UA
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ENHow it works
Event data feeds into a model, and the model recalculates prices: a goal, a red card, the time left. The faster the data, the shorter the window when the price no longer matches the game.
- Bet delay. The bet is accepted a few seconds after the click. If the price changes or a dangerous moment happens in that time, the bet is rejected or a new price is offered.
- Market suspension. On a goal, a penalty or a video review, the market is suspended until the price is recalculated.
Margin and risks
The in-play margin is usually higher than pre-match: prices change fast, and a mistake costs more. How it is built into the price is covered in the article on bookmaker margin.
- Data speed. Anyone who sees the action before the odds update, from the stadium or on a faster stream, bets at a stale price.
- Data outage. Without automatic suspension when the feed drops, the book keeps accepting bets at old prices.
- Professional bettors look for the slowest markets and leagues, more in the article on sharps.
In-play and retention
In-play keeps players engaged for the whole match: several bets instead of one, cash out, a reason to come back for the next game. For CRM these are triggers: kick-off for the player's favourite team, half-time, the start of the second half.
Speed has a downside. Frequent bets in a row and rising stakes after a loss are risk signals: they are checked before any offer, under responsible gambling rules. Self-excluded players and players with limits do not get in-play notifications.
Common mistakes
- One delay for every sport. It is tuned to the sport and the data speed: too short opens a window for bets at stale prices, too long annoys players.
- Pre-match limits for in-play bets. The risk of a pricing error is higher in-play, so stake limits there are usually lower, especially on niche events.
- In-play pushes to everyone. A notification about a match the player does not bet on is noise and an unsubscribe. Build pushes around the player's favourite sport, league and team.