The U.S. government is still in shutdown mode, and while D.C. politicians argue about who forgot to pay the tab, the folks over at Polymarket are busy putting odds on when the mess will finally end. Think Vegas, but for democracy’s unpaid light bill.
As of October 1st, here’s how the betting market sees it:
- October 1–2: 2% chance. About as likely as Congress agreeing on anything in less than 48 hours.
- October 3–5: 8% chance. Slightly more likely, but still a long shot, like the Commanders making a Super Bowl run.
- October 6–9: 21% chance. Not terrible odds, but still screams “don’t hold your breath.”
- October 10–14: 23% chance. This is when bettors think lawmakers might finally stumble into a deal.
- October 15 or later: 45% chance. By far the favorite, because nothing screams “productive government” like letting a shutdown drag into Halloween candy season.
In other words, the market is betting almost a coin flip that this circus goes past mid-October. For those keeping score at home, that means government workers, parks, and yes—even your mail, could stay tangled up in political gridlock longer than your last Jackson Hole roundabout traffic jam. Frankly, for us in Jackson, that would not be a change.
So, grab your popcorn, because the real gamble isn’t when the shutdown ends, it’s whether you’ll still remember what they were even arguing about by the time it does.
