Betdaq Sister Sites
Last Updated on March 1, 2026 by adrian
Betdaq has no sister sites. Since December 2021 it has operated as the sole brand under Exchange Platform Solutions Limited – a standalone independent company separate from Entain, Ladbrokes and Coral. If you are looking for Betdaq because you think it shares a licence with Ladbrokes, that connection ended over three years ago.
🔄 Looking for Betdaq Alternatives? Here Are the Other Exchanges
Since Betdaq has no sister sites, here are the other major betting exchanges worth knowing about – each with a different angle depending on what you’re after:
- 👑 Betfair – the dominant exchange with around 80% of UK market share; unmatched liquidity means you can almost always get a bet matched, even at large stakes. The downside: a Premium Charge system that hits consistently profitable accounts hard – up to 60% of lifetime net winnings once you cross certain thresholds. Great for casual punters and small-stakes traders; potentially expensive for serious winners. Commission starts at 2% but varies by account via a complex discount system. betfair.com
- 📉 Smarkets – charges a flat 2% commission across all markets with no premium charge. Interface is clean and modern compared to Betfair’s dated layout. Liquidity is lower than Betfair but solid on football and political markets – Smarkets is particularly well-regarded for election and novelty betting. No multiples on the exchange. Covers 25+ sports. Worth running alongside Betdaq for price comparison. smarkets.com
- 📖 Matchbook – flat 2% commission with strong coverage of horse racing and US sports. Particularly popular with US sports traders due to its NBA, NFL and MLB market depth. Interface has historically been criticised for being cluttered but the underlying product is solid. Lower overall liquidity than Betfair but competitive for the markets it specialises in. matchbook.com
- 🤝 Betconnect – a different model entirely: punters (backers) are matched with professional bookmakers rather than other casual bettors. This means better prices than traditional bookies but the exchange mechanic is different to Betdaq or Betfair. Particularly useful for horse racing bettors who find their accounts restricted elsewhere. No commission charged to punters – the pros pay instead. betconnect.com
- 🏇 Timeform Markets – a smaller specialist exchange focused almost exclusively on horse racing, operated by the racing data and form authority Timeform. Niche, but worth knowing if racing is your primary market and you want an exchange backed by serious form data. Limited to racing rather than a full multi-sport product.
Of the above, Betdaq + Smarkets is the combination most value bettors and matched bettors run together – both charge 2% flat, no premium charge, and between them cover the major sports with reasonable liquidity. Betfair remains essential for liquidity on larger bets or niche markets where smaller exchanges can’t match your stake.
| 📋 Betdaq Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Operator | Exchange Platform Solutions Limited |
| Owner | Dermot Desmond (Irish billionaire; original founder, reacquired December 2021) |
| Founded | 2000 (as Global Betting Exchange, Alderney) |
| UKGC Licence | 034865 (Exchange Platform Solutions Limited) |
| Additional Licences | Alderney Gambling Control Commission; Irish remote betting licence |
| Sister Sites | None – only brand under Exchange Platform Solutions Limited |
| GamStop | Yes ✅ |
| Type | Betting exchange + fixed-odds sportsbook + online casino |
| Commission (UK/IE/GIB/Jersey) | 2% on horse racing, football, cricket, greyhounds, virtual sports – 0% on all other sports |
| Weekly Bet Volume | £75m+ matched per week |
| UK Exchange Market Share | ~7% (second largest behind Betfair) |
| Trading Tool Integration | Free API – compatible with Bet Angel, Geeks Toy, Gruss Software |
| Payments | Visa/Mastercard debit, PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, bank transfer |
| Mobile | iOS and Android apps + mobile browser |
📰 The Ownership Timeline – Why This Page Exists
Most people searching for Betdaq sister sites are doing one of two things: checking whether it still shares a licence with Ladbrokes, or trying to understand who actually owns it now. Here is the full picture:
- 🏁 2000 – Dermot Desmond founds the Global Betting Exchange in Alderney; Betdaq launches as a peer-to-peer betting platform
- 📈 2004-2012 – Betdaq grows to become the UK’s second largest exchange with around 7% market share; processes billions in annual bets
- 💼 February 2013 – Ladbrokes plc acquires Betdaq for €30 million, integrating it as the “Ladbrokes Exchange” – UK punters using Ladbrokes exchange were actually betting on the Betdaq platform throughout this period
- 🔄 2018 – GVC Holdings acquires Ladbrokes Coral Group (including Betdaq) for £3.8 billion; GVC later rebrands as Entain PLC in 2020
- 🚪 December 2021 – Entain sells Betdaq back to Dermot Desmond; Exchange Platform Solutions Limited takes over the UKGC licence (034865); Betdaq is no longer part of the Entain/LC International group
- 📍 2022-present – Betdaq operates as a fully independent exchange with no sister brands, targeting matched bettors, professional traders and value-focused punters
🔄 How the Betdaq Exchange Works
Betdaq is a betting exchange, not a traditional bookmaker. The difference matters significantly for odds and value:
- 🤝 Peer-to-peer betting – you bet against other customers, not against Betdaq itself; the platform matches your bet with someone willing to take the opposite position
- 📊 Back and lay – you can back an outcome to happen (like a traditional bet) or lay it to not happen (acting as the bookmaker); laying allows strategies unavailable at fixed-odds bookmakers
- 💰 Better odds – because there is no bookmaker margin built into the price, exchange odds are typically higher than fixed-odds equivalents on the same market; the commission is how Betdaq makes its revenue instead
- 📉 Commission only on net winnings – you never pay commission on losing bets; only on your net profit from a market
- 🎯 Multiples on the exchange – Betdaq offers accumulator betting on the exchange, which most other exchanges including Matchbook do not; Betdaq acts as a traditional bookmaker for multiples rather than matching them peer-to-peer
- 🤖 API and trading tools – free API access allows integration with Bet Angel, Geeks Toy and Gruss Software; Betdaq actively promotes trading tool use with video tutorials on its platform
💸 Betdaq Commission Structure Explained
| 💸 Betdaq Commission by Sport | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sport / Market | Commission Rate (UK/IE) | Notes |
| 🐎 Horse Racing | 2% | Core market, strong liquidity near race time |
| ⚽ Football | 2% | All leagues; Best Odds Guaranteed on sportsbook |
| 🏏 Cricket | 2% | International and domestic coverage |
| 🐕 Greyhound Racing | 2% | UK and Irish tracks |
| 💻 Virtual Sports | 2% | Simulated events |
| 🎾 Tennis | 0% | All tour events – no commission charged |
| 🏎️ Formula 1 | 0% | All race markets |
| 🎯 Darts | 0% | PDC and BDO events |
| 🏉 Rugby | 0% | Union and League |
| 🏀 Basketball | 0% | NBA and international |
| ⛳ Golf | 0% | All major tours |
| 🥊 Boxing | 0% | World title fights and undercard |
| 🎮 Esports | 0% | CS2, Dota 2, LoL and more |
| 🏈 American Football | 0% | NFL and college |
Customers outside UK/Ireland/Gibraltar/Jersey pay 5% commission on all sports. Enhanced commission may apply to specific markets – always check the market information panel before placing.
📊 Betdaq vs Betfair – The Real Comparison
| 📊 Betdaq vs Betfair | ||
|---|---|---|
| Feature | Betdaq | Betfair |
| Standard Commission | 2% (UK) | 2-5% (Premium Charge applies for consistent winners) |
| Premium Charge | ❌ No premium charge | ✅ Yes – high-volume winning accounts pay up to 60% |
| 0% Commission Sports | Most sports (tennis, F1, golf, darts, boxing, etc.) | No blanket 0% rate |
| UK Market Share | ~7% | ~80% |
| Liquidity | Lower – may affect large bets or niche markets | Highest of any exchange |
| Bot Presence | Lower – fewer algorithmic bots competing for positions | High – bots active across most markets |
| Trading Tools | Free API; Bet Angel, Geeks Toy, Gruss compatible | API available; widely supported |
| Multiples | ✅ Yes – exchange and sportsbook | Limited |
| Casino | ✅ Yes – 500+ slots and live dealer | ✅ Yes |
| Best Odds Guaranteed | ✅ Yes (sportsbook, horse racing) | Not standard |
The premium charge is Betfair’s most significant hidden cost and the main reason professional bettors migrate to Betdaq. Once an account’s cumulative winnings trigger the premium charge threshold, Betfair retroactively charges up to 60% of lifetime net exchange winnings. Betdaq does not operate a premium charge – the 2% flat rate is the ceiling for profitable UK accounts regardless of how much they win.
🛑 GamStop and Responsible Gambling
Betdaq holds its own UKGC licence (034865) under Exchange Platform Solutions Limited, completely separate from Entain’s licence (54743). This means a GamStop exclusion registered against Betdaq does not automatically extend to Ladbrokes, Coral or any other Entain brand – and vice versa. If you previously self-excluded while Betdaq was part of the Entain group, your exclusion status should have transferred, but it is worth confirming directly with both operators if you have any doubt. Current responsible gambling tools at Betdaq include deposit limits, loss limits, session limits, reality checks, time-outs and full self-exclusion, all accessible under the “Safer Gambling” section of account settings. Betdaq also participates in GamStop, GamCare and GambleAware referrals.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does Betdaq have any sister sites?
No. Exchange Platform Solutions Limited operates only Betdaq.com and mobile.betdaq.com. There are no other gambling brands under the same licence. If you find a site claiming to be a Betdaq sister site, it is not accurate – the operator runs exactly one product. This is a significant change from the pre-2021 period when Betdaq was part of Entain’s portfolio and shared a licence group with Ladbrokes, Coral, bwin, Gala and others.
Is Betdaq still connected to Ladbrokes?
No. Ladbrokes acquired Betdaq in 2013 for €30 million. GVC Holdings inherited it through the Ladbrokes Coral acquisition in 2018, then GVC became Entain in 2020. Entain sold Betdaq back to its original founder Dermot Desmond in December 2021. Since then, Betdaq has operated entirely independently. There is no commercial, licensing or operational connection between Betdaq and Ladbrokes as of 2025.
What is Betdaq’s commission rate?
For UK, Irish, Gibraltar and Jersey customers, Betdaq charges 2% on net exchange winnings for horse racing, football, cricket, greyhounds and virtual sports markets. All other sports – including tennis, F1, golf, darts, boxing, rugby, basketball and esports – carry 0% commission. Customers based outside those territories pay 5% across all sports. The 2% rate applies only to net winnings in a market; losing bets attract no commission charge. New customers can currently access 0% commission across all sports for the first 100 days.
Is Betdaq safe to use?
Yes. Betdaq holds a full UKGC remote operating licence (034865) under Exchange Platform Solutions Limited, an Alderney Gambling Control Commission licence for non-UK players, and an Irish remote betting licence. It is GamStop registered. The platform has operated continuously since 2000, processes over £75 million in bets per week, and has attracted no recorded UKGC regulatory action against the Betdaq brand. Its safety credentials are equivalent to any major UK-licensed operator.
Who is Dermot Desmond?
Dermot Desmond is an Irish billionaire businessman and investor based in Dublin. He founded Betdaq in 2000, sold it to Ladbrokes in 2013, and reacquired it from Entain in December 2021. He is also the majority owner of Celtic FC and has significant investments in financial services and technology companies across Ireland and internationally. His reacquisition of Betdaq was covered by Racing Post and the Irish press at the time, confirming the transfer of ownership away from Entain.