4 ms·

Betfair has an api, http://bdp.betfair.com/ http://bdp.betfair.com/, if you're interested in writing your own trading bot - although the free version doesn't al

by seanos 16y ago

Betfair has an api, http://bdp.betfair.com/ http://bdp.betfair.com/, if you're interested in writing your own trading bot - although the free version doesn't allow you to place bets.

russss 16y ago
Yes it does, but it limits you to 100 per minute. (http://bdp.betfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=64 http://bdp.betfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&task...) We (http://www.smarkets.com http://www.smarkets.com) are about to launch our own free RESTful trading API.
- seanos 16y ago
  Thanks for the correction. How do you plan to compete with Betfair?
  - russss 16y ago
    We want to make betting on a betting exchange easier to understand for the average punter. Loads of people (at least in the UK) still use high-street bookmakers with bad odds. Betfair is a bit of a mess (don't view source if you value your sanity).
- zackattack 16y ago
  1) Is it legal for me, as a US citizen, to use your product? If it's not, are there any alternatives available? 2) When will the RESTful API be available? Can you email me when it's ready?
  - russss 16y ago
    I don't think it's an offence for a US citizen to gamble over the internet, but it's not legal for us as a betting exchange licensed in Malta to let you use our product. So you can register on Smarkets, but you won't be able to deposit from a US IP or a US credit card. Also the Smarkets founders are US citizens and they'd quite like not to get arrested when they go back home. For API news, follow our blog: http://blog.smarkets.com/ http://blog.smarkets.com/
    - zackattack 16y ago
      I don't want to have to follow an entire blog to learn when your API is going to be ready. Can't you just email me?
greyman 16y ago
But where does the bot obtains current live score? Or will the bot "watch" only the odds movements? I started recently to trade tennis on betfair, but not sure how it could be automated without the bot knowing the current score.
- seanos 16y ago
  Depending on the market you are betting on, how quickly you need updates and what you can afford, you have a choice of subscribing to a live data feed (e.g. from http://www.enetpulse.com/ http://www.enetpulse.com/ or http://www.pressassociation.com/sport/data.html http://www.pressassociation.com/sport/data.html), scraping a live score website or updating manually from the venue or live TV (although this does have a delay!). You do not always need ultra fast updates since: Some markets are suspended and all unmatched bets cancelled when a significant event happens (such as when a goal is scored in football). Any in-play market places a 5 second delay between placing a bet and having it matched, giving the market makers a chance to get out.
  - greyman 16y ago
    Did you try to write some bot yourself? If so, for which sport? You can also PM me if you want, I do have interest in this area.
    - seanos 16y ago
      I have written a few bots before but only in certain soccer markets such as over/under goals.
      - greyman 16y ago
        That's cool, was it long-term profitable? I traded under 3.5 and 4.5 (manually) in a few matches with quite a good results.
        seanos 16y ago
nailer 16y ago
There's a group of Python developers in Hammersmith who are Betfair's number 1 client by volume. The founders are an ex-trader and an ex-professional gambler. They write their own market data and execution feeds from various sports betting facilities, abstracting everything, and handle it exactly like they're running their own exchange. They were looking for people a little while ago - I had an interview there and bombed after spending an hour trying to find their office - but they're friendly guys.
- greyman 16y ago
  >> They write their own market data and execution feeds from various sports betting facilities, abstracting everything, and handle it exactly like they're running their own exchange. What exactly do you mean? The have their own betting agency and selling their customers bets to betfair?
  - nailer 16y ago
    They create things - pricing feeds, execution APIs - that in the non-sports betting world you'd normally expect the exchange to provide. It's prop trading only AFAIK.

by seanos 16y ago

Betfair has an api, http://bdp.betfair.com/ http://bdp.betfair.com/, if you're interested in writing your own trading bot - although the free version doesn't allow you to place bets.

russss 16y ago

Yes it does, but it limits you to 100 per minute. (http://bdp.betfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=36&Itemid=64 http://bdp.betfair.com/index.php?option=com_content&task...) We (http://www.smarkets.com http://www.smarkets.com) are about to launch our own free RESTful trading API.

seanos 16y ago
Thanks for the correction. How do you plan to compete with Betfair?
- russss 16y ago
  We want to make betting on a betting exchange easier to understand for the average punter. Loads of people (at least in the UK) still use high-street bookmakers with bad odds. Betfair is a bit of a mess (don't view source if you value your sanity).
zackattack 16y ago
1) Is it legal for me, as a US citizen, to use your product? If it's not, are there any alternatives available? 2) When will the RESTful API be available? Can you email me when it's ready?
- russss 16y ago
  I don't think it's an offence for a US citizen to gamble over the internet, but it's not legal for us as a betting exchange licensed in Malta to let you use our product. So you can register on Smarkets, but you won't be able to deposit from a US IP or a US credit card. Also the Smarkets founders are US citizens and they'd quite like not to get arrested when they go back home. For API news, follow our blog: http://blog.smarkets.com/ http://blog.smarkets.com/
  - zackattack 16y ago
    I don't want to have to follow an entire blog to learn when your API is going to be ready. Can't you just email me?

greyman 16y ago

But where does the bot obtains current live score? Or will the bot "watch" only the odds movements? I started recently to trade tennis on betfair, but not sure how it could be automated without the bot knowing the current score.

seanos 16y ago
Depending on the market you are betting on, how quickly you need updates and what you can afford, you have a choice of subscribing to a live data feed (e.g. from http://www.enetpulse.com/ http://www.enetpulse.com/ or http://www.pressassociation.com/sport/data.html http://www.pressassociation.com/sport/data.html), scraping a live score website or updating manually from the venue or live TV (although this does have a delay!). You do not always need ultra fast updates since: Some markets are suspended and all unmatched bets cancelled when a significant event happens (such as when a goal is scored in football). Any in-play market places a 5 second delay between placing a bet and having it matched, giving the market makers a chance to get out.
- greyman 16y ago
  Did you try to write some bot yourself? If so, for which sport? You can also PM me if you want, I do have interest in this area.
  - seanos 16y ago
    I have written a few bots before but only in certain soccer markets such as over/under goals.
    - greyman 16y ago
      That's cool, was it long-term profitable? I traded under 3.5 and 4.5 (manually) in a few matches with quite a good results.
      - seanos 16y ago

nailer 16y ago

There's a group of Python developers in Hammersmith who are Betfair's number 1 client by volume. The founders are an ex-trader and an ex-professional gambler. They write their own market data and execution feeds from various sports betting facilities, abstracting everything, and handle it exactly like they're running their own exchange. They were looking for people a little while ago - I had an interview there and bombed after spending an hour trying to find their office - but they're friendly guys.

greyman 16y ago
>> They write their own market data and execution feeds from various sports betting facilities, abstracting everything, and handle it exactly like they're running their own exchange. What exactly do you mean? The have their own betting agency and selling their customers bets to betfair?
- nailer 16y ago
  They create things - pricing feeds, execution APIs - that in the non-sports betting world you'd normally expect the exchange to provide. It's prop trading only AFAIK.