Reliability

Reliability is naturally the most important aspect that we should look for. After all, no one wants to lose their money to unscrupulous operators.

So, ensure an exchange has all the relevant licences and regulations to provide services to its clients.

These can only be issued after the exchange has been verified by an authorised body such as the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority.

The good news is that all the exchanges highlighted on our site are fully regulated and financially solvent.

Liquidity

Liquidity can be compared to stake limits at a bookmaker.

So, for example, if you have a limit of £10 per bet, it is as if there is low liquidity in the market, and only £10 would be matched on your chosen market.

However, we know there are no limits on the sports exchange. The liquidity in the market is the only limit to you, so the better the level of liquidity is, the more money can be matched and the more attractive the markets become.

Range of Markets

This is another crucial detail.

The range of markets allows us to trade in unpopular leagues, where there are very often considerable swings in the odds, which can be exploited to make a profit and expand our possibilities.

Most people tend to trade in over/under and 1X2 markets. Still, opportunities can sometimes be found in less popular markets like HT/FT, so the more markets there are, the more opportunities and possibilities for the trader.

Commission

The commission is the money taken from our account each time we win a bet – you do not have to worry about a commission if you have a losing bet. And the commission amount depends on the exchange in which you are trading.

At Betfair, we can choose the plan that suits us best. The basic commission is a fixed 2% rate, while there is also the possibility of choosing a plan where we will be charged an 8% commission, but in this case, we will receive additional benefits in the form of free bets and odds boosts or free spins.

However, in the long run, we recommend choosing the basic plan. This is because commission rates on the most popular sports exchanges range from 2% to 5%.

Welcome Bonuses

Welcome bonuses catch the attention of novice traders. This is not surprising, as everyone would like to be able to squeeze as much as possible out of their deposit.

However, don’t pay too much attention to this, as the turnover conditions of such bonuses can sometimes be tricky to meet.

Therefore, before a welcome bonus tempts you, check the terms and conditions carefully. You will be interested to know the exact requirements of turnover to be able to withdraw any bonus.

Betfair

Betfair exchange is the unbeatable leader for football and many other sports. The company was founded in June 2000 by Andrew Black and Edward Wray.

Since then, it has achieved tremendous success as the world’s number one – all thanks to sensational markets, excellent odds and fantastic liquidity that is the envy of others. 

What else does Betfair impress us with? Let’s find out!

Welcome Bonus

The welcome bonus comes with the opportunity to get £30 for placing £10 on a single bet. So how do you get it?

1. Open a new account using promo code ZBGC01.
2. Verify your phone number.
3. Deposit a minimum of £10 using a Debit card.
4. Place a minimum £10 bet at odds of @ 1.5 or higher.
5. All qualifying requirements must be completed within 30 days of account opening.

That’s it – once your first bet has settled, you’ll receive a £30 free bet!

Advantages and disadvantages of Betfair Exchange

Pros	Cons
Largest number of markets	Bank card withdrawal fees
Best liquidity	Premium Charges
Excellent odds
Choice of commission level
Live streaming & no cashout suspensions

Betfair allows lay betting and back betting on a massive number of markets. What’s more, a sportsbook is also available. Where else can you find such an option? Nowhere. 

This and the other reasons mentioned above make Betfair the best football betting exchange.

It will suit every trader, whether a beginner or a professional. In addition, it works superbly with a matched betting strategy, as you will find the best odds there.

If by any chance, you do not already have an account there, we recommend that you create one as soon as possible!

Smarkets

Smarkets exchange was founded eight years later than Betfair in 2008 by Jason Trost and Hunter Morris. However, it is trying its best to match the orange giant. We have to say that they are regularly increasing their offerings, as we are frequent visitors to this exchange and improvements can be seen every week. 

What is Smarkets famous for, and why is it number two?

Let’s take a look!

Welcome Bonus

There are two different welcome bonuses available at Smarkets. One allows us to get £20 cashback on our first bet, while the other involves free play in the form of a 0% commission for 60 days.

How do you obtain them? 

It’s simple – use one of the Smarkets promo codes below when registering:

1. 0% Commission for 60 days: COMMFREE
2. £20 cash refund on losses: SMK20

Remember the minimum deposit of £10 to qualify for the promotion.

Advantages and disadvantages of Smarkets Exchange

Pros	Cons
A sufficient number of markets	Lack of live-streaming
Good liquidity	No promotions except the welcome offer
Well-designed statistical graphs	Lack of third party software
Fixed 2% commission

Smarkets is trying its best and is deservedly ranked second due to its visible and ongoing development – it would not have achieved such a high position only a few years ago.

Smarkets is a solid alternative to Betfair. The differences are not so noticeable regarding exchange odds, and Smarkets performs quite well. By the way, we’ve deeply compared these betting exchanges here.

Smarkets is a top exchange that will allow traders to use strategies such as arbitrage betting, which allows you to make money without risk.

Especially if we have an account on Betfair and a sportsbook available, and we will use Smarkets exchange simultaneously – we hope you know what surebets are all about!

To sum up, Smarkets is an excellent online football betting exchange that deserves recognition regardless of experience.

 Betdaq

Third in the ranking of the best exchanges for football is Betdaq betting exchange, founded in 2000. However, we have to admit that it does not measure up to its competitors.

This is due to several factors, which we will describe below. Does this mean that it is not worth opening an account there?

Not really. 

But let’s check how Betdaq compares and what it lacks and excels at.

Welcome Bonus

The welcome offer is a massive advantage of the Betdaq Exchange, thanks to which they were ranked third on the podium.

Not only do they have sizable welcome bonuses, but there are other regular promotions.

So what can we get as a starter?

Let’s find out!

1. Bet £10 Get £10 – Promo Code: BDQ10 – This promotion allows us to claim £10 if we place our first bet for a minimum of £10 at odds of 2.0 or more.
2. Bet £10 Get £10 on Virtuals – Promo Code: V1010 – You will receive a £10 free bet if you place your first bet on virtuals and lose.
3. Get Up To £1,000 Cashback – Promo Code: DAQBACK – You will receive the first month’s commission back as cash up to £1,000.

Advantages and disadvantages of Betdaq Exchange

Pros	Cons
Great welcome offers	Live streaming limited to horse racing and greyhounds
iOS & Android App	Available in four countries only
Plenty of ways to contact support	Poor liquidity
Fixed 2% commission

Betdaq does not fare so badly at all. However, there is a considerable problem with accessibility, as this exchange allows residents of four countries to bet – the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar, and Jersey.

This severely limits their potential, as Betdaq looks pretty decent for its versatility in the form of exchange, sportsbook, casino, multiple payment methods and a very easy-to-use site.

If you have the opportunity to set up an account there, it will undoubtedly be a great alternative to Betfair and Smarkets.

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Betdaq vs Betfair
Betdaq vs Smarkets

Get to know the teams

Whatever trading strategy you choose, it is crucial to familiarise yourself with the teams in which markets you will be trading.

Keeping track of activity on social media or individual players can lead to an advantage in particular markets.

Often, information found on the internet has resulted in a significant shift in exchange odds, which has turned out to be a huge benefit for some and a loss for others because they did not know about the information.

Lay low, Back high

This is a principle that applies to all sports. It is a matter of making a profit on the exchange to place a back bet at higher odds than a lay bet.

However, the most important thing is that both bets are matched. Then we have a guaranteed profit. This rule is easier to achieve with in-play trading, but it is also much riskier, as the odds can get crazy.

On the other hand, it is harder to execute pre-match, as the odds do not shift as much, and we take less risk.

Check when goals are scored

This may be strange for some, but you will find plenty of stats for the teams, or you can check them on your own via BetExplorer, SofaScore, Flashscore or other sites.

Some teams tend to score goals after the 30th minute of a match or in the second half, for example.

Again, these are just statistics, but you will notice better results on your trades as you study them in detail.