4.2 / 5 50 Ratings

Get £30 in Free Bets on Greyhound Racing When you Bet £30

New Customers Only. Sign up using Bonus Code: GH30. Bet and settle £30 on Greyhound Racing only (2x £10 Greyhound Racing Back Bets, 1x £10 Greyhound racing Multiple), each at odds of 2.0 or more and receive 3x £10 Greyhound Racing Free Bets once qualified. T's and C's Apply. Be Gamble Aware. 18+.

SEE OFFER

#ad. 18+, begambleaware.org, T&Cs Apply

3.9 / 5 50 Ratings

Matchbook Reviews and User Ratings

Matchbook is a sports betting exchange prioritizing high-value returns and affordable commission rates, unique for offering exchange accumulators. An alternative betting site for exchange fans

About Matchbook

An excellent exchange alternative to Betfair with attractive commission rates. Exchange accumulators set them apart from the rest.

Matchbook Key Facts

  • Rated #1 Alternative to Betfair
  • 2% Commission For All Sports
  • Matchbook Accumulators Now Available !

Maximum Bonus: £30
Offer type: New Accounts
Sport Betting Offer: Yes
See the offer & Join!
Steve Madgwick Editor-In-Chief

Editor-In-Chief with 20 years experience covering the betting angles to breaking news stories. Daily slots player, Portsmouth fan and League Snooker Player

Latest Matchbook Free Bet Offer - Full Details

This page focuses on what our expert team and users have found when using the Matchbook betting site and app; for more information on the welcome offer, check out the Matchbook bonus code. We recommend that when signing up for any online bookmaker you don’t base your decision purely on that site’s current free bets or welcome offers, so read on for a full Matchbook user review.

Odds are very competitive

OLBG user PhilDray

Navigating through the site is a breeze, with a clean design and well-organised sections

OLBG user tapioca

Great odds, usually 10 or 15 % higher than with bookies

OLBG user punxtrust

Banking Options

Matchbook covers a few payment options. Punters can use VISA, Mastercard and Maestro to deposit funds, with a £10 minimum.

Method Min Max Processing Time Fee
£10 £20000 Instant
£10 £20000 Instant
£5 £20000 Instant
£5 £20000 Instant
£10 £37500 Instant
£10 £25000 Instant
£5 £750 Instant
Method Min Max Processing Time Fee
£10 £0 12 hours Free
£10 £0 12 hours Free
£10 £0 Instant - 24 Hours Free
£10 £0 Instant - 24 Hours Free

Matchbook Key Features

  • Live Stream
  • Asian handicap
  • Bet Builder
  • Welcome / sign-up offer
  • Odds Boosts
  • In-play
  • Cash Out
  • Exchange betting
  • In-game statisitcs
  • Virtual sports
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Acca Insurance
  • Early pay out
  • Partial Cash Out
  • Free Bet Club (or similar)
  • Spread betting
  • Pre-match form/statisitcs
  • Request a bet (or similar)

Full Matchbook Bookmaker Review

It’s important to put things into context, because Matchbook is an absolutely fantastic betting option, but for a specific type of bettor.

If you like placing a few bets here and there, doing lots of multiples, finding niche markets, betting on motorsports or other less bet sports, or any of the above, then this isn’t for you. Even if Matchbook offers markets on the sport that you like betting on, they may not have the markets you want, and so it’s better to take your business elsewhere.

If however, you want to zero in on some main markets, and excrete as much value as possible, from some simple, specific bets, then exchange betting and Matchbook should absolutely be a consideration. It’s important to stress that these will be some of the best odds that you will get, anywhere. And for a lot of bettors, that’s all that matters.

Matchbook Review Summary

Brilliant bookie for people who love straightforward betting.

Advantages and Disadvantages

All explained in greater detail in this review, these pros and cons allow users to scan and understand where the strengths lie quickly.

Pros

  • Marketing-leading odds

  • Fixed odds and spread betting available

  • Fantastic app

Cons

  • Some smaller sports are quite limited

Who Are Matchbook?

Matchbook launched in 2004, bringing its sports exchange to the UK market with a reputation for US sports in particular. The bulk of its product is based around its exchange, but you can bet more traditionally against the house for a couple of sports, also.

  • Established in 2004

  • Triplebet Ltd

  • UKGC licence number - 39504

First Impression of Matchbook

Luke Bradshaw Lee

My First Impressions

At first glance Matchbook looks like a lot of other bookies, but then you take a look at the odds that are offered and you can immediately see the difference between exchange betting and fixed odds. In terms of how the platform functions, everything looks very as you’d expect, but it’s important to remember that Matchbook gives you the option of exchange betting or fixed odds (just for racing and football).

- Luke Bradshaw Lee, Commercial content manager

What is Exchange Betting?

With a standard bookie you are taking a bet from the house (the bookie in question), but with exchange betting you are betting with other bettors, and use the betting exchange as a platform where two bets are brokered. You can back a bet, or lay a bet, with different prices for each. The “lay” is more like a traditional bet with a bookie, so with exchange betting (and this is simplifying it somewhat) you can place a bet, or be the bookmaker. To find out more, and digest in more detail, head to our Betting Exchange Guide.

Matchbook Live Betting

Head to the In-Play Betting tab on the menu and you’ll find all available sports to bet on live. There isn’t quite the same range of sports here as you may find at other bookies, but these are generally minor sports – there was no badminton, esports or cycling at the time of review when other bookies offered markets on them at the same time. The number of markets per event aren’t always as many but, and you’ll hear this a lot in this review, the odds are among the best possible ones going. See where they rank in our best bookmakers for in-play betting.

Matchbook Live Streaming

Matchbook doesn’t offer any live streaming at the time of this review.

Matchbook Betting Odds

The fixed odds are as good as you’ll find anywhere, and the exchange odds are even better.

Through the Matchbook Zero part of the site, you’ll get fixed odds for horse racing and football with zero margin and zero commission, and that’s not even the main draw, because you can easily switch to the exchange and get even better odds. These are literally among the best odds that you’ll get in the UK alongside other exchange betting and spread betting sites.

Matchbook Betting App or Mobile Site 

The Matchbook app is excellent. It sounds obvious, but it’s the same information, just laid out more succinctly. Not many bookie apps use a tile system as a menu – it’s usually a dropdown, or hamburger menu – but it really works here. You can move between the Exchange and Zero, plus casino if you want, with the touch of a button, too. Lastly, the way you scroll left to right, and back again, to move between buy and sell markets is brilliant. See how it compares to the best betting apps in the UK.

Matchbook Football Betting

Matchbook nearly makes our best football betting sites in the UK but just misses out, and this is mainly down to the odds. You should know, that if betting on Matchbook Zero, you tend to only get Result markets – this isn’t a place for bet builders, weird accas and the like, this is just for simple bets and trying to squeeze as much value as possible. You’ll get all the usual selection of markets in the Exchange.

You can see in the chart below, in greater detail, why certain bookies rank among the top for football betting sites, and what Matchbook is up against.

Best football betting sites
Score by selected category (hover over chart for details).
Loading data...
Tap or mouseover chart elements
for more info.
Pinch to zoom.

Bet Builder 

There is a bet builder at Matchbook, but it’s not the best. Again, here’s where you head for value, because there aren’t a tonne of options to add into bet builders. There are around ten different markets per game, but there’s lots of player markets (fouls, tackles etc.) missing. That said, the feature itself works really smoothly.

Bonuses

This isn’t too bad, with a generous sign up offer, some seasonal promotions and plenty of reminders about getting the best price for the vast majority of markets that Matchbook offers. What’s quite nice is that by using different codes, you can choose the welcome offer that best suits you (there are three different ones at the time of review) and so mould your betting experience to your own preference. On top of that there is also the chance to win cash as free bets every day through betting on multiples.

Cash Out

Matchbook was one of the pioneers of in-play cash out, and remains one of the best bookies in the county for the popular feature. This feature is available for various sports including football, rugby, tennis, cricket, and horse racing. 

Matchbook Horse Racing

Like its football output, this is the only other sport that you can use Matchbook Zero on, with zero commission on the very simplest of markets. There’s no forecast, tricast, place bets here, you just bet on the winner of a race at great odds. At the Exchange you’ll get more markets per race, with great odds. There is no official Best Odds Guaranteed, but Matchbook promise that you’ll get the best odds possible on 80% of all runners in the UK and Ireland.

See how they compare to our top 10 best betting sites for BOG.

Matchbook US Sports Betting

A full range of American sports is available. We’ll check out the major leagues, but also look into the sports further down the pyramid and, as well as around the world. 

American Football Betting

Lots of UK bookies don’t list the spread despite it being the most integral market in these sports, so it’s a big feather in the Matchbook cap that that, along with the total and moneyline are the three main markets here. At first it appears that there are no player markets, which is a surprise, but actually there are plenty, it’s just that you have to use the bet builder tool. It’s worth checking out our best NFL betting sites to see how Matchbook compares. 

Basketball Betting

The big downside to betting on basketball at Matchbook is that it is just the NBA that is offered. Most bookies who offer basketball have leagues all over the globe, on top of the NBA, but that’s not the case here and there isn’t even college basketball, either. The market depth is fine, but nothing to write home about. See how it compares to the best basketball betting sites according to OLBG.

Baseball Betting

Like basketball, there are no international leagues – I’m thinking mainly of Japan and South Korea in this regard – with a pure focus on Major League Baseball. There are result, spread and run line markets, plus some home run, hit and strikeout markets, also. See if it makes it into our top baseball betting sites in the country. 

Ice Hockey Betting

It’s rinse and repeat for ice hockey as it is with the other US sports, with a small, dedicated focus on the NHL, but nothing from anywhere else around the world. Generally, most other sportsbooks list a good many other leagues around the world, but that's not the case here. The number of markets per game is fine, but it’s not incredible.

Matchbook Greyhound Betting

Matchbook has a great greyhound section, with all UK and Irish meets listed, plus those running further afield, including Australia. This gives punters plenty of options and, as mentioned, you can live stream a lot of these races, even the Australian ones. The downside is that there is no Best Odds Guaranteed, which stops it making our best greyhound betting sites, but when your odds are so good already, how much of an issue is that?

Matchbook Darts Betting

By Matt Edgar, professional darts player – Compared to the very best darts betting sites in the country, Matchbook has some strengths and weaknesses. The number of markets for some upcoming Premier League matches is decent, but it’s the odds that are the real draw, of course. It would be remiss not to mention the fact that only the bigger competitions are listed here, with just the Premier League matches here, and no upcoming Modus Series fixtures.

Matchbook Snooker Betting

There is no snooker betting currently at the time of review.

Matchbook Rugby Betting (Union & League)

By Luke Bradshaw Lee - This doesn’t make it into OLBG’s best Rugby betting sites as one of the go-to options because there just aren't enough competitions or markets covered. You’ll obviously get amazing value on the best that you do make, but you limited by what bets you can make in the first place.

Event Coverage (0-5) Markets (0-5) Odds (0-5) In-Play (0-5) Live Streaming (0 or 2) Stats (0-5) Promotions (0-5) Total OLBG User Rating
Betfair 5 5 4 4 2 4 4 28 4.1
Unibet 5 4 5 4 2 4 2 26 4.1
bet365 4 5 4 4 2 3 4 26 4.4
Betway 4 4 4 4 0 4 5 25 4
Parimatch 4 4 4 4 0 4 5 25 4.2
SKYBET 4 5 4 3 2 3 4 25 4
SBK 4 4 5 4 0 4 3 24 4
Sporting Index 5 4 4 5 0 5 1 24 4.1
Spreadex 5 4 4 4 0 3 4 24 3.9
Share

Matchbook Cricket Betting

By James Banting - At the time I reviewed Matchbook’s tennis section there was a nice amount of competitions featured, probably more than other sports with this bookie. There are some Twenty20, IPL and international ODIs, all with great odds but a select few markets. The other downside is that there are no futures on upcoming competitions so I can’t bet any outright markets ahead of time.

Matchbook Tennis Betting

By James Banting - Unlike a lot of sports here, Matchbook’s tennis section features plenty of competitions, with minor matches from around the ATP and WTA tours. This is a fantastic place to come for in-play betting, because the speed and momentum shifts that you get in tennis, factored in with two types of bets per market, make swings huge, plus brilliant windows of value can pop up if you’re keeping your eye on the action. See if they make it into the top 10 tennis betting sites on OLBG.

Matchbook Golf Betting

By James Banting - There are no outrights here on anything that’s not in the next few days (as is generally the case at Matchbook), so you can’t place any bets on any of the majors at the moment. That means currently there are just two tournaments listed (both being played this weekend). For each tournament there are markets on the winner, top five finish and top 10 finish, but that’s where your betting options stop. 

That said, there is a golf-specific promotion where you’ll get your money back as a free bet if your pick leads at the end of any round but fails to go and win.

Matchbook Motorsports Betting

There is no motorsport betting currently at the time of review.

Matchbook Boxing Betting

There is no boxing betting currently at the time of review.

Political Betting

By Nigel Skinner - The politics betting at Matchbook is split into US and UK politics, but there’s nothing from any other country. That said, the markets offered within that are pretty good, with nine markets for the next General Election, plus odds on the next Conservative and Labour leaders. It’s pretty good overall, so check if it makes it into our best political betting sites.

Entertainment and Specials Betting

There is no entertainment betting currently at the time of review.

Casino

Matchbook offers casino and live casino. Both are easily accessible from the main menu at the top of the screen.

Matchbook Account Opening Process

A reassuringly easy process. At the top-right of the screen Matchbook has their “Join” button. Bettors just need to select this and follow the simple steps as guided through. You’ll be asked for the usual information – name, date of birth, address etc – and once complete be sent a verification email. Clicking this from your inbox will redirect you to the site, and then you’re free to get betting.

Navigation and user experience [desktop v mobile]

I mentioned earlier that Matchbook has a great app and the more I used Matchbook, the more I loved the app. If you’ve never done exchange betting before things can be a bit daunting, and obviously the ability to flick between this and fixed odds isn’t something that you can do on most other sportsbooks’ sites or apps. Matchbook does an excellent job of making what is a great deal of detail easily digestible, and I think it works even better on the app. The styling and graphics are definitely dated, but you could argue that it  fits in the business-like tone of Matchbook. Either way, from a product point of view, it’s exceptional.

Placing a bet

This section should only really highlight if there are issues, as the process is almost identical on every site. Within a few minutes of signing up to Matchbook I placed a couple of bets on different sports, one of which took advantage of the welcome offer, and I used their bet builder feature, which worked well. 

Managing your account

As mentioned above, the design really helps this along. On the desktop version, it’s stuff to the  left of the screen. On the app, it’s all at the bottom, with just the login at the top. I haven’t experienced any issues logging in, or finding customer service options, either. Overall, it feels like Matchbook has got this part nailed.

Matchbook Responsible Gambling Features

As with all online betting companies, responsible gambling should be and will be an essential element of the service provided.

Expect KYC procedures and document supply as a matter-of-course, to confirm your account after you have deposited a certain level of funds and in the event of any large wins.

You can set limits for yourself across depositing options and daily staking options too, so you can set your levels and keep control of your gambling.

Expect Matchbook to contact you via your preferred communication method if there are suspicious activities on your account. This protects your account from being accessed by someone other than you and ensures you control your gambling activity. Matchbook have a legal obligation to question your activity if they believe it to be suspicious.

As part of Matchbook's commitment to safer gambling, they aim to make zero revenue from harmful gambling by the end of 2023.

Bookie Review Expert Contributing Team

Opinion, research and data collection for this Matchbook review by

Matchbook Mobile Offering
Rated: 2.00 / 5
Rated: 4.80 / 5
Rating not available

Matchbook Info & Bookmakers Reviews

Check What Others Say About Matchbook and Write Your Own Review

3.9 / 5
  • Ratings: 50
  • Reviews: 35

There are no reviews with 1 star yet.

Matchbook User Guide

Current Matchbook Promotions

Matchbook 2 % Net Win

Matchbook are now offering an industry low commission rate of 2% on your net profit.  

If you make a net loss, you will not pay any commission.

Net Win Commission is calculated as follows

  • Place a £ 100 Bet and win at odds of 2.0.
  • Profit = £100
  • £100 x 2% = £2.00 in commission
  • You win £98.00

This offer was introduced in August 2019. 


FAQ

Matchbook FAQs

  • Can you cash out on Matchbook?

    Matchbook does have cash-out feature. Matchbook calculates the cash-out figure by considering the amount of liquidity in the market at the current price available and makes you an offer that you can accept by clicking the cash out button. Cash out is also available on the IOS and Android apps for full flexibility.

  • What is Matchbook Commission?

    Matchbook commission is a small % charge applied to your winnings when landing a successful bet. This can change, so check out the betting exchange comparison guide for the current figure.

  • How does Matchbook Work?

    Matchbook is a betting exchange firstly and foremostly. Therefore they are somewhat different from a traditional online bookmaker - If you have yet to play on a betting exchange I would advise taking a look at our Exchange guide first and selecting the best betting exchange from there.

  • Is there enough liquidity on Matchbook?

    On bigger sports there doesn't seem to be an issue, especially in the 30 minutes before the events start. Smaller sports are still building.

  • Do I need a separate account for the Matchbook Casino?

    No, the one account covers all your activity on Matchbook. 

    You can back and lay and spin the roulette wheel from the same Matchbook log in. 

  • What is Back to Lay on Matchbook?

    You decide that you want to back (bet for) Liverpool to win the EPL at the start of the season. Liverpool are 14.0 on Matchbook.

    You think that Liverpool offer good value and put £10 on Jurgen Klopp's team

    They get off to a flyer winning their opening 3 games easily, the price for Liverpool to win the EPL has now reduced to 9.0.

    You can now lay (bet against) Liverpool at 9.0 and have a Matchbook free bet on Liverpool.  

    You can lay £10 on Liverpool and will only pay out £90 if they win the EPL but remembering that you stand to win £140 if they do win the EPL.

    You have a Matchbook free bet and cannot lose any money.

    If Liverpool continue doing well you can lay them again to guarantee yourself a profit – win or lose.

    Just divide the total amount you will win by the new lay price to calculate your lay stake.  

    With a matchbook new account you can back/lay/trade to maximise your returns. 

By using this site you confirm you are 18+ and consent to our use of cookies and processing of personal data as set out in our Privacy Policy
Got it!