What is in-play betting?
In-play betting can be described as ‘the live betting during the course of an event’, as opposed to a bet that you place before the action starts. It is the fastest growing sector of the online gaming industry.
With in-play betting, the Sporting Index traders update the spreads as the action unfolds so you can challenge their opinions in a live environment, in real-time. So, if you’re watching a football match and you see that both teams have started with all guns blazing, you might be more likely to predict that the first match goal will arrive early. If that’s the case, then you can back your opinion by selling (betting lower) the time of the first goal in-play.
What are the advantages of in-play live betting compared to normal spread betting?
One of the key advantages of in-play betting is that clients can see the event unfold, which significantly increases your chances of winning. If you regularly watch a certain sport, you can get a clearer picture of how the game is developing from the opening exchanges and use your initial impressions to inform your betting decisions.
In-play offers
spread betting clients the chance to benefit from some larger prices than you might get before kick-off. If you are watching a match and can see that one side is having all the ball, but are a goal down, the win index and supremacy markets may return a large profit if the side can take their opportunities and turn the game around.
Cricket is another sport perfectly suited to in-play betting as so many things can happen to change the make-up of a match. For example, let’s say the weather suddenly turns at Lord’s and the ball starts to move around wildly. You therefore expect plenty of wickets to fall, so you can sell the batting team’s runs, or buy an individual bowler’s performance index.
In-play also gives you the opportunity to trade, which can occasionally render the final result irrelevant. For example, if England’s openers are playing particularly well, but the rest of the line-up are struggling, spread bettors may opt to buy England runs before closing out when the team are 100 for no wicket. They have guaranteed a profit and any collapse would have no effect on their bet.
Another advantage with in-play is a vastly increased number of opportunities to bet throughout a tournament. Some punters will focus on just a couple of markets, while others will cover a range.
Is in-play betting available on all sporting events?
In-play betting is available on all major sporting events.
Where can I see what in-play betting events are happening now?
Our
in-play diary on the homepage gives you a look at the action we’ll be covering live and in-play over the next few days.
What causes suspensions in in-play betting?
Suspensions during in-play betting occur when a major incident happens in the contest. For example, if Manchester United take the lead against Liverpool in the opening minute, the markets will have to be paused for the traders to adjust the spreads for the remainder of the match. A red card usually has a huge factor on a game, so the match win index will either be positively or negatively affected with a dismissal. We always make sure we get the markets back live as soon as possible.
How often are the odds for in-play live betting updated?
There is no hard and fast rule, it all depends on how quickly things are happening in your chosen event and what is actually happening at that time. For example, in cricket there is generally an update every ball bowled. In football however, a general rule of thumb is that the prices are updated every 30-60 seconds – unless something happens to necessitate a quicker update, such as a goal, a booking or a corner.
Are in-play live bets placed instantly?
No, there is a short time delay – generally 5 seconds - between bet request and confirmation.
Is in-running betting the same as in-play betting?
There is no real difference between in-running and in-play betting. In-running betting is the normal parlance for betting during a horse race, whereas in-play betting covers most other sports.
Do you have any in-play betting tips?
As with pre-match betting, it is beneficial to do as much research as possible to get a good gauge of the match ahead. Looking at key trends, head-to-head records and squad news can keep you one step ahead and potentially lead you to bigger profits. This is especially true if a team tends to do certain things at certain times, e.g. conceding early goals or wickets.
The other key tip we can give would be to try to make sure you can actually watch the event live. There is nothing worse than taking a position in-play and the missus then goes and puts Eastenders on!