Comment Text:
Many comments claim that betting on elections will result in election interference, but these claims miss the mark. Those that have the power to influence elections already do so to achieve their own policy goals.
Any group that interferes with elections (either legally, via donations, or illegally, via other means) and attempts to use election markets to profit from such interference can be caught in the same way that insider trading is caught -- markets are transparent and suspicious activity tends to stand out.
On the other hand, election markets provide valuable information about election odds to staffers and other campaign workers, and provide an incentive for private citizens to be politically engaged.
The CFTC should allow prediction markets on elections.
