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.
In addition to its core peer-to-peer exchange, Smarkets operates SBK, a dedicated mobile sportsbook app launched in 2019 that pipes exchange liquidity and odds into a sleek consumer UI. Supported by venture capital and quantitative backing from Susquehanna Growth Equity, Passion Capital, and Deutsche Telekom, Smarkets maintains operating hubs in London, Malta, and Los Angeles.
- 2008 Smarkets Founded Jason Trost and Hunter Morris relocate to London to establish Smarkets with backing from Passion Capital and Deutsche Telekom.
- 2010 UK Licensing & Public Launch Secures UKGC licensure and launches its proprietary Erlang matching engine to the public.
- 2019 SBK App Launch Rolls out SBK, a consumer sportsbook app powered entirely by underlying Smarkets exchange liquidity.
- 2021 Susquehanna Series B Closes a major Series B funding round from quantitative trading powerhouse Susquehanna Growth Equity (SGE).
- 2026 Institutional API Expansion Enhances low-latency API routes for algorithmic traders across international sports and event forecasting markets.
Smarkets was founded in 2008 by former financial trader Jason Trost and software engineer Hunter Morris.
Smarkets charges a industry-low flat 2% commission on net market winnings, contrasting with traditional bookmaker margins.
Smarkets is headquartered in London, UK, with operational hubs in Malta and Los Angeles, California.
SBK is a mobile sportsbook application created by Smarkets that combines the user interface of a classic sportsbook with real-time exchange liquidity.
Yes, Smarkets is fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority.