Matchbook is hardly the best place to start wagering over the Internet if you are chasing big welcome bonuses. The maximum amount that one can collect consists of €20 or currency equivalent and to make matters worse, this is actually a free bet rather than the cash prize. Since you only get to keep the profits you make, you shouldn’t be upset by the fact that the minimum wagering requirements imply odds of 2.50 which is extremely high by bookmakers standards.
On the upside, you only need to play the combined amount of the bonus and deposit through three times to clear the entire amount. Depositing €10 at Matchbook will make players eligible for the bonus, but since it is limited to €20 anyhow, it is worth depositing the same amounts to have it doubled. Only those who reside in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom qualify for the bonus.
Website layout, Betting option and interface
Matchbook follows the popular website format that betting exchanges have been using since they were introduced many years ago. This is good news for those who are familiar with this type of bookmaker and will find it easy to navigate the website when placing the first wagers. The betting slip is clearly displayed on the top right area in the form of an icon, which can be expanded by simply clicking on it.
The three column version of the website highlights the prices for lay and back markets, with the odds being competitive and comparable to Betfair. Matchbook went to great lengths to make the best available odds clearly visible, so even rookies will have no problem in identifying those outcomes that pay well. To find a particular event, players should choose the sport and country, then go for the league and fixture format to find the game of choice.
When it comes to betting exchanges, many punters prefer to wager on a single event and that’s why many bookmakers don’t pay too much attention to the betting slip. Matchbook is luckily the exception to the rule and those who add several games on the same betting slip will have an easy time calculating the odds and possible winning combinations. The interface has been improved several times since the bookmaker opened shop and it is only fair to say that the one available right now is by far the best.
Matchbook doesn’t have the best betting selection among bookmakers and it also shares some of the established betting exchanges. On the other hand, the effective margins are extremely competitive and barely exceed 1% on the most important matches, which is tremendous value. They’ve recently introduced their own commissions on several markets and the most popular football games are included.
There are some things that need to be addressed, such as the league depth, since those who don’t bet on the Premier League or major European competitions won’t have to many options. Tennis, hockey, baseball, basketball and fighting are also properly covered and the same goes for rugby. Horse and Greyhound races are available but Matchbook falls behind competitors in this area. They also don’t offer AFL and NRL games, so Australian players won’t be particularly happy with this betting exchange.
Any respectable bookmaker offers live betting and Matchbook makes no exception, although there is no live streaming feature to use for watching the games live. The interface is the same as the rest of the website and players only have to cope with a tiny delay before the bet is accepted. This means that if you spot a lucrative opportunity and try to take advantage of big odds for in play markets, you won’t hit a brick wall and be prevented from placing the bet.
Pros and Cons for playing at Matchbook
Matchbook does a great job when it comes to live betting and the odds are slightly better than what most betting exchanges offer. The commission is extremely low for all events and the structure is extremely simple, with players having only a tiny amount subtracted from their profits. They are also allowed to wager a tiny amount of just one cent, as opposed to several dollars required by most of their counterparts including Betfair.
Matchbook is also a great place for winning punters because there are no premium charges, so they keep whatever they make in the long run. The betting exchange also offers dedicated support to those who choose to deposit and cash out funds using Skrill.
Compared to more established betting exchanges, these guys have low market liquidity and this becomes a serious problem when betting in real-time. Matchbook covers most of the important sports, but they fall short when it comes to less prominent leaks, including European football.
Interface, usability and fees
These are the three things that those who use betting exchanges are particularly interested in, and Matchbook scores big points in all categories. To start with, the markets and events are displayed in a manner that is characteristic to betting exchanges rather than standard bookmakers. Players need to decide between backing a team or laying it, but they always need to have some of their peers willing to do the exact opposite.
This is what differentiates the best betting exchanges from mediocre ones, as the former have plenty of customers active at all times. Matchbook is yet to build such a solid customer base as to render the issue of liquidity unimportant, with some games being virtually inaccessible due to this very reason. Finding the sport of choice and the corresponding game doesn’t take more than a few seconds, yet sometimes customers have a hard time placing an order.
The good news is that the bookmaker allows customers to cancel their unmatched bets whenever they like, but obviously not after some of their peers match the events. If this happens, the games are voided and the stakes returned, so that punters can use them to bet on other events. The process is straightforward and by introducing this tool, Matchbook provided those who were not 100% satisfied with what Betfair offered with a reason to give them a chance.
The selection of games is impressive and if you plan on betting on American sports, Matchbook is going to provide several alternatives worth contemplating. These are also the most liquid markets, so most of the aforementioned problems are not going to pop up when wagering on the sports. Matchbook is going to charge a 1% flat commission on all the bets and they only apply to the amount won, so unsuccessful punters won’t be charged. Compared to Betfair, they offer slightly better odds for the same markets, so savvy punters can mitigate the losses incurred by playing the commission when betting on these events.
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