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Betting exchange sites - exchange, sell, and buy bets and stock betting sites

First of all, what is a betting exchange site?

Welcome to the exciting world of betting exchange sites! If you are new to this style of betting, get pumped … because bet exchange sites are kind of a game changer. I know plenty of sports bettors personally who tried out a betting exchange site once and never went back to their traditional sportsbook betting site. Well, at least not to do anything but withdraw the remainder of their funds.

Today, I am going to guide you through everything you need to know about betting exchange sites. All of their strengths, potential weaknesses, why some people prefer them to traditional sports betting sites, what other cool and useful features they tend to have, and how to identify the best betting exchange sites on the web.

I understand that it can be a somewhat daunting task, trying to discern which betting sites are going to be worth your time and money and which ones should be skipped over, not a second thought given to them. This is exactly why I started this site! I get it. There are just so many different online gambling sites to choose from. Too many, one might say. Not only are there so many betting sites in general, but then there are so many different kinds of betting sites as well – eSports sportsbooks, traditional sports betting sites, mutual betting sites, poker sites, online casinos, betting exchange sites … the list goes on and on.

I hope that my well-organized lists of all of the different types of betting sites out there is helpful for people. To be able to browse only the best betting sites by category, I think, is a very useful tool. Furthermore, for each site to have its own thorough and in-depth review attached to it, allowing you to become familiar with all of the best gambling sites that the internet has to offer (without ever having to deposit a single dime) makes the process that much easier.

It is true that, unfortunately, there are online gambling sites on the web that are, well, let’s say “less than savory.” I have heard my fair share of horror stories – players getting scammed, having their bank accounts drained, being refused withdrawal, and so on. This, as far as I am concerned, is unacceptable. This is another reason that I have created this site: as a means of keeping all of us safeguarded against malicious gambling sites, or those that don’t have a credible reputation. There are far more of them than there should be, and, together, we can change that by not patronizing them.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is cool and all – power to the people or whatever – but you still have not fully answered my question … what is a betting exchange site?!

Whoops, sorry about that, I tend to get a little sidetracked when I get on the topic of helping people find only the best of the best betting sites (it is a passion of mine!). Back to the topic at hand, though … what is a betting exchange site?

Well, it honestly is not much more complicated than it sounds. A betting exchange site is a site that lets players buy, trade, and/or sell their sports bets. So, let’s say that you placed a future bet on the Toronto Raptors to win against the Boston Celtics. Then, you learn about something that spooks you off the bet – maybe a key player is rumored not to be able to play, maybe you don’t like the match history between these two teams – whatever the case may be, you are stuck with this bet, but you don’t simply want to cancel it and be out. So, what can you do?

Well, there is a chance, of course, that someone else might be willing to get in on that action. Instead of eating that bet, you can put it up on a bet exchange site and see if anyone wants to pay you for it. Sometimes, too, you can place and sell bets at a profit, once you really get the hang of things. In short, betting exchange sites offer a more immersive and constantly changing betting experience.

Just to be clear, though, the best betting exchange sites aren’t just going to let you buy, sell, and trade bets. They also operate as a typical sportsbook. So, if you wanted to, you could use a bet exchange site and simply place bets on sports events. What a bet exchange does, though, is, in some ways, it one-ups a typical sportsbook. It expands your betting power by extending your options of what you can do with bets.

This increased number of betting options is not limited only to futures either. One of the things that makes betting exchange sites to great is the way that they let gamblers exchange bets during the event as well. this makes for a truly unparalleled live betting experience, one that really hedges a player’s bets in the clutch.

Do betting exchange sites tend to have the same range of sports offered on most popular traditional sportsbooks?

Absolutely. The best betting exchange sites will have a comparable sportsbook. Of course, as is the case with any kind of sports betting site, the range of sports and the size of the markets is bound to differ from one site to the next. This is always going to be the case. But the best betting exchange sites have sizeable sportsbooks. I wouldn’t include a site on my list that did not have a decent offering!

So, then, what sports can you expect to be able to place bets on when it comes to these betting exchange sites? Well, on most of them, you will find all of the usual suspects: football, soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, rugby, MMA, etc. From there, it’s just a matter of how obscure and unconventional you wish to get. Some betting exchange sites also have markets for politics, religion, and entertainment. Others cater to less popular sports as well, such as darts, snooker, handball, and surfing. The betting exchange site that you choose, ultimately, will be a reflection of the markets that you prefer to put money on. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most, right?

How do you figure out which betting exchange sites are the best betting exchange sites?

Although some of this is, admittedly, rather subjective, I try to take the most objective route possible when I review betting sites (exchange sites included). Any time, for instance, that I feel as if I am making a judgment or a statement rooted in personal opinion, I will make it known. I understand that a great deal of what goes into evaluating a site is, in fact, nothing more than one’s own preferences – this is especially true, I think, when it comes to site design – I am not saying that I am immune to falling prey to subjectivity, just that I will not dress my opinions up as facts is all.

From there, I follow a uniform outline for my betting site reviews. I feel that by breaking reviews down into a few key categories, I can come closest to reaching a more factual and fair review of sites. These are the categories against which I weight every betting exchange site that I review:

History and reputation

If a certain betting exchange site has anything even remotely resembling a dodgy history in any way, I am always sure to let you know this up front. Not to put to fancy a bow on it or anything, but, once again, I am in the business of policing gambling sites, making sure that no bettor gets screwed over. Therefore, any historical information regarding a betting exchange site is of the utmost importance.

Design and user experience

A sportsbook, a betting exchange sportsbook, is only as good as its site design. I have seen plenty of sports betting sites in my day that let users place bets on every sport in existence, but their sportsbooks were cluttered and sloppily designed – to the point where I could hardly figure out how to navigate them. Betting exchange sites should be intuitive, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing.

Content and features

Some betting exchange sites do you one better and, in addition to offering a marketplace of bets and a sportsbook, also allow users to exchange, buy, and sell stocks and crypto. The best betting exchange sites, in my opinion, go this extra mile in offering as many useful and helpful features as possible.

Mobile friendliness

It’s 2020 … do I really have to elaborate on why a sleek and smooth mobile site is necessary to be considered one of the best betting exchange sites on the market? I would be willing to bet that you do a good deal of your web browsing on your phone, don’t you? Well, naturally, you want a betting site that makes mobile betting not just possible, but easy.

Although I always prefer when a betting exchange has a dedicated app, sometimes a well-optimized mobile site can be enough. At the very least, you have to be able to place bets, buy, trade, sell, deposit, and withdraw from you phone or tablet. Anything less than that does not belong on this list!

Do you have a personal favorite betting exchange site?

Alright, I don’t normally do this, but today, just this once, I will tell you which betting exchange site that I find myself using the most. And, again, bear in mind, this is nothing but personal preference. Any of the sites on this list of the best betting exchange sites are equally capable in various ways, but everybody has a favorite, right?

The betting exchange site that I tend to visit more than all the others is … wait for it … drum roll, please … Smarkets. I really love the way the site is designed. It is immediately easy to use, immersive, and highly experiential. It does a great job of taking a lot of complex data and visualizing it for quick reference. It has a diverse range of markets, including sports, politics, and entertainment. And it also has some very competitive markets.

That being said, maybe you find that you prefer Bet Fair or Match Book. Who knows? These are only the best betting exchange sites, mind you, so it’s not like you can really lose with any of these sites (well, unless you make the wrong pick, that is).

Ultimately, finding the best betting exchange site is going to be a matter of figuring out which betting exchange site is right for you. All you have to do is go check out all of my reviews, get a sense of what each site offers, take a look at them, see which ones speak to you, and then, screw it, why not sign up for more than one if you feel so inclined? It can’t hurt to diversify the old portfolio, can it?

So, with that, I wish you the best of luck. I’ll see you on the books!