Romney Betting Firms After Presidential Debate

Incumbent Barack Obama has been the US 2012 Presidential Elections favorite for the entire journey, but Republican challenger Mitt Romney has firmed following the resounding success of the first debate.

Romney revival

Following the first debate between the two leading candidates, William Hill have shortened Mitt Romney's US election betting odds for the first time in a month, from 4/1 to 11/1, while simultaneously lengthening Obama's shot of a second term in the White House from 1/7 up to 1/4.

Hill is also taking betting on whether Republicans or Democrats will carry key battleground states such as Ohio, Iowa and North Carolina. Florida is once again shaping up as one of the most difficult contests to call, with Obama currently commanding 1/2 odds compared to Romney's 6/4.

Gambling perspective

As we recently reported, neither presidential candidate has brought the issue of online gambling or poker legislation into the general debate, although experts seem to believe that leading Democratic policymakers are more in favour of federal government regulation than their Republican counterparts.

According to Perspectives Weekly's J Todd, the Republicans are the only ones talking about online gambling at this election, making the destruction of gaming and other personal freedoms part of its agenda even at a time when the economy is falling apart and unemployment is rising.