(CNN) -- In the winter of 2011, Chris, a 23-year old professional poker player, was confident that his candidate, President Barack Obama, would keep control of the White House in November of 2012. But instead of ordering a few lawn signs or volunteering to go door-to-door for the campaign, he put his money where his mouth was. Chris, who asked that his last name not be used out of legal concerns, bet a Maryland bookie $50,000 that Obama would beat the field, at that time the entire cohort of Republicans slugging it out in the primary. "I was very confident," said Chris, a recent graduate of George Washington University. "No outcome is certain, but this guy was offering me 50-50 and I didn't understand how I can turn this down. The president, at the very least, was a favorite."
@highlight
International sites take wagers on who will win the election
@highlight
It is illegal, however, to make such bets in the U.S.
@highlight
Obama is getting better odds than Romney right now
It is illegal to vote on the election in the United States -- the @placeholder Attorney General's office told CNN that instances of betting on an election are rare -- but that doesn't mean betting on an election elsewhere is rare.