L.A. County weighs ban on election gambling by workers Play

Last June, conspiracy theorists accused California elections of being rigged, given that results from mail-in ballots diverged from results from voters who cast their ballots in person.

Now, add internet gambling to the scene.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles County election officials are examining what to do about the rising popularity of election gambling via prediction markets. The county may ban election wagering for county election workers.

The L.A. Times reports there is this new dynamic in the battle for public trust in elections. Now, election administrators around the country are considering whether they have the power to affect voter confidence in election results.

Prediction market companies say trading contracts on the markets is not the same as betting. They call it similar to trading on stock market futures.

Critics call it gambling, pure and simple. The county may call it illegal.