In recent years, more and more bettors have taken an interest in betting exchanges. As you’ve seen this rise, you’re probably furiously searching the web, with 17 different tabs open, trying to learn all about betting exchanges and whether they’re worth your time. Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. Today, you’re going to what a betting exchange is, how they work, the pros and cons of using them, and so much more. How does the betting exchange work A Comparison between Betfair and Smarkets will show that Betfair are bigger than Smarkets if looking at the number of playing and paying customers they have. As the original online betting exchange Betfair have a distinct advantage in that respect. However, depending on what betting activity you undertake, Smarkets may be better for you. In any case, we would recommend that you have a Smarkets account, as back up for Betfair or any other exchange platform in case they go down and you are left in a position where your liabilities are higher than you would like them to be. A backup account will allow you to possibly recover your positon
But what about betting exchanges? Even some seasoned bettors who have spent years placing bets on horse racing or the dogs might not know much about that. How do betting exchanges work? How do they differ from standard bookmakers odds and offers? How do you place bets through them? Perhaps the most important question of all is which bookmakers offer betting exchange services and how do they differ from each other? If you’re interested to know the answers to these questions then you’re (hopefully) in the right place. Why have I been blocked? There are many differences between betting on an exchange and using a bookmaker but one of the more noticeable ones is that on an exchange you can set your own odds, and they will either be matched (so your bet is on), or not matched (so there is no bet) but you will have the option of entering any odds you want and seeing what you are given. You do not have to take the odds that are available now, you can request higher and hope to be matched in the future or you can take the current odds. Someone once described a betting exchange as "a tool which takes money from the impatient and gives it to the patient" and this is a pretty accurate description.