

The president’s distinguished guests included two Holocaust survivors. The first – Judah Samet – was celebrating his 81st birthday on Tuesday, and the congressional chamber sang him happy birthday in what was almost certainly a State of the Union first.

Adelson sits on the Republican Jewish Coalition’s Board of Directors. The RJC seeks “to foster and enhance ties between the American Jewish community and Republican decision makers.”

SOTU Betting

Last night’s State of the Union spurred online prop betting. PredictIt, the internet site that facilitates the buying and selling of political outcome shares, had several markets on the speech.

They included whether the president would mention “fake news” in his speech. “Yes” shares were trading at just 16 cents, and “No” shares at 84 cents. Trump didn’t mention the term, meaning “No” shares were paid out at $1 each.

A market asked bettors if Trump would mention Russia, with “Yes” shares at 67 cents, and “No” at 33 cents. He did, meaning gamblers who took the “Yes” made 33 cents per share.

Online sportsbooks ventured into the seemingly absurd betting, with BetDSI asking if the president would mention freshman congresswoman Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and mispronounce her name. He did not.

The internet bookmaker additionally asked if Trump would give a nickname to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), with “No” odds the heavy -2500 favorite. Again, the president refrained.

Looking Ahead

America is less than two years out from the next presidential election. Trump will presumably be on the Republican ticket, but who will challenge him remains a mystery.

Bettors have an opinion.

The PredictIt market asking who will win the 2020 US presidential election has the incumbent Trump the frontrunner at 30 cents a share. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) is next at 15 cents, and former VP Joe Biden (D) third at 12 cents.

Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-descried democratic socialist, is fourth at 10 cents. Trump pledged Tuesday night that “America will never be a socialist country.”

As for 2020 longshots, PredictIt bettors have Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a penny, as well as billionaire Mark Cuban.