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Looking to find the best casinos/bookmakers in the UK?

Betting Forum

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Are you an online casino enthusiast based in the United Kingdom? Perhaps you are based outside and looking for the very best casino to be found anywhere. Either way, our dedicated approach to online casino research combined with advanced algorithmic technology will help you quickly find the best options available to players in your country.



Sit back while we explore your fantasies.


BETFAIR


Commission: 5%

Liquidity: High

Rating: 5/5

Betfair is the best betting platform. The company because of its longevity in the betting space is unarguably the biggest name in exchange betting. Betfair, have strong loyalty from their customer base– that’s critical to the success of a betting exchange.

The betting platform is well designed with a beautiful UI, comes with an associated sportsbook and you can literally get your bets on with your eyes closed. Betfair exchange, supported by its traditional betting site, pushes plenty of offers your way. This is an extra boost with betting strategies like matched betting but you do need to factor in a 5% commission to ensure you’re satisfied with the overall levels on offer; if you’re keen to tap into the live betting markets then it’s possible you’ll see past a few percent because Betfair underpin their in-play bets with better streams than the other exchanges.

Don’t let the 5% commission put you off as this can also be reviewed to 2%. However, you might not enjoy the premium offers that comes with the 5% commission. Notable among the offers is the best odds guaranteed on their sportsbook and others.

One thing though I think Betfair has to work on is their customer service relations.

MATCHBOOK

Commission: 0%

Liquidity: Medium

Rating: 4/5

Matchbook is a peer-to-peer betting exchange designed for smart bettors who want more value. Offering deep liquidity and low commissions, Matchbook returns maximum value to bettors.

On Matchbook, bettors find better odds, a clean and easy-to-use betting interface, and helpful customer support.

The current Matchbook offer is £20 Money back as cash if the first bet loses. This offer will appeal to all Sports Bettors and gives new users the chance to enjoy the benefits of the Matchbook Betting Exchange risk-free. This offer sits above Exchange competitors as a welcome offer, giving users more when they join Matchbook.

Matchbook also set the standards when it comes to user experience. It stacks up pretty well. The website’s easy to navigate whilst being straightforward to interpret even for a new user. Their mobile app also has the same easy and rich user experience as do their website.

They currently offer 0% Commission on All Sports for 30 days after the registration, the longest period of 0% available. For starters, their commission was just 0% making it competitive with the cheapest exchanges out there and their depth of markets is pretty impressive with bet matching rarely a problem on the bigger sporting events. They just launched a Bet £10 Get £15 Offer that will allow new Customers to discover Matchbook.

Pretty much like other online bookmakers, whether they’re traditional bookies or exchanges, Matchbook offer a sign-up bonus and will allow you to deposit or withdraw through a plethora of methods. It’s worth noting their direct to bank withdrawals have a pretty hefty minimum at £500 but it doesn’t seem to bother their customers too much with a strong rating on trust pilot.



SMARKETS

Commission: 2%

Liquidity: High

Rating: 4/5

Smarkets. Its robust product offering, combined with the depth of sports and markets that it has to offer, makes it stand out from the rest. Due to its exclusivity, it is often overlooked by the other players. Why Smarkets then?

Smarkets betting exchange allows you to bet with the best Greyhound Racing odds. They are also better than the competitors. Their team seem to acknowledge that market penetration can’t really extend any further than it has to change the experience for individual punters so they’ve focussed energy on providing customers value and excellent service. For starters, their 2% commission is as generous as we’ve seen (you can get 1% but it relies on huge stakes to be placed) and they’ve been offering it at that level for years. You’ll find others with a 2% commission but they’ve generally had their hand forced.

In addition to that, their website and mobile apps are super easy to use. They look good, they’re simple to move around and the Smarkets app side even allows users to vary the colour theme. It’s a small detail but shows how much they think about their end-user, which is a rarity in this niche. Finally, you’ve got a slick engine behind the scenes that provides useful graphics and manages price fluctuations for you when placing bets in extremely fluid markets such as in-play events.




  • BETDAQ
Commission: 2%

Liquidity: Medium/High

Rating: 4/5

Betdaq is not a new comer in the betting arena. It’s had over 2 decades of trading under their belts. It’s no surprise that they’ve built up a reasonable customer base over that time with their website easy to navigate and also mobile-friendly; their app is decent too. Like most exchanges, they offer all the major betting markets and have plenty of liquidity within them, which enables punters to wager as they so wish.

Betdaq is still one of the better exchanges out there, despite its few setbacks. It is therefore worth your consideration – particularly as a secondary option. Standard commission is 2% with the occasional offer running to give 0% for limited periods of time.

Your funds are also insured as the company falls under the Ladbrokes Coral Group as an acquisition.









Ladbrokes

Commission: 5%

Liquidity: Medium/High

Rating: 3/5

We already mentioned that Betdaq falls under the Ladbrokes Coral umbrella. Here we look at the Ladbrokes side of things, which comes with the huge perk of having the name of a high street name ‘on the tin’. The two platforms – Betdaq and Ladbrokes – are actually linked so regardless of where bets are wagered the funds go to the same place. This aids the liquidity for both.

The Ladbrokes Casino bonus offer for new customers is a generous promotion that gives new players the opportunity to play with bonus funds worth a generous five times their qualifying bet.

It is a reasonable sum and a low qualifying bet of just £10, which means that new sign-ups need not be inclined to spend too much of their own money to gain the bonus funds to try out the casino.

However, there are a couple of reasons it ranks fifth compared to its partner, Betdaq, who we rank second. Firstly, although the two platforms are very similar, Betdaq provides a better all-round experience with a major difference the fact plug-in tools can be linked to improve market insight. This isn’t unique to Betdaq but is a notable absence on the Ladbrokes platform. The last big factor to consider is the commission. You can achieve 2% commission on Ladbrokes but it’s all relative to the amount of money you risk. With smaller bets, you’ll pay a higher rate of 5%.







How to choose the right betting exchange site for you

Lowest possible commission rate


As stated previously, betting exchanges always take a cut of the winning bet. This can vary from 0%-5% or higher, depending on the betting exchange you choose. Of course, the lower the commission rates, the more of your winnings you will actually keep.

Range of bonuses available

This all begins with the welcome bonus. Ideally, you want to sign up with a betting exchange that has a decent sign-up offer in store. As you can see from our recommended sites, many of them provide free bets as a welcome deal. The higher these bets are, or the higher the monetary incentive, the better.

Ease of use

Betting exchanges can sometimes seem a little complicated – everyone who’s used one before knows it! Therefore, it helps to use an exchange platform that keeps things as simple as physically possible. By this, we mean decent visuals, clear presentations for odds and markets, and self-explanatory navigation systems.

Coverage of events

Finding betting exchanges that cover just a few sports is never going to satisfy your sports betting cravings. That’s why you need sites that cover a whole load of sports. And ideally, most events should have a wide selection of markets to pick from too.

Signing up with one of the best betting exchange sites

Once you’ve settled on which betting exchange you’d like to sign up with, it’s time to take the plunge. Providing you are over the age of 18 and based in the UK, you can sign up with any of the exchanges mentioned here. And to give you a helping hand, the steps is delineated below:

  • Create your login details – username with password
  • Supply personal data – DOB, full name, address, and contact details
  • Set up security questions with answers
  • Agree to T&Cs then open the account
NB: Be prepared to provide any supporting document for your age declaration once you’ve signed up.



Enjoy the ride!!!
 
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