Matchbook vs Smarkets
Side by side: how they were founded, funded and regulated.
| Attribute | Matchbook | Smarkets |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 | 2008 |
| HQ | Alderney, Channel Islands | London, United Kingdom |
| Type | Low-Margin Peer-to-Peer Sports Exchange | Low-Commission Betting & Prediction Exchange |
| Regulated | Yes — UK Gambling Commission / Alderney Gambling Control Commission | Yes — UK Gambling Commission / Malta Gaming Authority |
| Valuation | — | — |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Prestige | 80% | 86% |
Matchbook was established in 2004 and acquired in 2011 by a consortium led by Matthew Benham's Triplebet Limited to offer professional traders a low-margin alternative to traditional bookmakers.
With a focus on major US sports, European soccer, and political markets, Matchbook gained popularity among algorithmic traders due to deep liquidity, tight spreads, and low commission structures.
Full profile: Matchbook →Smarkets was founded in 2008 by former equities trader Jason Trost and software engineer Hunter Morris in London to disrupt legacy bookmakers with financial-grade exchange architecture. Built on Erlang-based event-driven matching infrastructure, Smarkets operates as an agile peer-to-peer prediction marketplace covering global sports, political elections, macroeconomics, and current affairs.
Distinguished by its industry-defining flat 2% commission structure on net market winnings, Smarkets offers unmatched liquidity and transparent order books. The exchange actively welcomes quantitative traders and high-volume market makers by maintaining transparent APIs and strictly prohibiting account restrictions or limits on winning traders.
Full profile: Smarkets →