Sporttrade is the second betting exchange to launch in the US, but unlike traditional sports betting exchanges, Sporttrade has taken the initiative to deliver a product that works more like stock trading. What does this mean exactly? Basically you are buying and selling outcomes on a given event, at any time.
So the old trading adage of 'buy low, sell high' actually applies here, since you can theoretically take a punt on a team with a low probability to win, and then if they start strong sell that outcome at a higher value and keep the difference - even if they ultimately end up losing.
And because Sporttrade only takes a flat 2% commission on winning bets, the actual profit from using the exchange will be higher than a traditional sportsbook even when you factor their cut in.
What We Like About Sporttrade
The fresh take on a betting exchange is a big plus for Sporttrade in out books, and while it may seem a little daunting for new players to jump into a system that relys on other bettors to match the flip side of their desired wager, the ability to set your own lines and take odds that will leave you with more profit is always worth considering.
✅ You can sell your position whenever. This is really one of the best features of the betting exchange, and make live betting a great experience since you don't need to wait for the sportsbook to dictate new odds or freeze markets during the game. As long as another player is set to match the opposite side of your outcome, the buy or sell order will be processed almost instantly.
✅ Higher profit margins generally. Sporttrade operates by taking a small fee off the profit for each winning outcome, which means there is no vig associated. No vig means better odds, and better odds mean more profit even after you factor in the 2% mark.
✅ No betting limits. As you're not playing against the house, there are no strict betting limits on Sporttrade as long as another player is willing to take the opposite side. While you may struggle sometimes as a high roller on a betting exchange, generally there are few issues with having a bet matched, and the liquidity pool for outcomes is usually three or four figures at all times so most smaller wagers can be processed immediately.
What We Don't Like About Sporttrade
Aside from the lack of availability in multiples states right now, there are a few issues with Sporttrade from a functionality perspective as well as more general problems that a betting exchange deals with in a new market. Although we expect many of these problems to go away over time, for players looking to jump right into the betting exchange these are some facts to remember.
❌ Limited markets and sports. The biggest downside of Sporttrade right now is the lack of available markets and sports. But considering how new the betting exchange is this makes sense as they want to prioritize popular sports and markets that large numbers of people will be wagering on to increase the number of available outcomes players can buy and sell immediatly.
❌ No real promotions. Aside from the welcome bonus, Sporttrade doesn't offer additional promos for users. While this can be annoying if you really like hunting for offers, the odds are generally always more favorable so for standard betting you are better off. And as you wager against other players, having an 'odds boost' would directly impact another user.
❌ Mobile only platform. Having a mobile betting app is really important in our view, but Sporttrade only offers their exchange on mobile with no desktop option. Normally this is fine, but given the additional complexity of betting exchanges many player who are likely to use the platform may want a desktop option to really dive into the probability calculations when buying or selling, which is more difficult on an app.