Smarkets Full Review, Rating, Offers 2023

Smarkets is an award-winning betting platform created in 2009 to address the needs of sports betting fans in the UK. Smarkets is licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority and operates in numerous countries excluding China, Australia, France, and Ukraine.

Smarkets is quite different from traditional sportsbooks as it allows players to place wagers against each other in a uniquely created peer-to-peer system. In this review, we'll take a closer look at all the betting platform's offerings. Read this review to learn more about how to use Smarkets bets and odds!

Things to Consider Before Signing Up

As with all betting sites, you don't sign up blindly. There are some key aspects to check out before hitting the sign-up button. In this Smarkets bets review, we examined both its strengths and weaknesses to determine this.

Pros:

• Wide array of sports: At the Smarkets platform, players are offered loads of sports on-site to bet on. Among the most common ones are horse racing, soccer, and tennis. On top of that, you will find betting markets for golf, rugby, cycling, table tennis, ice hockey, and baseball. Players can also expand their adventure by trying out non-sport markets like politics.

• Round-the-clock customer support: Smarkets offers timely, comprehensive and professional customer support. The team is always reachable on live chat, 24/7. It is complemented by a phone service, available from 9 am to midnight.

• Well-designed user interface: The bookmaker has an incredibly easy-to-navigate site. All the sections are well laid out in a straightforward manner. The various betting market categories are also well-distributed, making it easy to locate what you are looking for.

• Mobile-friendliness: The sports betting site understands the need for mobile compatibility. For that reason, there is a well-put-together app for iOS and Android users. The website is designed to run smoothly on mobile for those who prefer placing wagers in-browser. This makes your experience glitch-free and fun.

• Reputation: With over a decade of online presence, you can rest assured of safety at Smarkets. Perhaps this is why the sports betting site currently has such a huge user base. At the time of writing, the site has not suffered any notable backlash from users. Therefore, we can undoubtedly conclude that you will be treated fairly.

• Trustworthiness: Smarkets betting sportsbook is under the supervision of the most respected gambling regulators in the world. As a result, you can always place bets with the assurance that these regulators have your back!

Cons—What Needs Improvement:

• No graphical or statistical information on markets available: Punters are fond of analyzing their chances of winning a bet based on statistics. However, the Smarkets betting site does not provide this. This could easily lead to more losses than wins.

• No live streaming option: In the present day, live-streaming services are a must for bookies, yet Smarkets is not currently offering this service. If they want to remain competitive in today's market, they should strongly consider introducing streaming capabilities into their platform.

Smarkets Sign-Up Process

Smarkets is not your ordinary bookmaker. It's a betting exchange that allows you to wager against other players. This, however, doesn't mean that signing up is complicated. Let's take a look at your review of the steps to get started.

Step 1: Visit Smarkets Official Website

On your preferred browser, head to the bookie's main home page. You will find the "Create Account" button on the top right corner of the screen. Click on it to proceed to the next step.

Step 2: Enter Your Email Address

The site will then display the registration form, where you will be required to provide your personal information. These include an email address, a strong password, and your date of birth. Afterward, click the "Continue" button to move on to the following page.

Step 3: Provide Personal Details

In this stage, you have to enter personal information for further identification. This includes your name, country, phone number (optional), and Zip code. Note that the site checks your browser at this stage to confirm that you are not using a VPN. After entering these details, click on "Save Details”.

Step 4: Make a Deposit

Finally, the sportsbook will require you to make your first deposit to start betting. The minimum qualifying amount is EUR 10. Also, this is the point where you can choose to activate your deposit limits for responsible gambling.

Step 5: Start Betting

After making your deposit, you're all set to start betting.

Types of Bets—How to Use Smarkets Bets

As with all betting sites, Smarkets provides several types of bets that punters can choose from. Since the sportsbook is an exchange platform too, placing wagers is a lot different compared to conventional sites. For example, its sports betting odds aren't available in fraction format, so some bettors will need time to get used to it. With that said, here are Smarkets bets reviews.

Accumulator Bets

These are a series of wagers placed on the outcome of one event. If your initial bet wins, the returns are automatically staked on the next event, and so forth.

Accumulator bets are usually risky since they are not insured in any way. If you lose one of the wagers, your whole accumulated stake is lost too. But they can be quite profitable since the high risks attract higher odds.

You can create a pre-made accumulator bet. Let's say you want to make a Smarkets bet against Manchester United, Liverpool, and Leicester winning. If one of the teams wins and the rest lose, your accumulator bet still wins. However, if all three teams win, your wager loses to the bookmaker.

Lay Betting

Considering the low commission charged, there is absolutely no reason why you should not create an account at Smarkets. This is especially relevant to anyone looking to turn a profit quickly. If you have never played on the platform, lay betting is among the few types you need to know from the jump.

Typically, lay betting refers to placing bets against someone else. This could be against a fellow player or a team. When you load your preferred game, click on the blue box indicating the odds of placing a wager. For instance, you want to wager against Arsenal to win. This means that your wager wins if Arsenal draws the match or loses.

In-Play Betting

Also known as live betting, this is a popular type of bet available at Smarkets. Players love this bet type since it allows them to analyze an ongoing game's statistics to help them make informed decisions. The sportsbook frequently regulates in-play betting to ensure that punters do not take advantage of it. The site deliberately delays in-play bets by between 4 to 8 seconds for all events, including horse racing and darts. This way, players cannot take advantage of fast streaming results.

Sportsbook Betting Odds

All bookmakers can set odds in any way they deem fit. If you've read a number of our sportsbook reviews, you can easily tell that. Of course, the odds are often set according to the design of the bookie. Since Smarkets is a betting exchange, it sets its odds quite differently. This is because players here are wagering against other punters, not the sportsbook.

Nonetheless, Smarkets can be pretty valuable if you enjoy trading on betting odds exchanges. When trading, you will notice that the odds are set in decimal, percentage & American formats. This can always be challenging to punters that prefer odds in fraction format.

Bonuses and Promotions

Although Smarkets' betting platform is not oriented much towards bonuses or free bets, it has a nice surprise for new players. Once you sign up, use the COMMFREE code to trade without commission for the first 60 days. To activate this, you must make your first deposit using Instant Banking or Debit Card. The minimum qualifying deposit was €10 at the time of this Smarkets reviews write-up.

Deposits and Withdrawals

Obviously, you must add funds to your account to enjoy the services offered at Smarkets. Aside from that, you will need to cash out any winnings resulting from your trading. Let's talk about payment methods in our review.

Deposits

Making deposits at Smarkets is pretty fast and straightforward. The sports betting company supports a good range of payment options. These include credit/debit cards and e-wallets (PayPal, Trustly). Maestro and Instant Bank transfers are also available.

The minimum you can top up at Smarkets is EUR 10 if you use credit/debit cards or Instant Banking. However, if you opt for electronic wallets and other payment methods, the least you can deposit is EUR 20. Always make sure to confirm with the help section about the limits per payment method.

To top up your betting account, click on the deposit button on the top-right side of the screen. Pick your preferred option from the listed payment solutions and enter the amount you wish to transfer. Remember to claim your free trade period and begin backing your favorite players, games, matches, and teams! Smarkets lets you trade politics and current affairs at an industry-low commission of 2%.

Withdrawals

Like deposits, cashing out from your Smarkets betting account is also super easy. The payment gateways available support both deposits and withdrawals. Every payment solution attracts its own transaction fees. For debit and credit card withdrawals, there's an additional handling fee.

The withdrawal times usually differ depending on the payment option you use. Credit and debit card withdrawals take between 1 and 5 business days to process Smarkets payouts. On the other hand, direct bank transfers may take up to 10 days.

Smarkets Bookmaker`s Key Features

Smarkets, as a betting exchange, has a pretty unique design that sets it apart from conventional betting sites. Punters can trade bets as they please. The bookmaker pits gamblers against each other, thus eliminating itself from all the risks involved. But wait, there's more! Let's talk about some of Smarkets' key features in our review:

Live Betting

Smarkets offers live betting services on various markets. These include darts, horse racing, and basketball. You can analyze ongoing games to make informed decisions. Unfortunately, Smarkets does not offer live-streaming services.

Free Vouchers

Once in a while, Smarkets bookmaker provides free vouchers to players in specific countries. For example, you can earn a free Amazon voucher if you're based in the UK or Ireland. Such promotions are more of lotteries since winners are selected randomly by computers.

Smarkets Online Betting Experience

Are you wondering what betting at Smarkets feels like? We were also curious, so we tested the platform on multiple devices to give a conclusive Smarkets review. Here's what we found:

Website Experience

The website has a sleek design with some fantastic animations. Smarkets seems to have an interesting design choice, where all kinds of info are displayed on-screen right off the bat. The current affair section adds an appealing aesthetic to the overall website's outlook.

Mobile Compatibility and Betting App

The platform is designed to run seamlessly on mobile devices for easy on-the-go betting. The best part is that the betting exchange has an app for both iOS and Android devices. You can download whatever version suits you best and personalize it. Overall, Smarkets is a mobile-friendly betting exchange.

Licenses and Restricted Countries—Is Smarkets Legit?

Is Smarkets legit? Well, this review would be incomplete without mentioning a thing or two about its legal status. The company holds valid licensing from the Malta Gaming Authority and the UK Gambling Commission. This means that users from unrestricted countries can confidently bet on the platform. After all, they have someone overseeing all processes.

Talking of restrictions in our review, players from the following countries cannot legally use the website:

• Ukraine

• France

• Kazakhstan

• Russia

• Australia

• Italy

• Belarus

• Hong Kong

• Switzerland

• Belgium

• China

• South Africa

• The United States

• Denmark

• Portugal

• Czech Republic

• Turkey

Smarkets Customer Support

The customer support team is usually reachable in English, Portuguese, and Swedish. You can reach them via:

• Live Chat—Available 24/7

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: +44 207 617 7413 (9 am to midnight)

Smarkets Bets Complaints and Wishes

If you want like to make Smarkets bets complaints or suggestions and need quick responses, we recommend live chat and phone support. From our experience, replies take less than a minute to come through. We had to try it ourselves to give a detailed and factual Smarkets review.

Summary: Smarkets Review

In an industry filled with hundreds of bookmakers, Smarkets offers a unique way to place wagers on your favorite sports. Players get to punt against each other in a peer-to-peer system which comes with a 2% commission on net winnings. Whether you're looking to bet on football, basketball, or politics, Smarkets has got you covered. Visit the site and create an account to get started!