Matchbook Sportsbook Review

Matchbook Review

Matchbook is an online sports betting exchange. They have been online since 2005 and were one of the first betting exchanges in existence. Today, they offer some of the lowest commissions available when it comes to betting sports.

The exchange hit the ground running after they were established in the midst of an online gambling boom worldwide. Failed sportsbook, WSEX, had a stake in the company dating back to its formation.

In January 2011, WSEX sold their ownership stake in Matchbook. The exchange itself was sold to a UK investor. Although, the sale of Matchbook is still something that no one is truly sure about. How little or how much WSEX and Matchbook were connected was a hotly debated topic. Regardless, Matchbook today operates as a standalone entity. The exchange left the U.S. market on February 28^th, 2011. They then left the Canadian market in July 2014. The other notable country where they do not operate is France.

Matchbook is licensed and regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC). They also hold a license to operate in the United Kingdom, by the UK Gambling Commission. They also provide players with an online casino.

A Personal Opinion on Matchbook Sportsbook

Online Sportsbooks Worth Considering

Matchbook Sportsbook Bonuses

Matchbook regularly offers promotions to new customers. These do change somewhat, but they’re all usually around £20-30 in risk-free bets. Matchbook offers no other deposit bonuses, but currently, new players can receive a £30 (£15 back bet, £15 lay bet) once they deposit.

Customers who want to take advantage of this promotion must deposit using a credit or debit card. That’s an important distinction for those who typically use e-wallets for deposits and withdrawals. The two bets must be in the amount of £15 on a back bet and £15 on a lay bet. They also must be from two different betting markets. If either of the bets lose, players will be refunded the amounts up to £30 in their bonus funds account. Bonus funds may be take up to 48 hours to be credited. Once credited, the bonus comes with a 5x rollover before it can be withdrawn.

This welcome bonus isn’t much when it comes to value. Players aren’t receiving traditional freeplay here, and we’re not a fan of the 5x rollover, but the goal here is to give punters a two sample bets to learn exchange betting.

Commissions at Matchbook Sports Betting

Matchbook charges a 1 percent commission on each bet placed by their users. They also charge 1 percent commission on winning bets in addition to the commission for placing a bet. As of December 2014, customers at Matchbook who reside in the United Kingdom and Ireland will pay slightly more on their commissions. Their standard rate is 1.15%.

Though Matchbook charges customers 2% or slightly more when they win a bet, their commissions are still extremely low. They will beat just about every bookmaker online regarding margins, and their commission rate is better than other exchanges, such as Betfair and BetDAQ. However, more importantly, is that Matchbook doesn’t have a premium charge or any other hidden or extra fees depending on the amount a player wins. As far as commissions rates on exchanges, they’re the best of the bunch.

Matchbook Review Highlights

Matchbook’s layout is vibrant, and their interface is one of the best for betting exchanges we’ve seen. In our opinion, it beats competitors when it comes to function and layout. Using the exchange is straightforward, and anyone should be able to get the hang of it in a few minutes.

Matchbook has a ton of betting markets. They’re just not quite on the level as Betfair, their main competitor in this area. For example, for football, there is little more than Asian handicaps, and traditional wagering on sides and totals. Aside from football leagues across the world, they offer American football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, tennis, cricket, rugby, cricket, mixed martial arts, boxing, Esports, political markets and several others.

As far as live betting, every market that is available for pre-match betting has markets for in-play betting. In-play betting works perfectly fine, but once again, the markets here are just the basics. Matchbook may want to consider adding a traditional sportsbook to their betting options. Betfair has done this with some success. It’s an excellent way to give customers another choice of wagering from the same account and is a way to be sure that bets are placed if they are not matched in the exchange.

Like other betting exchanges, Matchbook doesn’t have a wagering limit. Since no one is playing against the house, customers can wager as much as they like (provided the amounts are matched) without running into with collars. As far as getting your bet matched, that shouldn’t be a problem for just about every market if you’re a small time bettor. Things change when you start betting four or five figures, however.

High profile football matches from the top flight leagues in Europe, along with internationals regularly have hundreds of thousands available for backing. There won’t be many issues with getting a large bet down on these major markets. When it comes to other markets, it’s a different story. If you’re wagering on tennis or traditional European sports, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get your bets matched. For North American sports or other markets, it’s going to be a bit tougher.

This is the reason that Betfair is usually at the top of the list of betting exchanges. Their commission rates are higher than Matchbook, but regarding liquidity, they are far ahead of any other exchange.

Matchbook Sportsbook Support

Matchbook doesn’t offer 24/7 support, but their offices are open from 9:00 am to 3:00 am GMT, so they’re still open for much of the day. Players can contact them via live chat, email, and by phone.

Matchbook’s support team has been the subject of complaints online. Many of the issues surround withdrawal requests and speeds.

They do have an extensive FAQ that covers most of the basic questions.

Matchbook Betting Site – Deposits and Withdrawals

Slow Cashier

Matchbook has never stiffed a player in their history. They probably haven’t even done anything that even constitutes a slow-pay. However, the most common complaint we have found online has to do with cashier speeds. This may be partly due to their know your customer policy, but it’s tough to know for sure. Matchbook is one of the few online sports betting sites that does occasionally charge for withdrawals. If players don’t bet on their account much before requesting a payout, there may be a fee charged.

Bank wires also have a flat fee of $35 at Matchbook. This method comes with a minimum amount of $500 per transaction as well. Aside from the fee charged by Matchbook, all bank wires have additional costs due to fees charged by the receiving and intermediary banks.

As far as cashier options, one positive is that they have expanded their list of currencies. In addition to Pound Sterling, U.S. Dollars, Australian Dollars, Euros, and Hong Kong Dollars. E-wallets, such as Skrill and Neteller are probably the preferred method for most players, but keep in mind; you can’t get the £30 risk-free bet unless you deposit using a debit or credit card.

Bank wires, along with credit or debit card payouts take around 2-5 business days to process. E-wallets take about two business days. As mentioned above, Matchbook seems to process withdrawals at the tail end of their timeframes or exceed them.

In Summary – Excellent Alternative to Betfair

Matchbook will likely never get the liquidity to compete with Betfair, but they’re a good alternative exchange and a better deal for small to medium stakes punters who are looking to bet major markets. Slow payouts for some is a minor issue for an exchange that provides some the best prices on the planet.