Matchbook has the most prediction-market-like product of any UK exchange, but it's the smallest of the three we rank and its commission rates weren't readable from outside the UK. These licensed exchanges publish their charges and have more users.
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Best Matchbook alternatives
Checked
The best Matchbook alternative for most people in the UK is Smarkets. Smarkets publishes every charge: 2% commission on net winnings, free deposits and withdrawals, and withdrawals processed within 6 hours.
Published commission: Smarkets charges 2% of net winnings per market, and Betfair's own example puts its Basic package at 2%.
More users: Betfair Exchange's iOS app has 30,330 ratings and Smarkets' 4,634, against Matchbook's 1,616.
Published payment terms: Smarkets lists every method's limits, charges no fees and processes withdrawals within 6 hours.
The best Matchbook alternatives in the UK
Rank #1SM
Smarkets
Best overall
8.7 /10
Smarkets publishes every charge: 2% commission on net winnings, free deposits and withdrawals, and withdrawals processed within 6 hours. Its politics page, branded Smarkets Predictions, is the nearest thing to Matchbook Predictions at another exchange.
Commission
2% of net winnings per market (Standard tier)
Markets
Sports, politics, current affairs & TV; trade out; API (£150 setup)
Politics markets
Yes, branded Smarkets Predictions
2% commission on net winnings, with every tier published, and no fees on deposits or withdrawals
Withdrawals processed within 6 hours, and paid straight away by open banking
Politics and current affairs markets, branded Smarkets Predictions
Betfair Exchange has the most users of any UK exchange, with markets from racing's biggest festivals to election results. Its most profitable customers can pay an Expert Fee, and its licensee was part of a £2 million settlement in December 2025.
Commission
2% on the Basic package (Betfair's example); Expert Fee for big winners
Markets
Football, racing, tennis, cricket, golf, rugby & more; MatchMe; API (£499 live key)
Politics markets
Yes, politics and election results
The most-rated exchange app in the UK: 4.72 from 30,330 ratings on iOS
Markets from Premier League football and racing's biggest festivals to election results
MatchMe helps get bets matched when the odds move slightly during a match or race
These aren’t in our top 3, but they can make sense in specific situations.
Spreadex
Not an exchange: Spreadex offers fixed-odds betting under a Gambling Commission licence (account 8835) and sports spread betting, where you can lose more than your stake, as a firm authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Commission fined it £2,022,000 on May 7, 2025 over anti-money laundering and customer-interaction failings between September 2022 and November 2023.
Why Polymarket and Kalshi aren't alternatives
Neither holds a Gambling Commission licence, and both keep UK users out: Polymarket lists the United Kingdom among the places where users can close positions but not open new ones, and Kalshi lists it among its restricted jurisdictions. Offering or advertising unlicensed gambling to people in Great Britain is a criminal offence.
Smarkets, for its published 2% commission and fast withdrawals, or Betfair Exchange for the most users.
What happened to Betdaq?
Betdaq closed on October 21, 2026, after Matchbook's operator, Triplebet Limited, agreed to buy the brand name and domains. Customer accounts didn't transfer: Betdaq customers can withdraw their balance until November 4, 2026, and need a new account to bet elsewhere, Matchbook included.
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