A Guide to Betting Exchanges

The other element to this is the fact that betting exchange odds are determined by customers betting against each other in a free market with odds at 100% and no margin needed. This is in part due to bookies wanting to give themselves the upper hand and make larger profits. In simple terms, it’s a platform where bettors are able to place bets against each other. A Betting Exchange allows customers to buy (known as a back bet) and sell (known as a lay bet) on the outcome of sporting events. In this article, you’ll be guided through how a Betting Exchange works, how to profit from it and which Betting Exchanges are available.

On the contrary, the lay bettor assumes the role of the sportsbook and does precisely the opposite of what a back bettor does. The winner wins money from the opposing player minus the betting exchange’s cut. You can assume two roles on the platform—a back bettor and a lay bettor, as explained below. It’s a willing buyer, willing seller kind of scenario where punters connect. I like to call betting exchanges the “eBay of betting”.

Sophie (Matched Bettor) is also very happy as she backed £20 on Estonia to win at Coral but she also did a lay bet for Estonia not to win. That leaves Sophie with a liability to pay which would be used to pay some of the winnings to Stephen. However, on the exchange those placing back and lay bets are effectively the bookmakers. With back bets at a normal bookmakers, the bookie takes on the liability of a customer’s bet winning. This is the opposite of the back bet we just covered in that you’re betting on an outcome not happening this time. If Scotland win, you will be paid £38 from football betting not on gamstop other exchange users who placed a lay bet against Scotland winning, plus you will get your stake of £30 returned to you.

Larger, more established companies typically present lower risks. Not all licensed exchange bookmakers meet our reliability criteria. For your peace of mind, always check if a betting site holds a valid license through the Gambling Commission website. Switching to a newly-licensed bookmaker introduces you to new welcome bonuses and promotional offers unavailable at sites you may already be registered with.

So you place a back bet of £20 on Estonia to win at Corals and place a lay bet of £16.67 on Estonia not winning at the exchange. Completing your first sign up offer can seem a little daunting but you’ll be guided from start to finish and each offer should take approximately 15 minutes to complete on average. One way to make money from betting exchanges is to use them for Matched Betting purposes.

You can’t fully answer the question, what are betting exchanges without addressing the pros and cons involved. The best sites have much lower rates than the 5-10% most bookies charge. Betting exchanges explained in this article might run a cheaper operation than a sportsbook but it’s certainly not a charity platform. Like back bettors, lay bettors also create their own odds.

Instead of racking your brain trying to establish what betting exchanges are, visit SportsGambler first. If you decide to join a betting exchange, you might as well make the most of the opportunity, otherwise what’s the point? As I mentioned earlier in my betting guide, these exchanges make money by taking a commission of your profits. Another difference is sportsbooks are responsible for setting odds letting punters wager on both sides of the event. Anytime we have betting exchanges explained, we’re reminded of how different they are from conventional sportsbooks.

With a betting exchange, there is no bookmaker. This means that you can bet on almost any sport, including niche sports that may not be available on traditional sports betting platforms. A betting exchange is a type of online sportsbook that allows users to place bets against each other rather than against the bookmaker.