Bettors cash in on number of falsehoods in Trump’s speech

Bettors won big when, according to the Washington Post Fact Checker, President Donald Trump made six false statements in Tuesday’s speech on border security from the Oval Office.

Bookmaker.eu, an offshore sports book, paid out a total of $276,424 to bettors who correctly wagered that Trump would tell more than 3½ falsehoods during his address.

”Political props have always been difficult to handicap, but setting a number for the total false statements made in the president’s address may have been one of trickiest numbers that our oddsmakers have had to create,” Bookmaker odds consultant John Lester told the Review-Journal on Wednesday. “We received a great deal of comments and opinions about our total of 3½, but in the end, our oddsmakers were not too far off the final result of six total false statements.

“Never has a president made winning so easy for Americans. Ninety-two percent of the action favored the over, and the president did not disappoint the public.”

The over ranged from a minus 145 to a minus 280 favorite. This means that, at minus 145, a better would have to wager $145 to make $100.

According to the Washington Post Fact Checker, which Bookmaker used to determine the number of falsehoods in Tuesday’s speech, Trump has averaged almost 11 false or misleading statements per day since taking office.

Lester, a Las Vegas native, said the approximate eight-minute time limit on Trump’s remarks were the main factor in setting the total at 3½.

The site also is taking wagers on whether Trump will declare a national emergency, when the government shutdown will end and which party will win the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.