BETDAQ: Under the hood
General history
BETDAQ was founded in 2000 by Irish businessman Dermot Desmond and began trading in September the following year. It offers betting markets on numerous international sporting events as well as virtual sports and casino games with BETDAQ claiming to take in an excess of £75 million worth of bets every week.
Founder Desmond had the idea of creating a website where fans were able to come together to bet with each other online. The headquarters of BETDAQ are located in Dublin, employing some 200 people. BETDAQ is the trading name of Global Betting Exchange Alderney Limited, also known as GBEA, and was originally part of the Global Betting Exchange. GBEA was sold to Ladbrokes in February 2013 for a total of €30 million and now, it is the second largest betting exchange operator with roughly 7 per cent of the market share. Last November, Ladbrokes concluded is 18-month tenure merger with Gala Coral and he all new £2.3 billion combined body will now be known as the Ladbrokes Coral Group and is now the biggest retrial bookmaker in the United Kingdom. Since its launch in 2000, BETDAQ has not only become the second-largest online betting exchange company in the Britain but also the biggest betting exchange technology provider in the world.
What have BETDAQ pioneered?
As was Desmond’s plan, BETDAQ now brings gamblers from around the globe together and allows them to bet against one another, rather than using the odds set by a bookmaker which makes the site completely unique in its own right. Like Betfair and several other betting sites, BETDAQ charges a commission on each winning bet, for most markets this is set at 5 per cent of the net winnings but can sometimes vary depending on the amount of commission that is paid. The most popular markets on BETDAQ include horseracing, greyhound racing, football, NFL, virtual sports and casino games, with a total of 60 casino games on offer sporting a whole range of themes.
BETDAQ in the news
BETDAQ, shirt sponsor of League One club Charlton Athletic, are also big on charity. They helped to raise over €8,000 for Irish charities, including Focus Ireland and Belvedere Youth Club. The money was raised through Newstalk’s Off The Ball feature in which teams made weekly competitive predictions of football results and outcomes across as 12-week period. To mark the launch of their sponsorship of Charlton, BETAQ offered enhanced odds of 5/1 for the Addicks to be promoted back to the Championship. However, with Karl Robinson’s men currently in 11th place, their promotion push is not looking too likely.
Offline/online presence
BETDAQ is one of the many online only bookies with no high-street presence. This has enabled the website focuses its energy and has a market leading tips section and offers tips across a number of sports. It’s a great option for horseracing fans as that section is undoubtedly the most detail with articles focusing on standout horses, different courses and racing results as well as updates on market movers which helps punters to identify any bets that may be of interest. There is also detailed sections on football, UFC, golf, NFL and greyhound racing, all advising punters on which bet to back for any event.
Specialisms
BETDAQ are rather big on NFL and in October 2012, BETDAQNFL was launched, a dedicated micro site that offers live streamed video match commentary directly from America. The site is dedicated entirely to the NFL and contains live video previews along with results, discussions and tips from famous pundit John Arnette.
What BETDAQ offers that others don’t
As well offering some great sign-up promotions, BETDAQ is unique from its competitors in several ways, not only does it allow bettors to bet against one another rather than using set odds, it also supports Single Click Betting. This is for great for punters who are in a hurry or know exactly what they want in markets you’re familiar with, as it allows you to quickly take offers without the need for confirmation of your request which in turn helps you speed up your transaction rate. To access Single Click you simply must select the “Single Click” button at the top of the event card. Here, you are able to set up to five stake amounts that suit you and once you have selected Single Click and chose your preferred stake, you’re able to bet the bare minimum of key strokes without any need for confirmation. The Single Click mode is indicated by a red line so it’s easy to see and this mode even stays active when you switch between markets so it really is great for those in a hurry.
Something which is also quite unique to BETDAQ is the Trading Tools and Tips sections on their website. BETDAQ Traders offers a platform for users to download free Trading Tools for top of the range software to use on their website BETDAQ.com. They are all free to download and you can start trading on them for as little as 1p. Platforms on BETDAQ such as Bet Angel are designed for use on betting exchanges and allows you to place orders at speed and more effectively with much more complexity than the traditional website interface which those looking to trade may normally use and represents your best chance of profiting from all of the great opportunities that available thanks to betting exchanges.
How to sign up
BETDAQ is easy to join, you simply enter all of your necessary details with your credit/debit card at the ready, it’s also a good idea to have your ID on hand in case you are asked for proof of age. There are some great sign up offers for new customers as well. Previous offers included “bet £10 you can get £30 to spend on the casino games” and “stake £10 on virtual sports you’ll be gifted a £10 Free Bet”. New customers can also take an advantage their latest sign up offer, as below:
Betdaq - ExchangeBet £10, Get £10Claim18+ only. Certain countries only. API/RDT customers excluded. Min £10 exchange bet at odds 2.0 or greater within 14 days of acc reg. Free bet valid on exchange for 7 days. Stake not returned. Depositing directly via bank card. No cashout. New customers only. T&Cs Apply.