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Betting Exchanges. Now You Can Beat The Bookmaker.
Betting exchanges are a fascinating new development in betting markets which has turned the customary bookmaking and gambling business on its head. Betting exchanges are gaining credibility and influence all the time and with each month that passes apparently another country legalises the complete, and it would seem that it is only a matter of time before the big exchanges are totally legalised and recognized worldwide.
Another great attribute of a betting exchange is that if you don't like the odds you can post a price of your own on the and then see if anyone one else is ready to ‘match’ you and thereby take your bet on. Put very simply, betting exchanges are a safe place where members of the betting public can exchange bets with each other incognito, at odds that they state themselves. It seems that as betting exchanges are the way of the future, many businessmen have jumped on the band-wagon and have started new betting exchanges.
The Odds
Odds shown by betting exchanges on average are about 20% higher than those offered by conventional bookies. When you compare odds at betting exchanges to those at bookmakers, you should take the commission into account as you don’t pay commission at the bookmakers. There will still be occasions when an established bookmaker will offer more desirable odds than those that are offered on the exchanges. The odds you offer obviously need to be realistic in order to be matched, but if you are not satisfied with the current price being requested by other punters you can simply place an 'order' in the exchange at your odds and hope that someone eventually accepts your offer. The attractiveness of using exchanges is there is no bookmaker, which means there is no margin built into the odds, which often results in significantly better value prices. Pro-gamblers work on thin margins, there are some that enjoy better margins but they are the few, generally speaking most pro’s work to small margins and so a 20% boost in odds despite the commission which can be as high as 5% is a massive boon.
Betfair – No.1 Player
Betfair is the dominant player in the betting exchange arena, with an estimated +85% market share by value. Betfair's exchange boasts a high degree of liquidity, across an extensive variety of sports betting markets, alongside a professional customer service operation and a fully integrated phone and internet betting facility. Unlike a traditional bookie, Betfair has no vested interest in the outcome of an event and therefore their interests are 100% in line with those who govern sport.
In-running (betting while a race is being played) is one of the features that really makes betting exchanges like Betfair come alive. The phenomenal success enjoyed by Betfair and others in the last eighteen months is testament to the appeal of the product to the betting public.
Sports Betting
Sports betting is concerned with predicting sports results, while using the conclusion of a particular sporting event to make a wager. Horse racing and soccer are the biggest volume markets but rugby, golf and other popular sports also supply a significant amount as well. As sports bettors become more informed gamblers, an increasing number of players will move to the betting exchanges. For sports betting there are over fifty different sports on the exchanges covering events from 122 different countries.
Trading On The Betting Exchanges
Trading is like any other profession, it takes time to study and there are problems to overcome. And as financial exchanges have proven to be capable mechanisms for trading shares, options, and other kinds of securities, so have the betting exchanges proven successful in the world of online gambling. The numbers of people betting from home utilising the talents of the internet, continues to grow at a swift pace and one of the biggest areas of growth in the UK is online trading, both in sports and miscellaneous markets. Exchanges are very good for dealing with in-running events, where using trading techniques similar to those used in the city, or by spread bettors, you can lock in a guaranteed profit before the conclusion of an event.
