Customise Your Betting

An introduction to the world of customised access to Betfair, and what it could mean for you.

There is often a lot of lively debate in the Forum about what options are available in automating access to the Betfair site, and what constitutes a “bot” and how they work. Hopefully here are some of the answers, and some opportunities to improve the way you bet. They won’t be for everyone, but if you’re interested in customising the interface you use, the API (Application Programming Interface) might be for you.

The API is essentially a different way of accessing Betfair. One way to access Betfair is over the internet through the website, another is via the telephone, where one of our skilled brokers uses an interface (much like a trading screen) to input your bet. The API is just another channel. It allows users to build their own interfaces, spreadsheets or programs to place bets on Betfair. These bets are still subject to the same restrictions, delays, and queues that any other bet is.

The API, however, allows you to build in whatever functionality you want. For example, you could build your program to cancel bets after a certain time, to manage a book effectively using other inputs (such as bets/liabilities you have elsewhere), or to place a bet when certain conditions are met. 

For the less technically minded, it’ll be a relief to hear that you don’t have to build your own application. We have a number of Licensed Software Vendors who are designing and perfecting software packages that might work for you.  They can carry out bespoke projects for you, as well as offer off the shelf products.  These could be as simple as an automatic screen refresh which updates the market with the latest odds in real time, or as advanced as a complex trading interface.

You can contact any of our Licensed Software Vendors by visiting our Solutions Directory.  There is no cost to you in accessing the API if you’re using a Licensed Software Vendor product.  The Vendor will give you a quote for the development and support for the application itself.  http://bdp.betfair.com/apisolutions.php

If you’re technically minded and want to build your own application, you can subscribe directly to our API program and receive the technical support and documentation you’ll need.  There is a monthly charge for access and support from Betfair.  The monthly charge is £100 for read-only access, and £200 for transactional.

If you’re interested in customizing your betting, we hope we can help you find a solution. If you’re interested in finding out more, please email bdp@betfair.com or visit the Betfair Developers Program website http://bdp.betfair.com