Full Smarkets Review and Complete Online Betting Guide

A betting exchange that has taken the market by storm in recent years is Smarkets. Since its inception in 2008, the company has handled over a whopping 3 billion kr in trades. But what makes this operator so special? Luckily, our Smarkets review has the full details on what to expect from this unique betting site. Read on for a complete overview of everything it has to offer, including its odds, markets, live betting console and more!

Our Rating of Smarkets - SwedenSweden Flag

Overview – Click to Find Out More
Sports to Bet On 35
Avg. markets (EPL) 65
Live streaming No
Commission 2.00%
Sponsorship QPR (Former)
Languages offered English, Swedish, Portuguese
Customer service Live Chat/Phone/Email
Licensing Spelinspektionen Number: 19Si290
Deposit Bonus 100 kr
Play Here VISIT SITE!
Website www.smarkets.com
Overall Rating 4.3 / 5
Smarkets Highlights:
Sports Rank Best Soccer Betting Sites
Payment Rank Best Neteller Betting Sites
Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+

As the above table we have created for you above shows, there is a lot to get excited about when it comes to Smarkets betting. The odds levels are incredibly high, as exchanges make their money from commission, and the amount of betting options is mind-bending. To understand more about why we gave it the grade we did, please take your time to read the rest of this Smarkets review, which goes into everything you need to know about in more detail.

An Overview of the Betting Options

Smarkets has been growing more and more in the past few years, and is now considered one of the finest betting exchanges around. When you bet here you can expect a very wide variety of markets to bet on. In fact, there are around you can expect around 22,000 betting options for you to choose from. Take a look to learn more about the kind of sports available.

Smarkets Sports Markets and Betting Options

If you love sports, then this operator is definitely for you. There are up to 35 different sports for you to stake on available. It particularly stands out when it comes to ice hockey and football – with 500 options routinely available across all the different football leagues.

Additionally, it features markets on sports as diverse as basketball, golf, handball, ice hockey, snooker and volleyball. This is a great range of sports which simply shows how great it is for online betting.

The Most Popular Markets at Smarkets
Football Ice Hockey Cricket Golf Rugby Union
Premier League NHL Twenty20 Ryder Cup World Cup
Ligue 1 KHL (RUS) World Cup PGA Tour Six Nations
La Liga AHL (USA) The Ashes European Tour Premier League
Bundesliga Extra Liga (CZE) Test Matches British Open Rugby Sevens
European Cup Metal Ligaen (DNK) IPL US Open Lions Tour
World Cup PHL (POL) County Championships The Masters Women’s Rugby

As the above table shows, there is a little something for everyone here. The betting options are not just limited to sports, however, because there is a comprehensive amount of bets available on current affairs – a category the site is one of the industry leaders in.

Politics betting is available on US and European elections, results of domestic elections here in Sweden and even elections in the rest of the world. There is an absolutely stunning amount of options here, and it’s second only to Paddy Power in terms of choice.

This is also buoyed by other current affairs bets, such as big company news, the inflation rates of UK and the USA and even the value of bitcoin. The depth available here is simply staggering and is what sets Smarkets apart.

If political and current affairs bets aren’t for you – why don’t you take a look at the amazing amount of football bets currently available with Smarkets. The Allsvenskan, of course, is extremely well represented. In addition to this, you can bet on the EPL, Bundesliga in Germany, Ligue 1 in France, La Liga in Spain and Seria A in Italy.

But it is not just European football that is extremely popular here, with bets available in leagues as far away as South America, Thailand and Australia. In addition, Smarkets has several ice hockey markets, especially for the Swedish Hockey League, NHL and KHL.

In-Play Betting and Live Streaming

It is a truth commonly acknowledged that the only thing better than betting before an event is betting on it as it takes place. In this respect, Smarkets is one of the finest in-play bookmakers around, letting you both back and lay bets as they are taking place.

Sadly, however, unlike William Hill, it does not provide you with the ability to live stream events as they play out just yet. We are sure that as this is such a huge part of the betting world now that this is something it will introduce in the future.

Multiples Betting Options

The only thing better than putting a single bet on an event is being able to place up to several bets into an accumulator. This is a great way to get a lot of money from a very small stake. Sadly, when you are using the platform, you are unable to use accumulators as of yet.

We find this a shame as it’s a big part of betting culture – especially when bets are being put on at the end of the weekend. If you do want to use a betting exchange that does allow you to place bets in an accumulator, then we suggest bet365, which makes a case for being one of the better exchange sites itself.

Bet & Win Limits

When you are betting online, one of the most important things for you to bear in mind is the bet and win limits. What anyone wants to have is full flexibility with their money, something that loosely translates to, low buy-ins and big payouts. Thankfully as a user of this site, you can expect some very fair limits.

The absolute minimum you can stake on a bet is only 5 öre, while the maximum wager is a whopping 12 000 000 kr per month, or 1500 bets, whichever comes first. As for your winnings, they are dependent on how much you are willing to bet. We think that what Smarkets offers represents some of the very best in the business. You really can’t go wrong here.

Smarkets Odds Levels

Betting exchanges have a one-up on traditional betting sites when it comes to setting odds prices. Since you aren’t betting against one bookmaker, but against other punters who set the odds, the payouts are much, much higher as a result.

This means you get some of the finest odds in the business – even beating Betway’s odds of 98%. Instead of making money through margin like a standard bookmaker, Smarkets charges a 2% commission on all the bets on their site. Take a look below to see the odds for every sport it has.

Odds Levels for the Largest Sports Markets
  • .
  • Football 90.35 - 99.68%
  • Cricket 92.99 - 93.73%
  • Tennis 97.00 - 99.50%
  • USA Football 96.45 - 98.22%
  • Rugby 93.21 - 96.11%
  • Horse Racing 94.49 - 98.16%
  • ..
  • .....
  • Return to Player (%)

As you can see, the odds prices do vary depending on the sport. Football is particularly good for punters as the odds levels are between 90.35 – 99.68%, which is basically as close to 100% as you can get.

Equally, the odds for horse racing, fundamentally a sport with more betting options, is also extremely decent. Horse racing payouts range between 94.49 – 98.16%. You can also expect extremely good odds for American football, where the odds go between 96.45 – 98.22%. The variety of values here is simply stunning.

Smarkets Sweden Platform

When you use the Smarkets platform, you can expect one of the most fluid betting experiences available across the medium. The entire website is designed to give off a very sleek vibe, reminiscent of being on a real traders platform. Utilising a combination of blacks, greens and blues, the Smarkets betting platform is enticing and easy to use.

What we particularly like is the way they have laid out the page. When you first entire the page, you are confronted directly with the current top markets, showing the biggest events of the day. With the homepage, there is a really strong emphasis on football, as it dominates the frame.

If you are looking for a specific sport, all you have to do is click the sideways graph symbol located in the top left-hand corner of the page. From there you are greeted with an a-z of all the different sports available.

What Smarkets allows you to do is make favourites, and then when you do click on the left side of the page you can access all of your favourite markets. Additionally, it has a recommendations section, with all the best-curated bets in easy alignment.

If you are looking for the blog, then simply scroll down to the bottom of the page to see it. There you can read all about how it works behind the scenes. Additionally, alongside this is the help centre, the betting education centre and a contact form.

We would really recommend the betting education page, as it shows you all you need to know to use the exchange, such as explaining what betting odds are, and the best strategy in order to get ahead. This simply shows the dedication they go to in order to provide you with a brilliant betting experience.

How to Place a Bet

Placing a bet with this operator is a really easy thing to do. Before you get started, however, there are a few basics we should cover first. First of all, make sure that you get an account and are logged in. Additionally, make sure that you have deposited enough money into your betting account in order to cover your bet.

From there, simply head on over to the homepage and look for potential wagers. If you do not know what you would like to bet on, consult the a-z which can be found on the left-hand side of the page. From there scroll down to find your preferred sport.

Once you have clicked on your favourite sport you will be greeted by all the different markets you can bet on. We recommend picking a league that you know something about because you will have better knowledge regarding how results will pan out.

  • [1] Make Your Selection(s) Bet selection options, showing available markets at the Smarkets sportsbook Look for the market you want to bet on at Smarkets, there are plenty of different options, be methodical and choose wisely.
  • [2] Enter Your Stake Amount Your stake selection window at Smarkets where you can choose a bet amount and view the calculated return Enter the amount of money you would like to bet under the “Your Stake” data entry field. You will also see a live return amount.
  • [3] Confirm Your Selection(s) A completed betting slip on the Smarkets platform ready to be executed by clicking Place Bet Now you have your market and stake selected the only thing left to do is double check, then confirm your bet by pressing Bet Now!

As the above table shows out, the next steps in picking a bet are really simple. Simply find the market within the event you’re interested in and pick an outcome you believe is more likely than not to happen. Try to pick something with relatively high odds as this means that you could be due an even bigger return.

From there you can place the bet; simply pick the outcome and type in the amount of money you want to stake. Remember to only stake money you feel like you can afford to lose.

Additional Company Info

Now that you’ve learned everything you need to know about betting with Smarkets, let’s learn a little extra about the company. The section below covers all the facts pertinent to our Smarkets review, including licensing, ownership and customer support information.

The Smarkets Business

Smarkets was started in 2008 by two Americans called Jason Trost and Hunter Morris. Their aim was to make it less like a traditional betting platform, but instead, somewhere you could trade bets. Since then, the brand made a name for itself as one of the world’s top betting exchanges and employs over 100 people.

More recently, it became more popular when it partnered with Queen’s Park Rangers as the team’s official betting partner. Learn more about the company courtesy of the table we have created for you below.

All About the Smarkets Business 
Company Support Security Player Protection
Name:Smarkets Live Chat:24/7 Encryption:Let’s Encrypt Authority X3 Deposit Limits:Adjustable
Head Office:London Phone:+44 207 617 7413 License:Spelinspektionen Betting Limits:Adjustable
OwnerJason Trost and Hunter Morris Email:support@smarkets.com Testing Agency:eCOGRA Self Exclusion:Available
Employees:100 Fax: Audit Organisation:IBAS Child Protection:Enforced
Registered Players: Other: KYC (Know Your Customer)KYC Partner Organisations:BeGambleAware

The brand is slowly expanding and seeking to perfect its product before it scales. The leader in this space holds a huge proportion of market capitalisation and has dominated for the past decade. We fully expect that Smarkets continues developing its platform to carve a bigger piece of the pie and command higher popularity amongst Swedish punters.

Brilliant Customer Service

Customer service is key and represents the key difference between a good service and a great one. Thankfully with Smarkets, you don’t have to worry about lousy customer service as the support they give is second to none.

If you want to contact Smarkets, you will be glad to know that they are available via email, Twitter, live chat, phone and even by post. We recommend following them on all social media outlets to get a full idea of what they are up to.

What is really amazing is that the live chat is available for use 24/7 – making it one of the most reliable services around.

Licensing & Security

When you are betting with an operator, always check that it’s fully licensed under Swedish law. This means having a license with the Swedish Spelinspektionen. In the case of Smarkets, you do not need to worry about that as we have already checked for you and can attest that it’s fully licensed.

In addition to this, the highly respected IBAS (Independent Betting Adjudication Service) provides you legal recourse should there be a dispute with the operator. Smarkets also has a license granted to it under the Malta Gaming Authority, so it’s licensed in two jurisdictions.

The most important thing about betting is safety. Being able to put money in and out of an account in the full knowledge that it is completely safe is extremely important. Thankfully, when you use Smarkets, you can rest assured all your information is secure.

The website features encryption from Let’s Encrypt Authority X3, meaning that you, and only you, can see your payment details. In addition, it takes gambling addiction seriously, so it’s partnered with BeGambleAware to provide you resources if you need them, one of the key aspects we looked for in our Smarkets review.

Bonus Points 6

Although hardly the reason one may be drawn to a bookmaker in the first place, bonus points are something that separates one from the rest of the pack. Sadly for Smarkets, it didn’t get the top marks here, but it still ranked pretty well all things considered.

Take a look below to learn more.

  • Live Streams 0/3
  • Sponsorship 2/3
  • Awards 2/2
  • Extra Markets 1/1
  • Bonuses 1/1
  • Bonus Points 6

As you can see, the above table shows you all the bonus points you might need to know about when betting with Smarkets. Let us explain our rationale now. Firstly, they do not score any points for their live streams because it doesn’t have any live streams.

This is a huge disappointment, but we are sure that this is something that they will introduce in the future. In addition to this, we gave them a highly respectable 2 out of 3 for their sponsorship considering it is the official partner of Queens Park Rangers, one of the best football clubs in the UK.

For their vast array of awards, including being named in the Startups 100 awards in 2012, we couldn’t give them anything other than top marks. Additionally, for their ridiculous array of political and popular culture bets, they do extremely well for people wanting to bet on extra markets.

Smarkets Betting: A One-of-a-Kind Experience

All in all, we can conclude that it’s a fine betting exchange to have an account with. Thanks to the wide variety of betting options it has, the extremely high odds levels, the extra markets such as political and current affairs betting, and the overall aesthetic of the platform, you can expect a brilliant one of a kind experience here.

What really stood out to us was the Smarkets trade out function. This feature operates similar to early cashout options at traditional betting sites, but with a few caveats. One of the following must apply; either your bet needs to be matched with an opponent, have high trading volume or you must have exposure greater than 0 kr.

To see what we think are the specific strengths and weaknesses of this betting exchange are, please take a look at the table we created for you below.

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Strengths and Weaknesses of Smarkets
  • Major Strengths
  • Advanced Betting Exchange
  • Easy-to-Use
  • Major Weaknesses
  • No Live Streaming
  • No Mobile App
  • Minor Strengths
  • Obscure Markets
  • Very High Payouts
  • On-Site Betting Guidance
  • Minor Weaknesses
  • 2% Commission
  • No Greyhound Racing
Full T&Cs Apply! New customer offer. Please gamble responsibly. 18+

As you can see, there are some reservations we have after our review. Primarily we aren’t very impressed that there is no live streaming available and no mobile app which allows you to bet whilst on the go.

Nevertheless, we feel after our Smarkets review that the overall experience more than outweighs any issues we have with the site. If Smarkets isn’t the bookmaker for you, simply visit one of the other best Swedish betting sites on our list.

Q&A/FAQ

While we tried to make our Smarkets review as comprehensive as possible, our readers occasionally have more specific questions. If anything remains unclear, please send us your questions to info@bestbettingsites.com.

✨ How much commission does Smarkets charge?

Since Smarkets is a betting exchange and not a traditional bookmaker, it charges a 2% commission on all wagers placed at the site. However, we feel this is more than made up for by the incredibly high odds levels.

📈 How does Smarkets work?

Smarkets is a betting exchange, which means it's a betting site modelled after trading platforms. Instead of betting against the bookmaker, Smarkets matches you up with other punters looking for the other side of the bet you want to make, and charges a commission for the service.

💰 How long does it take to withdraw from Smarkets?

There is a broad range of Smarkets withdrawal options, with varying processing times for each. The fastest processor takes 12 hours, while bank transfers can take up to 10 days. Keep in mind that Smarkets has a 12 000 000 kr or 15 000 bets per month maximum policy, so make sure to plan your bets accordingly.

❓ What is the Smarkets trade out function?

One of the things unique to this site, the Smarkets trade out function is similar to cash-out features at traditional sportsbooks. There are certain requirements for it to be triggered, like your wager having been matched with an opponent, your exposure is greater than 0 kr or the market has high volume.