OTTAWA — Despite ribbing by the next U.S. president suggesting Canada become the 51st U.S. state, oddsmakers aren’t so keen.
Recommended Videos
Among their Trump special prop bets, Online sportsbook BetOnline has Canada pulling 20-to-one odds on becoming the next U.S. state, tied with Trump’s Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, and ranking behind Mexico (16/1,) Guam (5/2,) Israel (16/1,) the District of Columbia (14/1,) Greenland (8/1) and the Puerto Rico — the favourite — which as of Wednesday afternoon was pulling 3/2 odds.
During their dinner last Friday at Mar-a-lago, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly joked with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Canada becoming the 51st state, an off-hand comment that sent ripples — and a fair amount of pearl-clutching — through Canada’s political biosphere.
“We are told that when Trudeau told President-elect Trump that new tariffs would kill the Canadian economy, Trump joked to him that if Canada can’t survive without ripping off the US to the tune of $100 billion a year, then maybe Canada should become the 51st state and Trudeau could become its governor,” reported Fox News Channel’s Peter Doocy in the aftermath of their dinner.
In a similar vein, Quebec currently sits as a favourite for which province will become the 51st American state under Trump’s presidency with 2/1 odds as of Wednesday afternoon.
That’s followed by Alberta (3/1,) Yukon and Nova Scotia (currently tied at 5/1,) the Northwest Territories and New Brunswick (both 8/1,) Ontario (10/1,) Manitoba and Saskatchewan (12/1,) with longshot British Columbia currently entertaining 50/1 odds.
Other provinces weren’t listed.
Other Trump-themed bets featured on the site include if President Joe Biden will pardon Trump before inauguration day (12/1 odds that he will), if Trump will complete his full term as president (4/9 odds for yes, 8/5 for no), and if Donald and Melania will get divorced sometime in the next four years (10/1 for yes, 1/40 for no).
[email protected]
X: @bryanpassifiume